Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study

A new automated small size lidar system (microlidar or MULID) has been developed and employed to perform aerosol measurements since March 2010 at Ny Ålesund (78.9°N, 11.9°E), Svalbard. The lidar observations have been used to estimate the PBL height by using the gradient method based on abrupt chang...

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Main Authors: L. Di Liberto, F. Angelini, I. Pietroni, F. Cairo, G. Di Donfrancesco, A. Viola, S. Argentini, F. Fierli, G. Gobbi, M. Maturilli, R. Neuber, M. Snels
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/851927
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author L. Di Liberto
F. Angelini
I. Pietroni
F. Cairo
G. Di Donfrancesco
A. Viola
S. Argentini
F. Fierli
G. Gobbi
M. Maturilli
R. Neuber
M. Snels
author_facet L. Di Liberto
F. Angelini
I. Pietroni
F. Cairo
G. Di Donfrancesco
A. Viola
S. Argentini
F. Fierli
G. Gobbi
M. Maturilli
R. Neuber
M. Snels
author_sort L. Di Liberto
collection DOAJ
description A new automated small size lidar system (microlidar or MULID) has been developed and employed to perform aerosol measurements since March 2010 at Ny Ålesund (78.9°N, 11.9°E), Svalbard. The lidar observations have been used to estimate the PBL height by using the gradient method based on abrupt changes in the vertical aerosol profile and monitor its temporal evolution. The scope of the present study is to compare several approaches to estimate the PBL height, by using lidar observations, meteorological measurements by radio soundings, and a zero-order one-dimensional model based on a parameterization of the turbulent kinetic energy budget within the mixing layer, under the assumptions of horizontal homogeneity, and neglecting radiation and latent heat effects. A case study is presented here for a convective PBL, observed in June 2010 in order to verify whether the Gradient Method can be applied to lidar measurements in the Arctic region to obtain the PBL height. The results obtained are in good agreement with the PBL height estimated by the analysis of thermodynamic measurements obtained from radio sounding and with the model.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-2c466d3caa8e44e798e006ee82de62a12025-02-03T01:10:05ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172012-01-01201210.1155/2012/851927851927Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case StudyL. Di Liberto0F. Angelini1I. Pietroni2F. Cairo3G. Di Donfrancesco4A. Viola5S. Argentini6F. Fierli7G. Gobbi8M. Maturilli9R. Neuber10M. Snels11Institute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyENEA UTA, Santa Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyAlfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, 14473 Potsdam, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, 14473 Potsdam, GermanyInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR, 00133 Rome, ItalyA new automated small size lidar system (microlidar or MULID) has been developed and employed to perform aerosol measurements since March 2010 at Ny Ålesund (78.9°N, 11.9°E), Svalbard. The lidar observations have been used to estimate the PBL height by using the gradient method based on abrupt changes in the vertical aerosol profile and monitor its temporal evolution. The scope of the present study is to compare several approaches to estimate the PBL height, by using lidar observations, meteorological measurements by radio soundings, and a zero-order one-dimensional model based on a parameterization of the turbulent kinetic energy budget within the mixing layer, under the assumptions of horizontal homogeneity, and neglecting radiation and latent heat effects. A case study is presented here for a convective PBL, observed in June 2010 in order to verify whether the Gradient Method can be applied to lidar measurements in the Arctic region to obtain the PBL height. The results obtained are in good agreement with the PBL height estimated by the analysis of thermodynamic measurements obtained from radio sounding and with the model.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/851927
spellingShingle L. Di Liberto
F. Angelini
I. Pietroni
F. Cairo
G. Di Donfrancesco
A. Viola
S. Argentini
F. Fierli
G. Gobbi
M. Maturilli
R. Neuber
M. Snels
Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study
Advances in Meteorology
title Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study
title_full Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study
title_fullStr Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study
title_full_unstemmed Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study
title_short Estimate of the Arctic Convective Boundary Layer Height from Lidar Observations: A Case Study
title_sort estimate of the arctic convective boundary layer height from lidar observations a case study
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/851927
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