An updated assessment of the energy balance method to quantify optical turbulence in the maritime environment

This paper is an update to the 2024 conference paper titled, “An Assessment of the Energy Balance Bowen Ratio Method to Quantify Optical Turbulence in the Maritime Environment”. By considering two additional maritime case studies, this research provides further insight into the uncertainties developed in the Fiorino et. al, 2024 conference paper, with respect to applying the Energy Balance Bowen Ratio (EBBR) method to a maritime environment. The EBBR method has shown promising capabilities to calculate sensible heat flux, a key component for computing Cn² and Cn². Sensible heat is calculated via the Bowen ratio, which inherently accounts for moisture content and evaporation. Thus, it better permits the calculation of Cn² and Cn² via a single equation dependent on sensible heat, without requiring stability parameters. The Bulk Aerodynamic method relies on standard meteorological observations but requires stability corrections based on underlying assumptions. In this study, data from April and December 2024 field tests allow for assessments of both the EBBR and Bulk Aerodynamic methods to quantify maritime surface layer turbulence, and the results are compared to the “ground truth” sonic anemometer Cn² values.