1.Introduction-ChequamegonEcosystem-Atmosphere.docVIP

A Case Study on the Effects of Heterogeneous Soil Moisture on Mesoscale Boundary Layer Structure in the Southern Great Plains, USA. Part I: Simple Prognostic Model Ankur R. Desai1, Kenneth J. Davis1, Christoph J. Senff2, Syed Ismail3, Edward V. Browell3, David R. Stauffer1, Brian P. Reen1 1 Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA 2 Atmospheric Lidar Division, NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA 3 Atmospheric Sciences Division, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA Revised article last modified on: 14 March 2005 Corresponding Author: Ankur Desai Department of Meteorology The Pennsylvania State University 503 Walker Building University Park, PA 16802 Telephone: 814-865-9617 Fax: 814-865-3663 Email: adesai@ Running title: ABL depth variability during SGP97 Article type: Article Keywords: convective boundary layer depth, lidar, soil moisture, surface buoyancy flux ABSTRACT Atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) depth was observed by airborne lidar and balloon soundings during the Southern Great Plains 1997 field study (SGP97). This paper is Part I of a two-part case study examining the relationship of surface heterogeneity to observed ABL structure. Part I focuses on the observations. During two days (12-13 July 1997) after a rainstorm, midday convective boundary layer depth varied by as much as 1.5 km across ~400 km, even with moderate winds. Variability in ABL depth was driven primarily by spatial variation in surface buoyancy flux as measured from short towers and aircraft within the SGP97 domain. A strong correlation was found between time-integrated buoyancy flux and airborne remotely sensed surface soil moisture. No strong correlation was found between surface energy fluxes and vegetation greenness as measured by satellite. A simple prognostic 1-D ABL model was applied to test to what extent soil moisture spatial heterogeneity explained the variation in north-south ABL depth across th