A Comparison of Three Methods for Measuring Mixing-Layer Height

Abstract

Temperature profile, lidar and sodar results for determination of mixing-layer heights during October 1977 are compared. While the overall agreement was good, systematic differences do appear, particularly in early morning and late afternoon between lidar and sodar results, when the lidar values are consistently higher than the sodar. Temperature profile values are consistently lower than the other two methods. These differences are due to the slightly different behavior of the sensed variables near the capping inversion. Aerosols and particulates mix to larger heights than the top of the adiabatic temperature profile, while temperature fluctuations exhibit an increase at a height above the top of the adiabatic temperature profile but below the maximum height of particulate mixing.