Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China
<p>The planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics play a critical role in shaping urban atmospheric processes by governing the exchange of energy, momentum, and mass within the lower atmosphere. This study investigates PBL dynamics in Hefei, a city in the western Yangtze River Delta (YRD), using...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/18/1841/2025/amt-18-1841-2025.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849710060464242688 |
|---|---|
| author | T. Wei M. Wang M. Wang K. Wu J. Yuan H. Xia H. Xia S. Lolli |
| author_facet | T. Wei M. Wang M. Wang K. Wu J. Yuan H. Xia H. Xia S. Lolli |
| author_sort | T. Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics play a critical role in shaping urban atmospheric processes by governing the exchange of energy, momentum, and mass within the lower atmosphere. This study investigates PBL dynamics in Hefei, a city in the western Yangtze River Delta (YRD), using 3 years (June 2019 to June 2022) of Doppler wind lidar data. Seasonal and diurnal variations in key parameters, including wind profiles, shear intensity, turbulent mixing, low-level jets (LLJs), and mixing layer height (MLH), are analyzed. Results show that horizontal wind speeds accelerate more rapidly above 3 km with the predominant westerly winds (<span class="inline-formula">270<i>°</i>±15<i>°</i></span>) in all seasons. The vertical depth of the high-wind zone (<span class="inline-formula">>8</span> m s<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>) during the day is found to be generally deeper than at night, particularly in winter. In Hefei, LLJs primarily form at sunset and dissipate by noon, typically at altitudes between 0.5 and 0.6 km throughout the year, except in July. LLJ occurrences are the most frequent in spring (31.7 %), followed by summer (24.7 %), autumn (22.3 %), and winter (21.3 %). Summer LLJs are the most intensified, extending up to 1.5 km. The larger wind gradient below the jets significantly enhances turbulence and shear intensity near the ground at night. The seasonal average MLH peaks between 14:00 and 15:00 UTC+8, reaching approximately 1.2 km in spring and summer. Cloud cover raises MLH by about 100 m at night but decreases it by 200 m at the afternoon peak. This study provides insights into lidar-based PBL dynamics and highlights implications for local standards concerning low-altitude economic activities.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-65a6f7ffbdf44b01bbdf6f640d382d74 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| spelling | doaj-art-65a6f7ffbdf44b01bbdf6f640d382d742025-08-20T03:15:03ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482025-04-01181841185710.5194/amt-18-1841-2025Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, ChinaT. Wei0M. Wang1M. Wang2K. Wu3J. Yuan4H. Xia5H. Xia6S. Lolli7School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaChina Meteorological Administration Xiong'an Atmospheric Boundary Layer Key Laboratory, Xiong'an New Area, Baoding 071800, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaCNR-IMAA, Contrada S. Loja snc, Tito Scalo (PZ) 85050, Italy<p>The planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics play a critical role in shaping urban atmospheric processes by governing the exchange of energy, momentum, and mass within the lower atmosphere. This study investigates PBL dynamics in Hefei, a city in the western Yangtze River Delta (YRD), using 3 years (June 2019 to June 2022) of Doppler wind lidar data. Seasonal and diurnal variations in key parameters, including wind profiles, shear intensity, turbulent mixing, low-level jets (LLJs), and mixing layer height (MLH), are analyzed. Results show that horizontal wind speeds accelerate more rapidly above 3 km with the predominant westerly winds (<span class="inline-formula">270<i>°</i>±15<i>°</i></span>) in all seasons. The vertical depth of the high-wind zone (<span class="inline-formula">>8</span> m s<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>) during the day is found to be generally deeper than at night, particularly in winter. In Hefei, LLJs primarily form at sunset and dissipate by noon, typically at altitudes between 0.5 and 0.6 km throughout the year, except in July. LLJ occurrences are the most frequent in spring (31.7 %), followed by summer (24.7 %), autumn (22.3 %), and winter (21.3 %). Summer LLJs are the most intensified, extending up to 1.5 km. The larger wind gradient below the jets significantly enhances turbulence and shear intensity near the ground at night. The seasonal average MLH peaks between 14:00 and 15:00 UTC+8, reaching approximately 1.2 km in spring and summer. Cloud cover raises MLH by about 100 m at night but decreases it by 200 m at the afternoon peak. This study provides insights into lidar-based PBL dynamics and highlights implications for local standards concerning low-altitude economic activities.</p>https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/18/1841/2025/amt-18-1841-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | T. Wei M. Wang M. Wang K. Wu J. Yuan H. Xia H. Xia S. Lolli Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| title | Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China |
| title_full | Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China |
| title_fullStr | Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China |
| title_short | Characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3-year Doppler wind lidar measurements in a western Yangtze River Delta city, China |
| title_sort | characterizing urban planetary boundary layer dynamics using 3 year doppler wind lidar measurements in a western yangtze river delta city china |
| url | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/18/1841/2025/amt-18-1841-2025.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT twei characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT mwang characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT mwang characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT kwu characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT jyuan characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT hxia characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT hxia characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina AT slolli characterizingurbanplanetaryboundarylayerdynamicsusing3yeardopplerwindlidarmeasurementsinawesternyangtzeriverdeltacitychina |