Lidar use in mesoscale studies near the shore line

Abstract

A variety of mesoscale meteorological phenomena often determine the transport, transformation and diffusion of many pollutant species, generated in urban, rural, mountain and coastal areas. Coastal zone observation is a scientific area where the remote monitoring means and techniques find an ever widening application. A number of investigations were carried out using radars and sodars. Several experiments were carried out in Bulgaria`s Black Sea coastal zone. The present work is the mesoscale phenomenon of sea breeze circulation with the aim a more detailed monitoring the formation of sea breeze circulation. A scanning aerosol lidar was used, placed in the meteorological station at 10-12 m above sea level and about 100-120 m away from the shoreline. The lidar measurements are accompanied by the wind velocity profiles measurements using pilot balloons. A micro meteorological surface layer station was used to measure air and soil temperatures, humidity, horizontal and vertical wind velocity, total solar radiation and radiation balance in air. The lidar observation results are compared with the data from the ground meteorological measurements and a correlation is then sought between the spatial and temporal variations of the lidar signal and the variations of the wind speed and direction and the heat andmore » humidity fluxes. The combined interpretation of the lidar and direct measured data show that the formation of the breeze circulation in this region of the coastal zone during this period undergo several phases. Finally, we state that the role of the radiation and convective processes and their interaction are different during the different phases. The phases evolution can better be studied in detail using multichannel tools: in our case lidar-meteorological equipment.« less