Comparison between Backscatter Lidar and Radiosonde Measurements of the Diurnal and Nocturnal Stratification in the Lower Troposphere

Abstract

A collection of boundary layer heights has been derived from measurements performed by a ground-based backscatter lidar in Neuchâtel, Switzerland (47.000°N, 6.967°E, 485 m ASL). A dataset of 98 cases have been collected during 2 yr. From these data, 61 are noon and 37 are midnight cases. The following two different schemes were used to retrieve the mixed layer depth and the height of the residual layer from the measurements: the gradient and variance methods. The obtained values were compared with those derived from the potential temperature profiles as computed from radiosonde data. For nocturnal cases, the height of the first aerosol layer above the residual layer was also compared to the corresponding potential temperature value. Correlation coefficients between lidar and radiosonde in both convective and stable conditions are between 0.88 and 0.97.