Convective boundary-layer height estimation from combined radar and Doppler lidar observations in VORTEX-SE

Joan Villalonga; Susan L. Beveridge; Marcos P. Araujo da Silva; Robin L. Tanamachi; Francesc Rocadenbosch; David D. Turner; Stephen J. Frasier

doi:10.1117/12.2576046

20 September 2020 Convective boundary-layer height estimation from combined radar and Doppler lidar observations in VORTEX-SE

Joan Villalonga, Susan L. Beveridge, Marcos P. Araujo da Silva, Robin L. Tanamachi, Francesc Rocadenbosch, David D. Turner, Stephen J. Frasier

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11531, Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere XXV; 115310X (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2576046
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2020, Online Only

Conference Poster

Abstract

The Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment Southeast (VORTEX-SE) provides a wealth of long-duration, high-resolution, vertically pointing observations from active and passive ground-based remote sensing systems enabling characterization of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) development over distinct regions that are well known for their relatively high tornado frequency. Application of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to BL height estimation in the convective regime (CBLH) of the diurnal cycle from S-band radar reflectivity observations¹ has shown to yield accurate results under simple CBL conditions. In this work, we revisit the radar-EKF technique and investigate its main limitations. For example, during daytime clear-sky conditions such as those prevailing in the BL morning transition, weak turbulence leads to very low reflectivity returns, limiting application of this technique. Additionally, turbulent mixing layers capped with a residual layer, and/or multi-layer scenarios can lead the filter to lose track of the BL signature over time. Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) observations of the vertical wind velocity variance² provide complementary CBLH estimates to those of the radar-EKF combination, providing potential to disambiguate more complex convective cases. DWL estimates are, however, strongly influenced by the variance threshold selected. The complementarity of radar and DWL for CBLH estimation is studied in reference to radiosoundings.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Joan Villalonga, Susan L. Beveridge, Marcos P. Araujo da Silva, Robin L. Tanamachi, Francesc Rocadenbosch, David D. Turner, and Stephen J. Frasier "Convective boundary-layer height estimation from combined radar and Doppler lidar observations in VORTEX-SE", Proc. SPIE 11531, Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere XXV, 115310X (20 September 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2576046

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available