A wind tunnel study of air flow in waving wheat : two-point velocity statistics

Two-point, space-time correlations of streamwise and vertical velocity were obtained from a wind tunnel simulation of an atmospheric surface layer with an underlying model wheat canopy constructed of flexible nylon stalks. Velocity data extend from 1/6 canopy height to several canopy heights, with in excess of 2000 three-dimensional vector separations of the two x-wire probes. Isocorrelation contours over an x, z slice show the streamwise velocity autocorrelation to be tilted approximately 18 degrees in a downwind direction, and the vertical velocity autocorrelation to be roughly circular, such that vertical velocities at the same horizontal position but different heights are closely in phase. Cross-correlations between the two velocity components reflect this difference to some extent. Lateral displacements of the probes revealed side lobes with correlations of reversed sign but we cannot positively link this pattern to particular vorticular structures. Integral length scales obtained directly from the spatial correlations match similar scales deduced from single-point time series with Taylor's hypothesis at 2 to 3 times the canopy height but greatly exceed such scales at lower levels, particularly within the wheat. We conclude that the reversed sign lateral lobes are important components of the correlation field and that an integral length scale for the lateral direction must be defined such that they are included. Convective velocities obtained from the time lag to optimally restore correlation lost by physical separation of the probes change only slowly with height and greatly exceed the mean wind velocity within and immediately above the canopy. Thus, mean wind velocity is not a suitable proxy for convective velocity in the application of Taylor's hypothesis in this situation. The ratio of vertical to longitudinal convective velocity for the streamwise velocity signal yields a downwind tilt angle of about 39 degrees which is probably a better estimate of the slope of the dominant fluid motions than the tilt of the major axis of the isocorrelation contours mentioned previously.