The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape
<p>We study the diurnal variability in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) across spatial scales (between <span class="inline-formula">∼100</span> m and <span class="inline-formula">∼10</span> km) of irrigation-driven surface heterogeneity in the se...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/8959/2025/acp-25-8959-2025.pdf |
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| author | M. R. Mangan M. R. Mangan J. Vilà-Guerau de Arellano B. J. H. van Stratum M. Lothon G. Canut-Rocafort O. K. Hartogensis |
| author_facet | M. R. Mangan M. R. Mangan J. Vilà-Guerau de Arellano B. J. H. van Stratum M. Lothon G. Canut-Rocafort O. K. Hartogensis |
| author_sort | M. R. Mangan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>We study the diurnal variability in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) across spatial scales (between <span class="inline-formula">∼100</span> m and <span class="inline-formula">∼10</span> km) of irrigation-driven surface heterogeneity in the semi-arid landscape of the 2021 Land surface Interactions with the Atmosphere over the Iberian Semi-arid Environment (LIAISE) experiment on the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. We combine observational analysis with explicit simulation of the ABL using observationally driven large-eddy simulation (LES) to better understand the physical mechanisms controlling ABL dynamics in heterogeneous regions. Our choice of spatial scales represents current and future single grid cells of global models, demonstrating how the sources and magnitude of subgrid-scale heterogeneity vary with model resolution.</p>
<p>There is an observed positive buoyancy flux over the irrigated fields driven primarily by moisture fluxes, whereas, over the non-irrigated fields, there is a classical buoyancy profile driven by the surface sensible heat flux. The surface heterogeneity is felt most strongly near the surface; however, at approximately 1000 m above the surface, there appears to be a blending zone of mean scalars (i.e., potential temperature and specific humidity), indicating that the heterogeneity mixes into a new mean state of the atmosphere. There is a stable internal boundary layer (IBL; as defined as the first stable layer in individual radiosonde potential temperature profiles) up to approximately 500 m over the irrigated area. Taking advantage of the spatiotemporal extent of LES results, we perform spectral analyses to find that the ABL height had an integral length scale of <span class="inline-formula">∼800</span> m matching that of the imposed surface fluxes. Between the irrigated and non-irrigated areas, there is an adjustment of the ABL as it crosses the boundary up to 500 m upwind of the boundary. We observe a variable-dependent blending zone between scales in the middle of the ABL, but it is limited by the entrainment zone effectively introducing another source of heterogeneity driven by upper-atmosphere conditions.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-18a48b6be65a48028a08f28a9f867f2b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
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| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-18a48b6be65a48028a08f28a9f867f2b2025-08-20T03:41:43ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-08-01258959898110.5194/acp-25-8959-2025The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscapeM. R. Mangan0M. R. Mangan1J. Vilà-Guerau de Arellano2B. J. H. van Stratum3M. Lothon4G. Canut-Rocafort5O. K. Hartogensis6Meteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the NetherlandsInvited contribution by Mary Rose Mangan, recipient of the EGU Atmospheric Sciences Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation Award 2022.Meteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the NetherlandsMeteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the NetherlandsLaboratoire d'Aérologie, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 14 avenue Edouard Belin 31400, Toulouse, FranceCentre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM)/Météo-France, 42 ave. G. Coriolis, 31057, Toulouse, FranceMeteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands<p>We study the diurnal variability in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) across spatial scales (between <span class="inline-formula">∼100</span> m and <span class="inline-formula">∼10</span> km) of irrigation-driven surface heterogeneity in the semi-arid landscape of the 2021 Land surface Interactions with the Atmosphere over the Iberian Semi-arid Environment (LIAISE) experiment on the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. We combine observational analysis with explicit simulation of the ABL using observationally driven large-eddy simulation (LES) to better understand the physical mechanisms controlling ABL dynamics in heterogeneous regions. Our choice of spatial scales represents current and future single grid cells of global models, demonstrating how the sources and magnitude of subgrid-scale heterogeneity vary with model resolution.</p> <p>There is an observed positive buoyancy flux over the irrigated fields driven primarily by moisture fluxes, whereas, over the non-irrigated fields, there is a classical buoyancy profile driven by the surface sensible heat flux. The surface heterogeneity is felt most strongly near the surface; however, at approximately 1000 m above the surface, there appears to be a blending zone of mean scalars (i.e., potential temperature and specific humidity), indicating that the heterogeneity mixes into a new mean state of the atmosphere. There is a stable internal boundary layer (IBL; as defined as the first stable layer in individual radiosonde potential temperature profiles) up to approximately 500 m over the irrigated area. Taking advantage of the spatiotemporal extent of LES results, we perform spectral analyses to find that the ABL height had an integral length scale of <span class="inline-formula">∼800</span> m matching that of the imposed surface fluxes. Between the irrigated and non-irrigated areas, there is an adjustment of the ABL as it crosses the boundary up to 500 m upwind of the boundary. We observe a variable-dependent blending zone between scales in the middle of the ABL, but it is limited by the entrainment zone effectively introducing another source of heterogeneity driven by upper-atmosphere conditions.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/8959/2025/acp-25-8959-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. R. Mangan M. R. Mangan J. Vilà-Guerau de Arellano B. J. H. van Stratum M. Lothon G. Canut-Rocafort O. K. Hartogensis The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape |
| title_full | The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape |
| title_fullStr | The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape |
| title_full_unstemmed | The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape |
| title_short | The spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal evolution of atmospheric boundary layers over a thermally heterogeneous landscape |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/8959/2025/acp-25-8959-2025.pdf |
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