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Integrated quadrant analysis is a novel technique to identify and to characterize the trajectory and strength of turbulent coherent structures in the atmospheric surface layer. By integrating the three-dimensional velocity field characterized by traditional quadrant analysis with respect to time, the trajectory history of individual coherent structures can be preserved with Eulerian turbulence measurements. We develop a method to identify the ejection phase of coherent structures based on turbulence kinetic energy (TKE). Identifying coherent structures within a time series using TKE performs better than identifying them with the streamwise and vertical velocity components because some coherent structures are dominated by the cross-stream velocity component as they pass the sensor. By combining this identification method with the integrated quadrant analysis, one can animate or plot the trajectory of individual coherent structures from high-frequency velocity measurements. This procedure links a coherent ejection with the subsequent sweep and quiescent period in time to visualize and quantify the strength and the duration of a coherent structure. We develop and verify the method of integrated quadrant analysis with data from two field studies: the Eclipse Boundary Layer Experiment (EBLE) in Corvallis, Oregon in August 2017 (grass field) and the Vertical Cherry Array Experiment (VACE)more »in Linden, California in November 2019 (cherry orchard). The combined TKE identification method and integrated quadrant analysis are promising additions to conditional sampling techniques and coherent structure characterization because the identify coherent structures and couple the sweep and ejection components in space. In an orchard (VACE), integrated quadrant analysis verifies each coherent structure is dominated by a sweep. Conversely, above the roughness sublayer (EBLE), each coherent structure is dominated by an ejection.

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Highlights Machine learning can incorporate a variety of data from low-cost sensors and estimate actual ET by comparison with short-term, higher-cost measurements. On-farm weather monitoring can be leveraged to estimate site-specific crop-water requirements. Expanding spatial coverage of weather and actual ET through on-farm monitoring will facilitate localization and leverage publicly available weather data to guide irrigation decisions and improve irrigation water management. Abstract . One of the basic challenges to adopting science-based irrigation scheduling is providing reliable, site-specific estimates of actual crop water demand. While agro-meteorology networks cover most agricultural production areas in the U.S., widely spaced stations represent regionally specific, rather than site-specific, conditions. A variety of low to moderate cost commercial weather stations are available but do not provide directly useful information, such as actual evapotranspiration (ETa), or the ability to incorporate additional sensors. We demonstrate that machine learning methods can provide real-time, site-specific information about ETa and crop water demand using on-farm sensors and public weather information. Two years of field experiments were conducted at four irrigated field sites with crops including snap beans, alfalfa, and pasture. On-farm data were compared to publicly available data originating at nearby agro-meteorology network stations. The machine learning procedure can robustlymore »estimate ETa using data from a few basic sensors, but the resulting estimate is sensitive to the range of conditions that are used as training data. The results demonstrate that machine learning can be used with affordable sensors and publicly available data to improve local estimates of crop water demand when high-quality measurements can be co-located for short periods of time. Supplementary sensors can also be integrated into a tailored monitoring plan to estimate crop stress and other operational considerations. Keywords: Agro-meteorology, Irrigation requirement, Machine learning, Site-specific Irrigation.« less

Abstract Wintertime episodes of high aerosol concentrations occur frequently in urban and agricultural basins and valleys worldwide. These episodes often arise following development of persistent cold-air pools (PCAPs) that limit mixing and modify chemistry. While field campaigns targeting either basin meteorology or wintertime pollution chemistry have been conducted, coupling between interconnected chemical and meteorological processes remains an insufficiently studied research area. Gaps in understanding the coupled chemical-meteorological interactions that drive high pollution events make identification of the most effective air-basin specific emission control strategies challenging. To address this, a September 2019 workshop occurred with the goal of planning a future research campaign to investigate air quality in Western U.S. basins. Approximately 120 people participated, representing 50 institutions and 5 countries. Workshop participants outlined the rationale and design for a comprehensive wintertime study that would couple atmospheric chemistry and boundary-layer and complex-terrain meteorology within western U.S. basins. Participants concluded the study should focus on two regions with contrasting aerosol chemistry: three populated valleys within Utah (Salt Lake, Utah, and Cache Valleys) and the San Joaquin Valley in California. This paper describes the scientific rationale for a campaign that will acquire chemical and meteorological datasets using airborne platforms with extensive range, coupledmore »to surface-based measurements focusing on sampling within the near-surface boundary layer, and transport and mixing processes within this layer, with high vertical resolution at a number of representative sites. No prior wintertime basin-focused campaign has provided the breadth of observations necessary to characterize the meteorological-chemical linkages outlined here, nor to validate complex processes within coupled atmosphere-chemistry models.« less