PBL Top Detection Techniques

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 PBL Top Detection Techniques

6.1. Introduction:
The PBL is the lowest layer of atmosphere that locates in troposphere. The PBL is close to the surface that characterized by turbulence, where the large-scale atmospheric flow controls the wind. PBL is the part of the troposphere that is directly influenced by the presence of earths surface. The boundary layer formed from sunrise to sunset is characterized by the formation of thermal plumes from solar heating. These plumes with them carry moisture. Solar heating is responsible for the transport of heat and aerosols. The ABL thickness is quite variable in time and space, ranging from hundreds of meters to few thousand meters. In this chapter an efficient method, the wavelet covariance transform is presented with some modifications to the transform is presented.

6.2. PBL Top determination methods:

6.2.1. Gradient Method: The gradient method is sometimes also referred to as inflection-point method. It is frequently used to indicate the PBL top height. The height at which the first derivative of the rangecorrected signal takes a minimum is defined as the PBL top height. The gradient of normalized range corrected signal is given as,

------------------------ (6.1)

The graph shown in figure (6.1) clearly indicates the PBL top observed on march.4th, 2009. This method fails because this method strongly suffers from noise.

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Figure 6.1., The appearance of boundary layer top using gradient method 6.2.2. Wavelet Covariance Transform: The wavelet covariance transform (WCT) technique, with modifications, is implemented in the LAMP data analysis software for an automated finding of PBL top height .

-------------------------- (6.2) With Haar function = 1 for - Z + -------------------------- (6.3)

=-1 for b Z =0 else where

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Where f(Z) is range corrected signal in equation (6.2) is the range corrected lidar backscatter signal. and are the lower and upper limits of the profile. The step function is

illustrated in figure (6.2).

Figure 6.2., Representation of Haar transform The covariance transform (a,b) is a measure of similarity of the range corrected backscatter

signal and the Haar function. The different proposed methods failed, some of those because of clouds, and some because of back ground noise in the night time, etc. To eliminate these effects, we were forced to introduce several modifications that allow us to determine the PBL height zi, even under the conditions of clouds and multiple aerosol layers. 6.3. Modifications to the WCT method: The PBL top height is frequently indicated by the first strong gradient above the ground. A threshold value for the wave from covariance transform is thus introduced that allows us to identify a significant gradient and to omit weak gradients. Equation (6.4) can be split up as follows: --------------- (6.4)

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--------------- (6.5)

Since the Haar function is 0 for and -1 for

, and,

,, 1 for

, the equation can be modified as follows:

---------------- (6.6) For discrete lidar signal the dilation is defined as , n=2, 4, 6, 8

And the position of the translation b has to be chosen in between two discrete data points to assure an equal number of data points in each integral. This leads to the discritized form of the WCT for f(z). -------------- (6.7)

----------------- (6.8)

The procedure was followed by taking n=2, the equation (6.8) can be re-built as,

---------------- (6.9)

For a single profile if we find the maximum value where it occurs in the corresponding range indicates the boundary layer. Development of Analysis Software for LAMP System Page 40

PBL Top Detection Techniques

Chapter 6

---------------- (6.9)

Using this process, if we consider all the profiles it will indicate the variation of boundary layer with the corresponding range and time.

6.4. Results and observations:

The modified wavelet covariance transform will give better results compared to other existed methods for determining the boundary layer variations during night time. In this method choosing the dilation of b is an important parameter. The advantages of this method with reduced noise effect on PBL make it more appropriate choice for analysis purpose. The figure 6.3 shows the variation of boundary layer with the range and time.

Figure 6.3., Variation of Boundary layer from time to time using WCT.

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