A research group from the Department of Meteorology at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) recently published a paper (Stouffer et al., 2024) on the use of Dual-Polarization Weather Radar to estimate the properties of convective boundary layers. More measurements of the lower atmosphere are needed by meteorologists and as inputs for numerical models to improve weather forecasts. In particular, the so-called convective boundary layer (CBL) forms in the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere as the sun’s energy heats the Earth’s surface and plays an important role in the dynamic exchange of heat, momentum, and moisture. As reported in the paper, the Penn State group is exploring a novel application of polarimetric weather radar data to investigate and quantify properties of the CBL. Traditionally the CBL is characterized by examining vertical profiles of the atmospheric wind, temperature, and humidity. These can be obtained through radiosonde measurements.
In the Stouffer et al, 2024 study, radiosondes from Sparv Embedded AB (Windsond) were used. As stated in the paper “These lightweight rawinsondes are attached to small helium balloons and generally ascend at a rate of 2-4 m s−1 while transmitting data at 1-s intervals. Because Windsonds typically have horizontal speeds greater than their ascent rate, they are likely to pass through multiple CBL eddies, enabling detailed observation of CBL and EZ structure.” Windsond data were used to determine the depth of the CBL and how it evolved over time and to examine properties of the entrainment zone (EZ), which forms at the top of the CBL. These measurements were compared against estimates of the same parameters from polarimetric weather radar data.
The Windsond data played a central and critical role in the study. The Sparv team is happy to have been able to contribute to this research, which could have significant impacts on the future of weather forecasting. Windsond observations collected at Penn State during the study are available via the Penn State Data Commons at https://doi.org/10.26208/5NN6-KV44.
Stouffer, B. C., D. J. Stensrud, C. L. Comer, J. Zhang, and M. R. Kumjian, 2024: An Investigation of Convective Boundary Layer Depth and Entrainment Zone Properties Using Dual-Polarization Radar and Balloon-Borne Observations, J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., Early Online Release, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0165.1.
About the author
Phil Chilson
Atmospheric Physicist & Customer Service
Phil applies meteorological expertise to support instrument development, deployment, and data collection. Ensures high-quality data from the Sparv instrumentation suite. Partners with clients to design customized sampling strategies.