GRWP-PBLH: Global Radar Wind Profiler Planetary Boundary Layer Height Data

Abstract

Abstract The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is central to the exchange of heat and moisture between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere, to the turbulent transport of aerosol and chemical pollutants affecting air quality, and to near- and long-term climate prediction. Consequently, the PBL has become a major focus of atmospheric and climate science, particularly after its designation as a “targeted observable” by the 2018 National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Earth Science Decadal Survey. Information about the height of the PBL that is global in scope allows for wide geographical analysis of connections to seasonality, to latitude, proximity to oceans, and synoptic variability. Information about the PBL height at hourly resolution allows for the analysis of diurnal cycles and PBL height growth rates, both of which are critical to the study of near-surface transport processes. This manuscript describes the release of a new global dataset of PBL height estimates retrieved from radar wind profilers (RWPs), called Global Radar Wind Profiler Planetary Boundary Layer Height (GRWP-PBLH). Hourly PBL height estimates are retrieved using an existing algorithm applied to archived signal-to-noise ratio data from a series of networks located around the globe, specifically in Australia, Europe, and Japan. Information about the source data, details of data processing, and production of PBL height estimates are discussed here along with a description of supplementary data and the available software. The GRWP-PBLH dataset is now accessible to the community for ongoing and future research.