The dependence of optical turbulence on thermal and mechanical forces over the sea

Alexander M. J. van Eijk; Detlev Sprung; Erik Sucher; Christian Eisele; Dirk Seiffer; Karin Stein

doi:10.1117/12.2239324

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19 September 2016 The dependence of optical turbulence on thermal and mechanical forces over the sea

Alexander M. J. van Eijk, Detlev Sprung, Erik Sucher, Christian Eisele, Dirk Seiffer, Karin Stein

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Proceedings Volume 9979, Laser Communication and Propagation through the Atmosphere and Oceans V; 99790R (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2239324
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2016, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Optical turbulence for over-water conditions was investigated in a long-term experiment over False Bay near Cape Town, South Africa. A sonic anemometer and two boundary-layer scintillometers were deployed to access in-situ turbulence as well as the integrated turbulence over two 1.8 and 8.7 km paths. Statistical analysis reveals spatial temporal variations of the turbulence conditions over False Bay, which might be related to differences in the atmospheric conditions and/or the surface (water) temperatures. An analysis in terms of mechanical and thermal forcing reveals that the latter factor is more dominant in determining the turbulence strength.

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Alexander M. J. van Eijk, Detlev Sprung, Erik Sucher, Christian Eisele, Dirk Seiffer, and Karin Stein "The dependence of optical turbulence on thermal and mechanical forces over the sea", Proc. SPIE 9979, Laser Communication and Propagation through the Atmosphere and Oceans V, 99790R (19 September 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2239324

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