Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Comparison Of Aerosol-Layer And Convective Boundary-Layer Structure Over A Mountain Range During Staaarte '97

  • Published:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The temporal evolution and spatial structure of the aerosol layer (AL) height as observed with an airborne downlooking lidar over the Swiss Alps were investigated with a three-dimensional mesoscale numerical model and a particle dispersion model. Convective boundary-layer (CBL) heights were derived from the mesoscale model output, and the behaviour of surface-released particles was investigated with the particle dispersion model. While a previous investigation, using data from the same field study, equated the observed AL height with the CBL height, the results of the current investigation indicate that there is a considerable difference between AL and CBL heights caused by mixing and transport processes between the CBL and the free atmosphere. CBL heights show a more terrain-following behaviour and are lower than AL heights. We argue that processes causing the difference between AL and CBL heights are common over mountainous terrain and that the AL height is a length scale that needs to be considered in air pollution studies in mountainous terrain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Braham, R. R. and Draginis, M.: 1960, ‘Roots of Orographic Cumuli’, J. Meteorol. 17, 214-224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ching, J. K. S., Shipley, S. T., and Browell, E. V.: 1988, “Evidence for Cloud Venting of Mixed Layer Ozone and Aerosols”, Atmos. Environ. 22, 225-242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotton, W. R., Pielke, Sr., R. A., Walko, R. L., Liston, G. E., Tremback, C. J., Jiang, H., McAnelly, R. L., Harrington, J. Y., Nicholls, M. E., Carrio, G. G., and McFadden, J. P.: 2003, ‘RAMS 2001: Current Status and Future Directions’, Meteorol. Atmos. Phys. 82, 5-29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coulter, R. L.: 1979, ‘A Comparison of Three Methods for Measuring Mixing-Layer Height’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 8, 1495-1499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, O. P.: 1972, ‘Potential Temperature Analysis for Mountainous Terrain’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 11, 44-50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, O. P. and Lynott, R. E.: 1961, ‘Cross-section Analysis in the Study of Windflow over Mountainous Terrain’, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 42, 693-702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dayan, U., Shenhav, R., and Graber, M.: 1988, ‘The Spatial and Temporal Behavior of the Mixed Layer in Israel’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 27, 1382-1394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deardorff, J. W., Willis, G. E., and Stockton, B. H.: 1980, ‘Laboratory Studies of the Entrainment Zone of a Convectively Mixed Layer’, J. Fluid Mech. 100, 41-64.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Wekker, S. F. J.: 2002, Structure and Morphology of the Convective Boundary Layer in Mountainous Terrain, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of British Columbia, BC, Canada, 191 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Wekker, S. F. J., Kossmann, M., and Fiedler, F.: 1997, ‘Observations of Daytime Mixed Layer Heights over Mountainous Terrain during the TRACT Field Campaign’, in Proceedings of the 12th AMS Symposium on Boundary Layers and Turbulence, Vancouver, BC, Canada, American Meteorological Society, 45 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, pp. 498-499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fast, J. D. and Zhong, S.: 1998, ‘Meteorological Factors Associated with Inhomogeneous Ozone Concentrations within the Mexico City Basin’, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 18927-18946.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiedler, F.: 1983, Einige Charakteristika der Strömung im Oberrheingraben, Wissenschaftliche Berichte des Meteorologischen Instituts der Universitä t Karlsruhe, Vol. 4, pp. 113-123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiedler, F., Bischoff-Gauss, I., Kalthoff, N., and Adrian, G.: 2000, ‘Modeling of the Transport of a Tracer in the Freiburg-Schauinsland Area’, J. Geophys. Res. D 105, 1599-1610.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hänel, G.: 1976, ‘The Properties of Atmospheric Aerosol Particles as Functions of the Relative Humidity at Thermodynamic Equilibrium with the Surrounding Moist Air’, Adv. Geophys. 19, 73-188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzworth, G. C.: 1964, ‘Estimates of Mean Maximum Mixing Depths in the Contiguous U.S.’, Mon. Wea. Rev. 92, 235-242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiemle, C., Kästner, M., and Ehret, G.: 1995, ‘The Convective Boundary Layer Structure from Lidar and Radiosonde Measurements during the EFEDA'91 Campaign’, J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech. 12, 771-782.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kossmann, M., Corsmeier, U., De Wekker, S. F. J., Fiedler, F., Vögtlin, R., Kalthoff, N., Güsten, H., and Neininger, B.: 1999, ‘Observations of Handover Processes between the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and the Free Troposphere over Mountainous Terrain’, Contr. Atmos. Phys. 72, 329-350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kossmann, M., Vögtlin, R., Corsmeier, U., Vogel, B., Fiedler, F., Binder, H.-J., Kalthoff, N., and Beyrich, F.: 1998, ‘Aspects of the Convective Boundary Layer Structure over Complex Terrain’, Atmos. Environ. 32, 1323-1348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lagouvardos, K., Kotroni, V., and Kallos, G.: 1996, ‘Exploring the Effects of Different Types of Model Initialisation: Simulation of a Severe Air-Pollution Episode in Athens, Greece’, Meteorol. Appl. 3, 147-155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenschow, D. H., Stankov, B. B., and Mahrt, L.: 1979, ‘The Rapid Morning Boundary-Layer Transition’, J. Atmos. Sci. 36, 2108-2124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, R. and Turco, R. P.: 1994, ‘Air Pollutant Transport in a Coastal Environment. Part 1: Two Dimensional Simulations of Sea-Breeze and Mountain Effects’, J. Atmos. Sci. 51, 2285-2308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lugauer, M.: 1998, Vertical Transport of Atmospheric Trace Species in the Alps, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Bern, Switzerland, 91 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, W. A., Pielke, R. A., Cotton, W. R., Tremback, C. J., Walko, R. L., Uliasz, M., and Ibarra, J. I.: 1994, ‘Recent Applications of the RAMS Meteorological and the HYPACT Dispersion Models’, in S.-E. Gryning and M. M. Millan (eds.), Proceedings of the 20th ITM of NATO/CCMS on Air Pollution Modeling and its Application. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 19-26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsik, F. J., Fischer, K. W., McDonald, T. D., and Samson, P. J.: 1995, ‘Comparison of Methods for Estimating Mixing Height Used during the 1992 Atlanta Field Intensive’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 34, 1802-1814.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKendry, I. G. and Lundgren, J.: 2000, ‘Tropospheric Layering of Ozone in Regions of Urbanized Complex and/or Coastal Terrain: A Review’, Progr. Phys. Geog. 24, 329-354.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKendry, I. G., Steyn, D. G., Lundgren, J., Hoff, R. M., Strapp, W., Anlauf, K., Froude, F., Martin, B. A., Banta, R. M., and Olivier, L. D.: 1997, ‘Elevated Pollution Layers and Vertical Downmixing over the Lower Fraser Valley, B. C.’, Atmos. Environ. 31, 2135-2146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyeki, S., Kalberer, M., Colbeck, I., De Wekker, S. F. J., Furger, M., Gäggeler, H. W., Kossmann, M., Lugauer, M., Steyn, D., Weingartner, E., Wirth, M., and Baltensperger, U.: 2000, ‘Convective Boundary Layer Evolution to 4 km asl over High-Alpine Terrain: Airborne Lidar Observations in the Alps’, Geophys. Res. Lett. 27, 689-692.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pielke, R. A.: 2002, Mesoscale Meteorological Modeling, 2nd edn., Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 676 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raymond, D. and Wilkening, M.: 1980, ‘Mountain Induced Convection under Fair Weather Conditions’, J. Atmos. Sci. 37, 2693-2706.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwiesow, R. L., 1984, ‘Lidar Measurements of Boundary-Layer Variables’, in D. H. Lenschow (ed.), Probing the Atmospheric Boundary Layer, Amer. Meteorol. Soc., pp. 139-162.

