Record Details
Modelling and analysis of geophysical turbulence : use of optimal transforms and basis sets
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Modelling and analysis of geophysical turbulence : use of optimal transforms and basis sets |
| Names |
Gamage, Nimal K. K.
(creator) Mahrt, Larry (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 1990-08-06 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 1991 |
| Abstract | The use of efficient basis functions to model and represent flows with internal sharp velocity gradients, such as shocks or eddy microfronts, are investigated. This is achieved by analysing artificial data, observed atmospheric turbulence data and by the use of a Burgers' equation based spectral model. The concept of an efficient decomposition of a function into a basis set is presented and alternative analysis methods are investigated. The development of a spectral model using a generalized basis for the Burgers' equation is presented and simulations are performed using a modified Walsh basis and compared with the Fourier (trigonometric) basis and finite difference techniques. The wavelet transform is shown to be superior to the Fourier transform or the windowed Fourier transform in terms of defining the predominant scales in time series of turbulent shear flows and in 'zooming in' on local coherent structures associated with sharp edges. Disadvantages are found to be its inability to provide clear information on the scale of periodicity of events. Artificial time series of varying amounts of noise added to structures of different scales are analyzed using different wavelets to show that the technique is robust and capable of detecting sharp edged coherent structures such as those found in shear driven turbulence. The Haar function is used as a wavelet to detect ubiquitous zones of concentrated shear in turbulent flows sometimes referred to as microfronts. The location and organization of these shear zones suggest that they may be edges of larger scale eddies. A wavelet variance of the wavelet phase plane is defined to detect and highlight events and obtain measures of predominant scales of coherent structures. Wavelet skewness is computed as an indicator of the systematic sign preference of the gradient of the transition zone. Inverse wavelet transforms computed at the dilation corresponding to the peak wavelet variance are computed and shown to contain a significant fraction of the total energy contained in the record. The analysis of data and the numerical simulation results are combined to propose that the sharp gradients normally found in shear induced turbulence significantly affect the nature of the turbulence and hence the choice of the basis set used for the simulation of turbulence. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Atmospheric turbulence -- Mathematical models |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/28735 |
