Spatial and Temporal Variation in PBL Height over the Korean Peninsula in the KMA Operational Regional Model

Seung-Jae Lee,Juwon Lee,Joon Kim,Minseok Kang,Steven J. Greybush

doi:10.1155/2013/381630

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variations in planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) over the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding oceans are investigated using a regional grid model operated at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Special attention is placed on daily maximum mixing height for evaluation against two radiosonde observation datasets. In order to construct a new high-resolution PBLH database with 3-hour time and 10 km spatial resolution, short-term integrations with the regional model are carried out for a one-year period from June 2010 to May 2011. The resulting dataset is then utilized to explore the seasonal patterns of horizontal PBLH distribution over the peninsula for one year. Frequency distributions as well as monthly and diurnal variations of PBLH at two selected locations are examined. This study reveals specific spatiotemporal structure of boundary layer depth over the Korean Peninsula for the first time at a relatively high-resolution scale. The results are expected to provide insights into the direction for operational tuning and future development in the model boundary layer schemes at KMA.

Highlights

The diurnally evolving structure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) for a typical synoptic high-pressure system is described by Stull [1]
Planetary boundary layer height is an important variable in modeling weather phenomena and air quality
This paper uses short-term forecasts from the operational regional KWRF model to obtain information on the spatial distribution and temporal variations in planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) that are unavailable with the current observations and analyses over the region

Summary

Introduction

The diurnally evolving structure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) for a typical synoptic high-pressure system is described by Stull [1]. The depth of the PBL provides important information for numerical weather prediction (NWP) and atmospheric dispersion models. Algorithm for automated determination of mixing height from mid-day (06UTC or 15LST) radiosonde temperature, relative humidity, and water-vapor mixing ratio profiles. All these studies until now have used observations and estimations of mixing depths at local stations, and thereby the spatial distribution of PBL height and its temporal variation was not well known over the Korean Peninsula.

Data and Methodology

Comparison of Observed and Modeled PBLH at Osan

Horizontal Distribution of the Model

Findings

Summary and Concluding Remarks