Summertime characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer and relationships to ozone levels over the Eastern United States

• Published in: Pure and Applied Geophysics 2003, Vol.160 (1-2), p.21-55
• Main Authors: RAO, S. Trivikrama, KU, Jia-Yeong, BERMAN, Stephen, ZHANG, Kesu, HUITING MAO
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air quality; Applied sciences; Atmospheric boundary layer; Atmospheric pollution; Boundary layers; Cloud cover; Coefficient of variation; Coefficients; Daytime; Exact sciences and technology; Meteorology; Mixing height; Ozone; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Simulation; Surface wind; Ventilation; Wind speed
• ISSN: 0033-4553; 1420-9136
• DOI: 10.1007/s00024-003-8764-9

- This paper examines the spatial and temporal distributions of the mixing height, ventilation coefficient (defined as the product of mixing height and surface wind speed), and cloud cover over the eastern United States during the summer of 1995, using the high-resolution meteorological data generated by MM5 (Version 1), a mesoscale model widely used in air quality studies. The ability of MM5 to simulate the key temporal and spatial features embedded in the time series of observations of temperature, wind speed, and moisture is assessed using spectral decomposition methods. Also, mixing heights estimated from the MM5 outputs are compared with those derived from observations at a few locations where data with high temporal resolution are available in the Northeast. In addition, the uncertainties associated with the estimation of the evolution of the boundary layer during the morning time are examined. The results indicate that nighttime mixing heights averaged