Author(s)

P. Martano & A. Romanelli

Abstract

A simple algorithm is described, that estimates the diurnal evolution of the height of the atmospheric boundary layer using a reduced data set of surface layer parameters, as obtained for example from standard surface automatic stations. The routine is based on the combination of the Batchvarova-Gryning model (1991) for daytime and on both Tennekes-Niewstadt (1981) and Yamada (1979) models, in a slightly modified form, for night-time. Hourly values of temperature, friction velocity and potential temperature scale (or sensible heat flux) in the surface layer need only to be supplied as input data The calculated surface inversion profile at sunrise gives an estimate of the temperature gradient on the top of the growing daytime mixed layer, so that only a rough evaluation of the lapse rate in the free atmosphere remains eventually to be given, where necessary i

Keywords