Determination of Planetary Boundary Layer Height on Short Spatial and Temporal Scales: A Demonstration of the Covariance Wavelet Transform in Ground-Based Wind Profiler and Lidar Measurements

This article explores the application of the covariance wavelet transform (CWT) to lidar and, for the first time to the authors' knowledge, wind profiler data to examine the possibility of accurate and continuous planetary boundary layer (PBL) height measurements on short temporal resolution (1- and 15-min averages, respectively). Determining the mixing in the PBL was one goal of a study of the spatial and diurnal variations of the PBL height over Maryland for July 2011, during NASA's Earth Venture mission DISCOVER-AQ. The PBL heights derived from ground-based lidars [at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); 39.25°N, 76.70°W], a 915-MHz wind profiler, and radiosondes (at Beltsville, Maryland; 38.92°N, 77.02°W) were compared. Results from the comparison show an R2 = 0.89, 0.92, and 0.94 correlation between the radiosonde PBL heights and two lidars and wind profiler PBL heights, respectively. Accurate determination of the PBL height by applying the CWT to lidar and wind profilers will allow for improved air quality forecasting and understanding of regional pollution dynamics.