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Core facility (CF)

Innsbruck Box i-Box

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University of Innsbruck

Kolsass | Website

Open for Collaboration

Short Description

Innsbruck Box (or i-Box for short) is a test bed for studying boundary layer processes in highly complex terrain. Designed to be a long-term "reference box" for studying the characteristics of turbulence structure and exchange processes in truly complex topography, i-Box represents an integrated approach combining three-dimensional long-term turbulence observations with high-resolution numerical modeling. Turbulence structure plays an important role in exchange processes of momentum, mass, and energy between the earth’s surface and the atmosphere. These processes are crucial for, e.g., numerical weather forecasts or climate scenario simulations, but are not yet fully understood, particularly not in complex topography. The goal of the project is to form a complete and physically based description of turbulence characteristics in complex terrain.
https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/innsbruck-box-i-box/

Contact Person

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mathias Rotach

Research Services

Die Forschungsinfrastruktur ist "Open for Collaboration". Kommerzielle Kooperationen sind nicht möglich.

Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure

Measurements of atmospheric turbulence at different locations in complex terrain are conducted using the 'Eddy Covriance' method. A description can be found at https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00246.1

Allocation to research infrastructure

Innsbruck Atmospheric Observatory (IAO) for Environmental Research in Alpine and Urban Terrain

Terms of Use

Nutzungsbedingungen werden im Rahmen einer wissenschaftlichen Kooperation definiert. Keine kommerzielle Nutzung möglich. Bei Interesse an einer Kooperation oder Zusammenarbeit bitten wir Sie um Kontaktaufnahme.

Cooperation Partners

- TEAMx international research program (Multi-Scale Transport and Exchange Processes in the Atmosphere over Mountains - programme and experiment, http://www.teamx-programme.org)

- National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), University of Leeds: TEAMx partner (PI Stephen Mobbs, Charles Chemel)

- MeteoSwiss: test of model turbulence parameterizations, also TEAMx partner (PI Marco Arpagaus)

- Université Grenoble Alpes: Utilizing Hochhäuser (NF27) data for analyzing katabatic flows during TEAMx (PI Christophe Brun)

- Land Steiermark, Umwelt: Evluation of the mesoscale model GRAMM (PI Dietmar Öttl)

- University of Vienna - Department of Meteorology and Geophysics: various projects, e.g., using HATPRO data for determining a climatology of temperature inversions in Innsbruck and Bolzano (PI: Manfred Dorninger and Klara Butz)

- TU Vienna, Department for Geodesy and Geoinformation: GNSS analyses

- University of Trento: various joint research projects (PI: Dino Zardi, Lorenzo Giovannini)

- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): CROSSINN (PI Bianca Adler, now at CIRES US), https://www.imk-tro.kit.edu/english/844_8306.php

- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): TEAMx - Multi-scale transport and exchange processes in the atmosphere over mountains – programme and experiment (PI Andreas Wieser, Jan Handwerker, Jutta Vuellers)

- Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing: Validation of 3D albedo simulations in complex terrain with slope-normal/parallel radiation components at Hochhaeuser (08-13 Apr 2017) (PI: Shengbiao Wu)

- GeoSphere Austria: various validation projects (e.g., WAAR PI: Gabriele Rau, 2015; Validation of Snowgrid-model developments) and TEAMx collaboration (PI: Kathrin Baumann)

- Lawinenwarndienst Tirol: online visualisation of Arbeser data (air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and snow depth) for avalanche warning services; https://lawine.tirol.gv.at/schnee-lawineninfo/wetterstationen/

- Amt der Tiroler Landesregierung, Abteilung Waldschutz: temperature profiles for inversion calculations

- Oekoscience AG, Chur: comparison of air temperature measurements at Kolsass with Schwaz (May 2014 - Apr 2016) (PI: J. Thudium)

Reference Projects

- TOC²: From the TEAMx Observational Campaign (TOC) – TOwards Climate assessment, Infrastructure funding, PI: Stiperki, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/teamx-uibk/

