Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements
Abstract Planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) is often used to characterize the structure of the lower atmosphere. Aerosol lidar, a ground-based remote sensing method, provides the vertical distribution of aerosol at a high temporal resolution observation data, from which, the PBL structure and th...
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200336 |
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| author | Yueh-Chen Wang Sheng-Hsiang Wang Jasper R. Lewis Shuenn-Chin Chang Stephen M. Griffith |
| author_facet | Yueh-Chen Wang Sheng-Hsiang Wang Jasper R. Lewis Shuenn-Chin Chang Stephen M. Griffith |
| author_sort | Yueh-Chen Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) is often used to characterize the structure of the lower atmosphere. Aerosol lidar, a ground-based remote sensing method, provides the vertical distribution of aerosol at a high temporal resolution observation data, from which, the PBL structure and the position of the PBL top can be comprehensively studied. PBLH determination with lidar data depends primarily on the characteristic turbulent motions in the atmosphere and the geophysical location. However, lidar determination of PBLH over densely populated subtropical locations has rarely been discussed; thus, developing retrieval techniques suitable to these areas is necessary. In this study, four PBLH determination methods (Gradient, δ–threshold, Haar wavelet transform, and hybrid image processing) are applied to estimate the PBLH from lidar observations over an urban area in East Asia, and one—the Gradient method—relied on potential temperature measurements from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights to validate our results. Our results indicate that a combination of the gradient method and δ-threshold method can provide better results, in terms of diurnal pattern, than using either method individually. Furthermore, the Haar wavelet and the Hybrid image processing can detect the PBL development comparably well, but both methods are dependent on their initial conditions and optimized algorithm settings. In addition, the accompanying UAV observations are conclusively shown to have a high degree of efficacy for validating the lidar data. This research highlights that a combination of PBLH determination methods can better describe the PBLH evolution throughout a day in some cases, while in others less common determination methods are proving useful, and a suite of retrieval methods should still be explored for precisely mapping the PBL in densely populated subtropical areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-993ea367cac2409f87118756f3e18749 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-8584 2071-1409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-993ea367cac2409f87118756f3e187492025-02-09T12:20:53ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092021-01-0121511310.4209/aaqr.200336Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV MeasurementsYueh-Chen Wang0Sheng-Hsiang Wang1Jasper R. Lewis2Shuenn-Chin Chang3Stephen M. Griffith4Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central UniversityDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central UniversityUniversity of Maryland Baltimore CountyEnvironmental Protection AdministrationDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central UniversityAbstract Planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) is often used to characterize the structure of the lower atmosphere. Aerosol lidar, a ground-based remote sensing method, provides the vertical distribution of aerosol at a high temporal resolution observation data, from which, the PBL structure and the position of the PBL top can be comprehensively studied. PBLH determination with lidar data depends primarily on the characteristic turbulent motions in the atmosphere and the geophysical location. However, lidar determination of PBLH over densely populated subtropical locations has rarely been discussed; thus, developing retrieval techniques suitable to these areas is necessary. In this study, four PBLH determination methods (Gradient, δ–threshold, Haar wavelet transform, and hybrid image processing) are applied to estimate the PBLH from lidar observations over an urban area in East Asia, and one—the Gradient method—relied on potential temperature measurements from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights to validate our results. Our results indicate that a combination of the gradient method and δ-threshold method can provide better results, in terms of diurnal pattern, than using either method individually. Furthermore, the Haar wavelet and the Hybrid image processing can detect the PBL development comparably well, but both methods are dependent on their initial conditions and optimized algorithm settings. In addition, the accompanying UAV observations are conclusively shown to have a high degree of efficacy for validating the lidar data. This research highlights that a combination of PBLH determination methods can better describe the PBLH evolution throughout a day in some cases, while in others less common determination methods are proving useful, and a suite of retrieval methods should still be explored for precisely mapping the PBL in densely populated subtropical areas.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200336Micro-pulse lidar (MPL)Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)Planetary boundary layer (PBL) |
| spellingShingle | Yueh-Chen Wang Sheng-Hsiang Wang Jasper R. Lewis Shuenn-Chin Chang Stephen M. Griffith Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements Aerosol and Air Quality Research Micro-pulse lidar (MPL) Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Planetary boundary layer (PBL) |
| title | Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements |
| title_full | Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements |
| title_fullStr | Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements |
| title_short | Determining Planetary Boundary Layer Height by Micro-pulse Lidar with Validation by UAV Measurements |
| title_sort | determining planetary boundary layer height by micro pulse lidar with validation by uav measurements |
| topic | Micro-pulse lidar (MPL) Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Planetary boundary layer (PBL) |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200336 |
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