The Measurement of Small Scale Velocity Structure in the 30-60 km Region by the Smoke Trail Method.
Abstract
The measurement of small scale wind motions in the 30-60 km region of the atmosphere by means of the smoke trail method is described. This method obtains wind motions by photographing the deformation of a trail of smoke with time. The experiment consists of the analysis of four such trails deposited by two rockets which were fired simultaneously from different positions and which deposited a trail on both the upward and downward trajectories. The method of reduction of the photographic data to obtain the position in space of the smoke trails with time and subsequent velocities is discussed and an estimate of the error in the resulting smoothed wind profiles is obtained. The wind profiles obtained by this experiment are compared with an independent measurement which was made some 90 minutes later by a STARUTE sonde. The wind profiles are analysed in terms of the spectrum of vertical wavelengths, the phase orientation and wavelength in the horizontal and the distribution of vertical shears. A temperature profile obtained in the region is also analysed and an attempt is made to relate the wind and temperature profiles in terms of simple gravity wave theory. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 31, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0715923
Entities
People
- George J. Boer
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology