Turbulence Intensity During Low-Level Jets in the Baltic Sea

Sammanfattning: Low-level jets (LLJs) are local wind speed maximums in the atmospheric boundary layer. In the Baltic Sea, LLJs are frequently occurring in spring and summer. It is an important phenomena to consider for wind energy parks, and changes in turbulence during the jets can effect the efficiency of said parks. In this study, the effect that offshore LLJs have on turbulence intensity (TI) is analysed and the goal is tounderstand if TI significantly changes as the jets form, and if the changes aredifferent above and below the core. The theory of shear sheltering predicts that turbulence decreases below the core of a LLJ, and it has been experimentally tested previously with various results. However, turbulence characteristics above the core ofa LLJ has not been studied before. LiDAR measurements of wind speed and TI profiles, up to 300 m, from the island of Östergarnsholm in the Baltic Sea are used. The measurements are from the period 2016-2020 and are limited to a sector with unobstructed line-of-sight to the ocean. Complete LLJ-events, which includes non-LLJ profiles before and after the actual jets, are analysed. The LLJs are found to appear in low TI conditions related to stable stratification. Mean TI increases with 38 - 47% above the core as the jets appear, and then returns to approximately the initial values after the jets disappear. Below the core, mean TI instead decreases with 14 - 19% during the jets, which is compatible with the theory of shear sheltering. For future studies it is recommend to choose a location with larger unobstructed line-of-sight to the ocean, further optimise the LLJ-finding algorithm and also analyse other turbulent quantities.