Assimilation of Lidar PBL Height Retrievals into WRF Forecasts

Andy Tangborn
UMBC
  18 Mar, Noon, in 2890

Abstract:
Lidar retrievals of the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) are assimilated into WRF model forecasts from the Plains Elevated Convection at Night Campaign (PECAN) using an ensemble approach to estimate the covariances between the PBLH height and temperature, moisture and velocity profiles within the planetary boundary layer. Corrections to the state variable profiles are largest for temperature, with smaller changes for other variables. Comparisons with sonde profiles show that these corrections mostly reduce differences with the independent observations. Significant changes are made only in the late afternoon when convective growth of the PBL occurs and the WRF model differs the most with the lidar observations.