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Snowflakes in the atmospheric surface layer: observation of particle–turbulence dynamics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2017

Andras Nemes ,
Teja Dasari ,
Jiarong Hong ,
Michele Guala  and
Filippo Coletti
Andras Nemes
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
Teja Dasari
Affiliation:
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Jiarong Hong
Affiliation:
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Michele Guala
Affiliation:
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Filippo Coletti*
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: fcoletti@umn.edu
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Abstract

We report on optical field measurements of snow settling in atmospheric turbulence at $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}=940$. It is found that the snowflakes exhibit hallmark features of inertial particles in turbulence. The snow motion is analysed in both Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks by large-scale particle imaging, while sonic anemometry is used to characterize the flow field. Additionally, the snowflake size and morphology are assessed by digital in-line holography. The low volume fraction and mass loading imply a one-way interaction with the turbulent air. Acceleration probability density functions show wide exponential tails consistent with laboratory and numerical studies of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. Invoking the assumption that the particle acceleration has a stronger dependence on the Stokes number than on the specific features of the turbulence (e.g. precise Reynolds number and large-scale anisotropy), we make inferences on the snowflakes’ aerodynamic response time. In particular, we observe that their acceleration distribution is consistent with that of particles of Stokes number in the range $St=0.1{-}0.4$ based on the Kolmogorov time scale. The still-air terminal velocities estimated for the resulting range of aerodynamic response times are significantly smaller than the measured snow particle fall speed. This is interpreted as a manifestation of settling enhancement by turbulence, which is observed here for the first time in a natural setting.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Atmospheric flows Turbulent Flows: Homogeneous turbulence Multiphase and Particle-laden Flows: Particle/fluid flow
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Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 814 , 10 March 2017 , pp. 592 - 613
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© 2017 Cambridge University Press 

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