Height of the boundary layer from lidar for June 07
Table of contents:
Height from low runs
Height from high runs
Map
of BL height from lidar and profiles
Lidar height compared with that derived from
different-facing runs, and from profiles
Conclusions
The height of the boundary layer can be estimated as the height of
the maximum gradient of the backscatter and was estimated from high
and low runs. You end up picking
out the inversion base this way. I rewrote routines to find
the peak gradient in lidar backscatter that were generously shared with
me by Linda Strom.
BL height from downward looking runs: 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
BL height from upwards looking runs: 5
6
10
12
15
Comparison of BL heights
from different lidar runs, and from profiles
Comparison of: Two low runs (10
vs 12)
Low vs high runs (8
vs 4, 5
vs 4, 5
vs 3)
High runs vs profiles (Along runs 3,
7)
Low runs vs profiles (Along runs 5a
b,
6,
8,
12a
b
,15a
b
c)
Conclusions:
-
The lidar is picking out the inversion base.
-
The boundary layer height north of Cape Mendocino was possibly not stationary during the flight.
-
Different upwards-looking lidar runs give the same BL height.
-
The downward-looking lidar runs give BL heights which are 100-150 m lower
than the upwards-looking runs.
-
Why is hrun 3's height so different? (non-stationery?)
-
Do the downward-looking lidar altitudes need to be corrected, since they
might be based on palt?
Data on this page have not been published. If you use it please
credit the author, Kathleen Edwards, and the source (the Coastal Waves
96 group at Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, and the Center for Coastal Studies.)
Please send comments or questions to me at kate@coast.ucsd.edu