The development of a low-cost system for measuring pressure fluctuations and transport over complex terrain.

The presence of topography generates pressure perturbations, which in turn induces corresponding flow and scalar transport modulations. However, current models typically assume flat, homogeneous terrain which fails to capture the complexity of the flow caused by topography. This complexity also challenges the interpretation of tower measurements using eddy-covariance systems, which does not take into account the advective terms generated. Thus, to better understand and model flow over complex terrain, there is a need to accurately measure static pressure perturbations and pressure transport terms in the field. Here, we present a scalable, low-profile, low-cost system for quantifying pressure fluctuations using off-the-shelf components and a sonic anemometer. As a proof of concept, the system is deployed on the University of Houston campus to study variations in the turbulent kinetic energy budget with atmospheric stability. The presented system can be easily integrated into existing meteorological instruments, which will serve to enhance our understanding of atmospheric processes over complex terrain.