windprofiel

Wind profile, or windprofiel, refers to how wind speed and direction vary with height above ground in the lower atmosphere. It describes the vertical structure of the wind within the atmospheric boundary layer and is a fundamental input in meteorology, wind engineering, and environmental studies. The profile is shaped by surface roughness, terrain, obstacles, atmospheric stability, and wind shear.

Common models describe the wind speed as a function of height. In neutral conditions, the logarithmic wind profile is often used: u(z) = (u* / κ) ln(z / z0), where u* is the friction velocity, κ is the von Kármán constant (~0.41), and z0 is the roughness length of the surface. Another widely used approach is the power-law profile: u(z) = u_ref (z / z_ref)^α, with α determined by surface roughness and stability. For stable or unstable stratification, Monin-Obukhov similarity theory provides stability-corrected relationships that adjust these simple forms.

Measurement and data sources include tall measurement masts with cup anemometers and wind vanes, remote sensing instruments such as lidar and sodar, and radiosondes for upper-atmosphere data. These observations are processed to determine wind speed and direction at various heights and to estimate wind shear.

Applications of wind profiles span wind energy, where hub-height wind is critical for turbine performance; civil and structural engineering, for wind loading on buildings and bridges; aviation and coastal engineering, for flight and shoreline planning; and environmental modelling, including pollutant dispersion. Factors such as terrain complexity, urbanization, and surface roughness continue to influence wind profiles in practice.