WCD-27. Evaluating Mixing Layer Height Retrievals from Ground-Based Remote Sensing Systems

Abstract
Understanding the boundary layer (BL) depth, evolution, and structure is essential for improving meteorological, climate, and air quality forecasts and predictions. In particular, the daytime convective mixing layer (ML) is crucial in weather and air quality as it defines the lower atmosphere stratification and the extent of mixing of atmospheric constituents. In this study, we investigate relationships between cloud interactions, surface radiation, and the ML height (MLH) using long-term (2011-2019) observations from the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility Southern Great Plains site. Continuous estimates of MLH are retrieved from a Vaisala CL31 ceilometer (Caicedo et al.2020) and evaluated against Doppler wind lidar (vertical velocity threshold and random forest methods), radiosonde, and the ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) ML retrievals. Cloud parameters, cloud regimes, and surface radiation measurements are used to identify conditions or regimes when aerosol-based retrievals may be limited. This work will guide the improvement and identification of reliable MLH retrievals by including supplement observations of cloud properties, surface radiation, and near-surface thermodynamics. Future work will use measurements from the NOAA GML SURFRAD Network combining ceilometer profiles, cloud, and solar radiation data sets.