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Evidence of preferential sweeping during snow settling in atmospheric turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2021

Jiaqi Li Open the ORCID record for Jiaqi Li [Opens in a new window] ,
Aliza Abraham Open the ORCID record for Aliza Abraham [Opens in a new window] ,
Michele Guala Open the ORCID record for Michele Guala [Opens in a new window]  and
Jiarong Hong Open the ORCID record for Jiarong Hong [Opens in a new window]
Jiaqi Li
Affiliation:
Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Aliza Abraham
Affiliation:
Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Michele Guala
Affiliation:
Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Jiarong Hong*
Affiliation:
Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: jhong@umn.edu
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Abstract

We present a field study of snow settling dynamics based on simultaneous measurements of the atmospheric flow field and snow particle trajectories. Specifically, a super-large-scale particle image velocimetry (SLPIV) system using natural snow particles as tracers is deployed to quantify the velocity field and identify vortex structures in a 22 m $\times$ 39 m field of view centred 18 m above the ground. Simultaneously, we track individual snow particles in a 3 m $\times$ 5 m sample area within the SLPIV using particle tracking velocimetry. The results reveal the direct linkage among vortex structures in atmospheric turbulence, the spatial distribution of snow particle concentration and their settling dynamics. In particular, with snow turbulence interaction at near-critical Stokes number, the settling velocity enhancement of snow particles is multifold, and larger than what has been observed in previous field studies. Super-large-scale particle image velocimetry measurements show a higher concentration of snow particles preferentially located on the downward side of the vortices identified in the atmospheric flow field. Particle tracking velocimetry, performed on high resolution images around the reconstructed vortices, confirms the latter trend and provides statistical evidence of the acceleration of snow particles, as they move toward the downward side of vortices. Overall, the simultaneous multi-scale particle imaging presented here enables us to directly quantify the salient features of preferential sweeping, supporting it as an underlying mechanism of snow settling enhancement in the atmospheric surface layer.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Atmospheric flows Multiphase and Particle-laden Flows: Particle/fluid flow Turbulent Flows: Turbulent boundary layers
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 928 , 10 December 2021 , A8
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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