Abstract
A technique for determining the height of the convective atmospheric boundary layer (CBL) with a 915 MHz boundary-layer profiler is discussed. The results are compared with CBL heights determined from radiosonde measurements. The profiler provides continuous CBL height measurements with very good time resolution (30 minutes or less), allowing for detailed understanding of the growth and fluctuations of the CBL. In addition, the profiler provides information about the degree of definition of the CBL top and the thickness of the entrainment zone. The measurements discussed were taken during the Rural Oxidants in the Southern Environment II (ROSE II) experiment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ecklund, W.L., Carter, D.A., and Balsley, B.B.: 1988, ‘A UHF Wind Profiler for the Boundary Layer: Brief Description and Initial Results’,J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 5, 432–441.
Fairall, C.W.: 1991, ‘The Humidity/Temperature Sensitivity of Clear-Air Radars for the Cloudfree Convective Boundary Layer’,J. Appl. Meteorol 8, 1064–1074.
Ochs, G.R., and Lawrence, R.S.: 1972, ‘Temperature and Cn 2 Profiles Measured Over Land and Ocean to 3 km Above the Surface’, NOAA Tech. Report ERL 251-WPL 22, NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories, Boulder, CO, 30 pp.
Ottersten, H.: 1969, ‘Atmospheric Structure and Radar Backscattering in Clear Air’,Radio Sci. 4, 1179–1193.
Stull, R.B.: 1988, ‘An Introduction to Boundary-Layer Meteorology’, Kluwer, 666 pp.
VanZandt, T.E., Green, J.L., Gage, K.S., and Clark, W.L.: 1978, ‘Vertical Profiles of Refractivity Turbulence Structure Constant: Comparison of Observations by the Sunset Radar with a New Theoretical Model’,Radio Sci. 13, 819–829.
White, A.B., Fairall, C.W., and Thompson, D.W.: 1991a, ‘Radar Observations of Humidity Variability In and Above the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer’,J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 8, 639–558.
White, A. B., Fairall, C.W., and Wolfe, D.E.: 1991b, ‘Use of 915 MHz Wind Profiler Data to Describe the Diurnal Variability of the Mixed Layer’, inPreprints, 7th Joint Conference on Applications of Air Pollution Meteorology with AWMA, New Orleans, Jan. 14–18, 1991, Amer. Meteorol. Soc., pp. J161–J166.
White, A. B.: 1993, ‘Mixing Depth Detection Using 915-MHz Radar Reflectivity Data’, inPreprints, 8th Symposium on Meteorological Observations and Instrumentation, Anaheim, California, Jan. 17–22, 1993, Amer. Meteorol. Soc., pp. 248–250.
Wyngaard, J. C., and LeMone, M. A.: 1980, ‘Behavior of the Refractive Index Structure Parameter in the Entraining Convective Boundary Layer’,J. Atmos. Sci. 37, 1573–1585.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Angevine, W.M., White, A.B. & Avery, S.K. Boundary-layer depth and entrainment zone characterization with a boundary-layer profiler. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 68, 375–385 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00706797
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00706797