Inter-comparison of ABL height estimates from different profiling sensors and models in the framework of HyMeX-SOP1

Abstract

Abstract. This paper reports results from an inter-comparison effort involving different sensors/techniques used to measure the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) height. The effort took place in the framework of the first Special Observing Period of the Hydrological cycle of the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX-SOP1). Elastic backscatter and rotational Raman signals collected by the Raman lidar system BASIL were used to determine the ABL height and characterize its internal structure. These techniques were compared with co-located measurements from a wind profiler and radiosondes and with ECMWF-ERA5 data. In the effort we consider radiosondes launched in the proximity of the lidar site, as well as radiosondes launched from the closest radiosonde station included in the Integrated Global Radiosonde archive (IGRA). The inter-comparison effort considers data from October 2012. Results reveal a good agreement between the different approaches, with values of the correlation coefficient R2 in the range 0.52 to 0.94. Results clearly reveals that the combined application of different techniques to distinct sensors’ and model datasets allow getting accurate and cross-validated estimates of the ABL height over a variety of weather conditions. Furthermore, correlations between the ABL height and other atmospheric dynamic and thermodynamic variables as CAPE, friction velocity and relative humidity are also assessed to infer possible mutual dependences.\n