- TEAMx Observational Campaign (TOC), Innsbruck-Box – fit for TEAMx, Infrastructure funding, PI: Rotach, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/teamx-uibk/

- INTERFACE (Investigating the Surface Energy Balance in Mountainous terrain), EUREGIO, 10/2021-09/2025, PI: Rotach, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/interface/

- Unicorn (Developing a novel framework for understanding near-surface turbulence in complex terrain), ERC, 06/2021-05/2026, PI: Stiperski, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/acinn/research/atmospheric-turbulence/projects/developing-a-novel-framework-for-understanding-near-surface-turbulence/ and https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101001691

- TExSMBL (Near-surface turbulent exchange in the stable mountain boundary layer), FWF, 07/2020-01/2024, PI: Lehner, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/near-surface-turbulent-exchange-in-the-stable-mountain-boundary-layer-texsmbl.html.en and https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-radar/10.55776/V791

- ASTER (Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Modeling over Complex Terrain), EGTC European Region Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino, 07/2019-06/2022, PI: Lehner, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/aster.html.en

- PIANO (Penetration and Interruption of Alpine Foehn), FWF/Weiss Science Foundation/EUFAR, 03/2017-08/2020, PI: Gohm, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/piano.html.en and https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-radar/10.55776/P29746

- CYCLAMEN (Cycling of carbon and water in mountain ecosystems under changing climate and land use), Autonomous Province of Bozen, 05/2017-04/2020, PI: Rotach, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/cyclamen.html.en

- Turbulent exchange in urban areas in highly complex terrain, FWF Lise Meitner program, 12/2017-11/2019 PI: Ward, https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-radar/10.55776/M2244

- Stable boundary layers in mountainous terrain (Scale interactions in stable boundary layers over mountainous terrain), Hertha-Firnberg-Program, 12/2015-11/2018, PI: Stiperski, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/scale-interactions.html.en and https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-radar/10.55776/T781

- INHOM-TCT (INvestigating spatial inHOMogeneity of surface layer Turbulence in Complex Terrain), FWF, 2013-2016, PI: Rotach, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/inhom-tct.html.en and https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-radar/10.55776/P26290

- Turb-i-Box (Assessment of turbulence in COSMO-1), MeteoSwiss, 2013-2016, PI: Rotach, https://www.uibk.ac.at/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/turb-i-box.html.en

- Large Research Facilities (core facility 'Boundary Layer Research' for Research Focus 'Alpine Space'), UIBK, 2013, PI: Rotach, https://www.uibk.ac.at/alpinerraum/alpine-space-details.html.en

Reference Publications

- Massaro G, Stiperski I, Pospichal B & Rotach MW (2015): Accuracy of retrieving temperature and humidity profiles by ground-based microwave radiometry in truly complex terrain, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3355–3367. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3355-2015

- Stiperski I & Rotach MW (2016): On the Measurement of Turbulence Over Complex Mountainous Terrain, Boundary-Layer Meteorol 159, 97–121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-015-0103-z

- Rotach MW, Stiperski I, Fuhrer O, Goger B, Gohm A, Obleitner F, Rau G, Sfyri E & Vergeiner J (2017): Investigating Exchange Processes over Complex Topography: the Innsbruck-Box (i-Box), Bull Amer Meteorol Soc, 98(4), 787-805. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00246.1

- Rotach MW, Stiperski I, Fuhrer O, Goger B, Gohm A, Obleitner F, Rau G, Sfyri E & Vergeiner J (2017): Supplemental material to Investigating Exchange Processes over Complex Topography: the Innsbruck-Box (i-Box). https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00246.2

- Goger B, Rotach MW, Gohm A, Fuhrer O, Stiperski I & Holtslag AAM (2018): The Impact of Three-Dimensional Effects on the Simulation of Turbulence Kinetic Energy in a Major Alpine Valley. Boundary-Layer Meteorol, 168, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-018-0341-y

- Sfyri E, Rotach MW, Stiperski I, Bosveld FC, Lehner M & Obleitner F (2018): Scalar-Flux Similarity in the Layer Near the Surface Over Mountainous Terrain. Boundary-Layer Meteorol, 169, 11–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-018-0365-3

