Atmospheric Boundary Layer Characterization Using Multiyear Ground-Based Microwave Radiometric Observations Over a Tropical Coastal Station

Abstract

The continuous ground-based microwave radiometer profiler (MRP) observations of lower atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles are used to investigate the diurnal evolution of atmospheric boundary layer height (BLH) over a tropical coastal station. The BLH estimated from the MRP observations is compared with concurrent and collocated measurements of mixing layer height using a Micropulse Lidar and the BLH derived from radiosonde ascends. The monthly mean diurnal variation of the BLH derived from the multiyear (2010–2013) MRP observations exhibits strong diurnal variation with the highest around the local afternoon (~12:00–15:00 IST) and the lowest during the nighttime (~100–200 m). The daytime convective BLH is maximum during the premonsoon season (March–May) with the peak value (~1300 m) occurring in April and minimum in the month of July (~600 m). This paper presents the potential of MRP observations to investigate the continuous diurnal evolution of the BLH over a tropical coastal region manifested by a thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL) at much better time resolution, which is essential for understanding the rapid growth of the boundary layer and the TIBL during the forenoon period.