Stability-corrected wind profile model for complex mountainous terrain based on turbulence analysis

Abstract

In complex mountainous terrain, the vertical wind field is characterized by pronounced nonstationarity, elevated mean wind speeds, and intricate turbulence structures, all of which exert considerable influence on boundary-layer environments and related applications. This study proposes an improved atmospheric stability-corrected wind profile model that integrates both mean flow and turbulence characteristics. The model constructs an empirical stability function within the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory framework and explicitly incorporates the terrain-specific behavior of universal functions in mountainous environments. In this model, atmospheric stability is computed from a discrete wavelet transform-based decomposition of wind velocity signals, which effectively captures nonstationary fluctuations in mountain wind fields. The optimal decomposition level is determined via cospectral analysis of the coupled transport between turbulent velocity and temperature, while the decomposition performance is further evaluated through correlation analysis and evolutionary power spectral density. Finally, the proposed model is validated using long-term field measurements from a mountainous site and demonstrated through a case study, confirming its capability to accurately reconstruct stability-corrected wind profiles up to several hundred meters above ground.