Measuring Inertial Subrange Boundary and Turbulence Isotropy using Airborne Doppler Lidar: An Investigation using LES-based Simulation

^(a) University of Colorado Boulder (UCB), Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Science (LASP), Boulder, Colorado, USA
^(b) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Troposphere Research (IMKTRO), Karlsruhe, Germany
^(c) Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Hannover, Germany
^(d) Stony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, New York, USA Lead Author e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 9 April 2026

Abstract

Kolmogorov's description of the inertial subrange is a well-supported concept of turbulent flow that plays a critical role in atmospheric dynamics; however, defining the bandwidth of the inertial subrange remains challenging. Emerging capabilities in airborne Doppler wind lidar are improving the accuracy and resolution of 3D wind measurements by utilizing multiple fixed-direction beams on a single aircraft. This advancement allows for new insight into atmospheric turbulence. Simultaneous measurements of line-of-sight variance of wind velocity in different directions contain information about both horizontal and vertical components of the Reynolds Stress Tensor. From these measurements, isotropy of turbulence could be quantified at a range of length scales, and an upper boundary could be investigated for the inertial subrange of the sampled atmosphere. This method is demonstrated using an LES-based simulation of airborne lidar measurements in turbulent boundary layer flow.