Evaluating the nature of turbulent coherent structures in orchards using integrated quadrant analysis

Inside orchards, turbulent coherent structures dominate the transport of heat, momentum, and moisture between the canopy and the atmosphere. Integrated quadrant analysis is a method to visualize the trajectory of individual turbulent coherent structures using in situ data from three-dimensional anemometry. In this paper, integrated quadrant analysis is used to characterize the turbulent transport of heat and momentum from two orchard experiments: one in the interrow space (the Canopy Horizontal Array Turbulence Study from Dixon, California in May and June 2007) and one in the crown of a tree (the Vertical Array Cherry Experiment from Linden, California in November 2019). By using the integrated quadrant analysis (IQA) method, this paper demonstrates the importance of the cross-wind velocity component in maintaining the turbulent coherent structures. Results from integrated quadrant analysis in three dimensions support the idea that the microfront is collocated with the boundary of a sweep and an ejection in a convective boundary layer. Moreover, in both orchards, there are preferred planar trajectories for individual coherent structures that do not depend on wind regimes. The statistical profile of the turbulence quantities, as well as individual coherent structures, are not appreciably different in the interrow space or within the crown.