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Which has more effect? Elevation or laminar airflow?
My understanding is that flat, featureless plains give rise to laminar airflow, but that elevation puts the observer above the earth's 'boundary layer' as the land releases heat back to the atmosphere.
I'm told the ideal situation is a single hill in the middle of a large, flat plain.
The thing is, large featureless plains by definition tend to be running a bit short on hills. And hills tend to bring their friends along in the form of mountain ranges. In the rare situation where you actually have the desired conditions, (like with the extinct volcanoes here in Victoria), people have a bizarre tendency to want to own land, so they're typically not open to the public. Of course, the biggest flat plain with no boundary layer would be at the beach with light on-shore winds, but we all know what salty sea-air does to sensitive equipment.
So, it seems most people have to pick one or the other. Laminar flow or elevation. Any ideas which has more effect?
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