Visualizing valley wind flow

Abstract

The field of micrometeorology is primarily concerned with smaller-scale meteorological phenomena, specifically those which occur within the lowest atmospheric layer called the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL). The primary defining characteristic of the ABL is that wind dynamics within this layer are influenced by the Earth's topography, as well as time-dependent temperature changes in the Earth's surface. In forests and connected valleys, weak-wind flows transport moisture, heat, gases and potential contaminants, directly impacting adjacent ecosystems [Thomas et al. 2012].