- Stiperski I, Calaf M & Rotach MW (2019): Scaling, anisotropy, and complexity in near-surface atmospheric turbulence. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, 1428– 1448. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029383

- Lehner M, Rotach MW & Obleitner F (2019): A Method to Identify Synoptically Undisturbed, Clear-Sky Conditions for Valley-Wind Analysis. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 173, 435–450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-019-00471-2

- Goger B, Rotach MW, Gohm A, Stiperski I, Fuhrer O & de Morsier G (2019): A New Horizontal Length Scale for a Three-Dimensional Turbulence Parameterization in Mesoscale Atmospheric Modeling over Highly Complex Terrain, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 58(9), 2087-2102. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-18-0328.1

- Adler B, Gohm A, Kalthoff N, Babic N, Corsmeier U, Lehner M, Rotach MW, Haid M, Markmann P, Gast E, Tsaknakis G & Georgoussis G (2021): CROSSINN - a field experiment to study the three-dimensional flow structure in the Inn Valley, Austria, Bulletin American Meteorol Soc, 102 (1), E38-E60. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0283.1

- Lehner M, Rotach MW, Obleitner F & Sfyri E (2021): Spatial and temporal variations in near‐surface energy fluxes in an Alpine valley under synoptically undisturbed and clear‐sky conditions, Q J R Meteorol Soc, 147, 2173-2196. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4016

- Stiperski I, Katul GG & Calaf M (2021): Universal return to isotropy of inhomogeneous atmospheric boundary layer turbulence, Physical Review Letters, 126(19), 194501. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.194501

- Stiperski I, Chamecki M & Calaf M (2021): Anisotropy of Unstably Stratified Near-Surface Turbulence. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 180, 363–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-021-00634-0

- Babić N, Adler B, Gohm A, Kalthoff N, Haid M, Lehner M, Ladstätter P & Rotach MW (2021): Cross-valley vortices in the Inn Valley, Austria: Structure, evolution and governing force imbalances, Q J R Meteorol Soc, 147, 3835–3861. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4159

- Stiperski I & Calaf M (2023): Generalizing Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (1954) for complex atmospheric turbulence. Physical Review Letters, 130(12), 124001. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.124001

- Lehner M & Rotach MW (2023): The Performance of a Time-Varying Filter Time Under Stable Conditions over Mountainous Terrain, Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 188(3), 523-551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-023-00824-y

- Simonet G, Oettl D & Lehner M (2023): The performance of GRAMM-SCI and WRF in simulating the surface-energy budget and thermally driven winds in an Alpine valley. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 189(1), 251-280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-023-00835-9

- Babić N, Adler B, Gohm A, Lehner M & Kalthoff N (2024): Exploring the daytime boundary layer evolution based on Doppler spectrum width from multiple coplanar wind lidars during CROSSINN. Weather and Climate Dynamics, 5(2), 609-631. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-609-2024

- Pfister L, Gohm A, Kossmann M, Wieser A, Babić N, Handwerker J, Wildmann N, Vogelmann H, Baumann-Stanzer K, Alexa A, Lapo K, Paunović I, Leinweber R, Sedlmeier K, Lehner M, Hieden A, Speidel J, Federer M & Rotach MW (2024): The TEAMx‑PC22 Alpine field campaign – Objectives, instrumentation, and observed phenomena. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 33(3), 199-228. https://doi.org/10.1127/metz/2024/1214

- Charrondière C & Stiperski I (2024): Spectral scaling of unstably stratified atmospheric flows: Turbulence anisotropy and the low‐frequency spread, Q J R Meteorol Soc, 150(764), 4196-4216. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4811

Contact

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mathias Rotach
Institut für Atmosphären- und Kryosphärenwissenschaften
+43 512 507 54452
Mathias.Rotach@uibk.ac.at
https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/acinn/research/atmospheric-dynamics/projects/innsbruck-box-i-box/

Location

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