Atmospheric Boundary Layer Observation and Meteorology

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Atmospheric Techniques, Instruments, and Modeling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 December 2024 | Viewed by 2267

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
R&D Observations and Data technology (RDWD) Department, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), 3731 GA De Bilt, The Netherlands
Interests: atmospheric observations; boundary layer meteorology; micrometeorology; land–atmosphere interactions; atmospheric boundary layer turbulence; atmospheric modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) constitutes the part of the atmosphere that interacts with the underlying surface. Interactions between the land and sea surface are of key importance as they impact the weather and climate on time scales ranging from a few hours to millennia. Furthermore, the ABL is part of the atmosphere where (human) life usually resides. Observing the key parameters of the ABL and studying the processes that determine the state of the ABL have therefore been important parts of atmospheric research.

This Special Issue invites contributions on (novel) observational techniques for sensing the state of the ABL, as well as the processes that determine the state of the ABL. Contributions may include new developments in the following areas:

  1. Observing state variables and fluxes of the surface and subsurface;
  2. Observing the exchange (turbulent fluxes) between the surface and the ABL, e.g., new developments in eddy covariance techniques and scintillometry;
  3. Observing profiles of thermodynamical variables, wind velocity, and turbulence characteristics up to the air layers above the ABL, including novel in situ measurement techniques, (ground-based) remote sensing techniques, and novel airborne measurements (aircraft measurements and meteo-drones);
  4. Observing low-level clouds (stratocumulus and shallow- and mid-level cumulus);
  5. Observational arrays of relevant measurement equipment to determine the impact of spatial (lateral) variability on the state of the ABL.

Dr. Reinder Ronda
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • atmospheric boundary layer
  • surface-atmosphere interactions
  • sensing surface and subsurface
  • measurement of fluxes
  • ABL thermodynamic profiling
  • ABL wind velocity profiling
  • ABL turbulence variables profiling

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 22230 KiB  
Article
Meteorological Modulation of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height over a Caribbean Island
by Alejandro Álvarez-Valencia, Juan L. Colón-Perez, Mark R. Jury and Héctor J. Jiménez
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15081007 - 20 Aug 2024
Viewed by 638
Abstract
This study analyzes fluctuations in the atmospheric boundary layer height (aBLH) over a Caribbean island using hourly measured and model-interpolated data from the 2019–2023 period. Our focus is the mean structure, diurnal cycle, and aBLH correlation with meteorological parameters on the leeward coast [...] Read more.
This study analyzes fluctuations in the atmospheric boundary layer height (aBLH) over a Caribbean island using hourly measured and model-interpolated data from the 2019–2023 period. Our focus is the mean structure, diurnal cycle, and aBLH correlation with meteorological parameters on the leeward coast at Mayaguez (18.2 N, 67.1 W). The mean diurnal cycle of the aBLH increases from 300 m near sunrise (07:00) to 1200 m by 13:00 because of turbulent heating. Summer-time thermal circulations lead to a 3 °C increase in near-surface dewpoint temperature (Td) that propagates upward to 3000 m by 16:00. A case study demonstrates how mid-day trade winds turn onshore and generate significant rainfall and river discharge across the island. The context for this study is provided by a 24 yr cluster analysis that identifies rainfall over the island’s northwest interior driven by upstream heating. Analysis of linear trends from 1979 to 2023 shows that Td declined by −0.02 °C/yr above 1500 m because of large-scale subsidence. However, cool interior forests transpire humidity and instill contrasting trends that may amplify climate extremes. A better understanding of entrainment at the top of the atmospheric boundary layer could be critical for managing future water resources in Caribbean islands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Boundary Layer Observation and Meteorology)
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16 pages, 7449 KiB  
Article
Planetary Boundary Layer Flow over Complex Terrain during a Cold Surge Event: A Case Study
by Young-Hee Lee, Hee-Jeong Lim and Gyuwon Lee
Atmosphere 2024, 15(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020153 - 25 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1115
Abstract
Planetary boundary layer (PBL) flow over complex terrain during a cold surge event was investigated using 3-hourly radiosonde measurements in upwind, near ridge, and downwind locations of mountains in the northeastern part of Republic of Korea and using a high-resolution (333-m) numerical simulation. [...] Read more.
Planetary boundary layer (PBL) flow over complex terrain during a cold surge event was investigated using 3-hourly radiosonde measurements in upwind, near ridge, and downwind locations of mountains in the northeastern part of Republic of Korea and using a high-resolution (333-m) numerical simulation. A cold surge occurred on 23 January 2018 and lasted for 4 days. We analyzed onset day of the cold surge when air temperature dropped rapidly. Analysis of the radiosonde data shows that the PBL was characterized by an adiabatic layer with strong capping inversion in early morning and evening as well as during daytime in the upwind and near-ridge sites. The PBL flow at the near-ridge site was strongest among three sites except at 0600 local standard time (LST) when the PBL flow in the lee was strongest. We performed high-resolution (333-m) numerical simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The adiabatic PBL in the upwind site at 0600 LST was simulated, although its depth was underestimated. The model reproduced the strong low-level wind at 0600 LST and large wind shear during the daytime in the lee, but it did not capture the exact timing of the large wind shear. The model showed overall good performance in simulating the vertical profile of the virtual potential temperature and wind below 2 km above ground level at the three sites, with a high index of agreement (IOA) except for the wind at 1200 and 1500 LST in the lee. To examine the cause for the different behavior of PBL flow in the lee of mountains between 0600 LST and the daytime, we calculated the Froude number for PBL flow using radiosonde measurements based on reduced gravity shallow water (RGSW) theory. At 0600 LST, the upwind Froude number F0 was close to 1, while during the daytime, it was much lower than 1. The observed lee flow behavior was consistent with the flow regime change of a single layer over an obstacle with changing F0; the flow with a propagating lee jump changes into that with a stationary lee jump with decreasing F0. Numerical simulation shows that the steepening of streamlines of lee-wave field leads to a jump-like structure in the lee of mountains during the daytime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Boundary Layer Observation and Meteorology)
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