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Airborne Lidar Observations of the Transition Zone Between the Convective Boundary Layer and Free Atmosphere During the International H2O Project (IHOP) in 2002

Grabon, Jeffrey S. and Davis, Kenneth J. and Kiemle, Christoph and Ehret, Gerhard (2010) Airborne Lidar Observations of the Transition Zone Between the Convective Boundary Layer and Free Atmosphere During the International H2O Project (IHOP) in 2002. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 134, pp. 61-83. Springer. doi: 10.1007/s10546-009-9431-1. ISSN 0006-8314.

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Abstract

Airborne, light detection and ranging (lidar) backscatter observations of the convective boundary layer from the International H2O Project (IHOP) in 2002 are analysed to study the structure of the transition zone; the backscatter gradient between the convective boundary layer and free atmosphere. A newmathematical algorithm is developed and used to extract high-resolution (15 m) transition-zone boundaries from 6,500 km (flight legs) of airborne observations.The cospectra of transition-zone boundaries and its thickness indicate that thickness changes occur from boundaries moving in opposite directions (vertically) at small wavelengths (<1 km), while at longer wavelengths (>1 km) both boundaries move coherently, with the lower boundary changing altitude more rapidly. Daily probability distributions of the transition-zone thickness are positively skewed with a mode of 60 m. The structure of the transition zone shows no dependence on the “overall” Richardson number, unlike the entrainment zone. This study provides the first quantitative characterization of the structure of the instantaneous transition zone, a contribution towards an improved understanding of convective boundary-layer entrainment.

Item URL in elib:https://elib.dlr.de/96960/
Document Type:Article
Title:Airborne Lidar Observations of the Transition Zone Between the Convective Boundary Layer and Free Atmosphere During the International H2O Project (IHOP) in 2002
Authors:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iDORCID Put Code
Grabon, Jeffrey S.The Pennsylvania State UniversityUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Davis, Kenneth J.The Pennsylvania State UniversityUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Kiemle, ChristophDLR IPAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Ehret, GerhardDLR, IPAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date:2010
Journal or Publication Title:Boundary-Layer Meteorology
Refereed publication:Yes
Open Access:No
Gold Open Access:No
In SCOPUS:Yes
In ISI Web of Science:Yes
Volume:134
DOI:10.1007/s10546-009-9431-1
Page Range:pp. 61-83
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:0006-8314
Status:Published
Keywords:Convective boundary layer · Entrainment zone · International H2O project · Lidar · Transition zone
HGF - Research field:Aeronautics, Space and Transport
HGF - Program:Space
HGF - Program Themes:Earth Observation
DLR - Research area:Raumfahrt
DLR - Program:R EO - Earth Observation
DLR - Research theme (Project):R - LIDAR research and development
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen
Institutes and Institutions:Institute of Atmospheric Physics > Lidar
Deposited By: Kiemle, Dr.rer.nat. Christoph
Deposited On:01 Jul 2015 09:07
Last Modified:06 Sep 2019 15:19

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