Eugene Takle

Professor

Office: 3013 Agronomy Hall Phone: 515 294-9871 Email: gstakle@iastate.edu More information to come soon.

Department(s): Agronomy, Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Aerospace Engineering.

Research Interests: Measurements of aerodynamics and micrometeorological conditions in utility-scale wind-farms, mesoscale meteorological modeling, regional climate modeling, impacts of climate change.

Current Research: Each of the last four summers we have made meteorological measurements in an operating wind farm in central Iowa. We have measured and analyzed surface (lowest 10 m) conditions upwind and downwind of lines of turbines in agricultural fields during the growing season. Measurements include temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, leaf wetness, pressure, and solar radiation. Additionally we measure fluxes of water vapor, heat, and carbon dioxide over the crop. By measuring conditions upwind and downwind of lines of turbines we are able to assess the contribution of turbines to differences in the microclimate. Our analysis of data from near the surface shows that turbines warm the crop slightly at night, cool the crop slightly during the day. The extra turbulence created by the turbines has more impact at night when ambient turbulence is low compared to daytime conditions. We have evidence that daytime carbon uptake by the crop is increased, at least during some daytime periods, and that upward carbon flux from the crop and soil is increased at night.

Recent Publications:

Deppe, Adam J., William A. Gallus, Jr., and Eugene S. Takle, 2013: A WRF ensemble for improved wind speed forecasts at turbine height. Wea. Forecasting, 28, 212-228. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-11-00112.1.

Rajewski, D. A., Eugene S. Takle, Julie K. Lundquist, Steven Oncley, John H. Prueger, Thomas W. Horst, Michael E. Rhodes, Richard Pfeiffer, Jerry L. Hatfield, Kristopher K. Spoth, and Russell K. Doorenbos, 2012: CWEX: Crop/Windenergy Experiment: Observations of surface-layer, boundary-layer and mesoscale interactions with a wind farm. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 94, 655-672. (doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00240).

Segal, M., Z. Pan, R. W. Arritt, and E. S. Takle, 2001: On the potential change in wind power over the U.S. due to increases of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Int. J. Renewable Energy, 24, 235-243.

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