  • Seibert, P., Beyrich, F., Gryning, S.E., Joffre, S., Rasmussen, A., and Tercier, P.: 2000, ‘Review and Intercomparison of Operational Methods for the Determination of the Mixing Height’, Atmos. Environ. 34, 1001-1027.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, P. P., Moeng, C-H., Stevens, B., Lenschow, D. H., and Mayor, S. D.: 1998, ‘Structure of the Entrainment Zone Capping the Convective Atmospheric Boundary-Layer’, J. Atmos. Sci. 55, 3042-3064.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troen, I. and Mahrt, L.: 1986, ‘A Simple Model of the Atmospheric Boundary-Layer: Sensitivity to Surface Evaporation’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 37, 129-148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Pul, W. A. J., Holtslag, A. A. M., and Swart, D. P. J.: 1994, ‘A Comparison of ABLheights Inferred Routinely from Lidar and Radiosondes at Noontime’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 68, 173-191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogelezang, D. H. P. and Holtslag, A. A. M.: 1996, ‘Evaluation and Model Impacts of Alternative Boundary-Layer Height Formulations’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 81, 245-269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walko,R.L.,Tremback,C.J.,and Bell,M.J.:2001,HYPACT.Hybrid Particle and Concentration Transport Model.User's Guide ,35 pp. [Available from ASTER Division, Mission Research Corporation, P. O. Box 466, Fort Collins, CO 80525-0466].

  • Whiteman, C. D.: 1990, ‘Observations of Thermally Developed Wind Systems in Mountainous Terrain’, in W. Blumen (ed.), Atmospheric Processes over Complex Terrain, Meteorol. Monogr., 23 (no. 45), Amer. Meteorol. Soc., Boston, MA, pp. 5-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • WMO (World Meteorological Organization): 1993, Handbook of Meteorological Forecasting for Soaring Flights, 2nd edn., Technical Note No. 158, WMO No. 495, Geneva, Switzerland, 84 pp.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of British Columbia, Canada

    S. F. J. De Wekker & D. G. Steyn

  2. Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland

    S. F. J. De Wekker & S. Nyeki

  3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, MSIN K9-30, Richland, WA, 99352, U.S.A.

    S. F. J. De Wekker

  4. University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, U.K

    S. Nyeki

Authors
  1. S. F. J. De Wekker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. G. Steyn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Nyeki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. F. J. De Wekker.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

De Wekker, S.F.J., Steyn, D.G. & Nyeki, S. A Comparison Of Aerosol-Layer And Convective Boundary-Layer Structure Over A Mountain Range During Staaarte '97. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 113, 249–271 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BOUN.0000039371.41823.37

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BOUN.0000039371.41823.37

Search

Navigation