Experimental characterization of the marine atmospheric boundary layer in the Havsul area, Norway

Offshore wind energy applications depend strongly on an improved knowledge of the physical processes taking place in marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL). In particular the better understanding of the complex interactions between wind shear, atmospheric stability and turbulence and the effects of wind-wave interactions on offshore vertical wind profiles are essential for the development of offshore wind projects. This paper presents an analysis of the relation between turbulence parameters, such as horizontal and vertical turbulence intensity, and turbulence kinetic energy and average vertical wind profiles and wind shear. The investigations are based on 4 years of wind lidar measurements on the small island of Storholmen in the Havsul area about 8 km off the coast of the Norwegian mainland. The results show systematic dependencies between the investigated turbulence parameters, both with respect to average wind speeds and average wind shear. The results indicate that in particular the horizontal turbulence intensity has the potential to act as a proxy for atmospheric stability in cases where corresponding temperature profiles are not available. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.