Temporal Patterns and Vertical Temperature Gradients in Micro-Scale Drainage Flow Observed Using Thermal Imaging

Micro-scale cold-air flow along a gentle slope was analyzed using thermal infrared imaging (TIR), focusing exclusively on the lowermost 2 m above ground. Cold-air pulses were analyzed with regard to their vertical temperature stratification as well as flow characteristics, such as flow speed. Analyses on the transition zone between the near-surface very stable inversion layer and the less stable, warmer air above highlight turbulent situations and detrainment effects at the cold-air inversion top. Using thermal imaging in a high spatiotemporal resolution with up to 90 vertical data points and TIR pixels for 1.5 m cold-air depth, a high-precision cold-air flow analysis was realized.