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Evaluation of methods to determine the surface mixing layer height of the atmospheric boundary layer in the central Arctic during polar night and transition to polar day in cloudless and cloudy conditions

Journal Article · · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. Leibniz Inst. for Tropospheric Research (ITR), Leipzig (Germany)
  2. Alfred Wegener Inst. for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam (Germany)
  3. Univ. of Leipzig (Germany). Leipzig Institute for Meteorology (LIM)
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This study evaluates methods to derive the surface mixing layer (SML) height of the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) using in situ measurements inside the Arctic ABL during winter and the transition period to spring. An instrumental payload carried by a tethered balloon was used for the measurements between December 2019 and May 2020 during the year-long Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition. Vertically highly resolved (centimeter scale) in situ profile measurements of mean and turbulent parameters were obtained, reaching from the sea ice to several hundred meters above ground. Two typical conditions of the Arctic ABL over sea ice were identified: cloudless situations with a shallow surface-based inversion and cloudy conditions with an elevated inversion. Both conditions are associated with significantly different SML heights whose determination as accurately as possible is of great importance for many applications. We used the measured turbulence profile data to define a reference of the SML height. With this reference, a more precise critical bulk Richardson number of 0.12 was derived, which allows an extension of the SML height determination to regular radiosoundings. Furthermore, we have tested the applicability of the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory to derive SML heights based on measured turbulent surface fluxes. The application of the different approaches and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Contributing Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
2283948
Journal Information:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online), Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 23; ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
Copernicus Publications, EGUCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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