Boundary Layer Height Estimate in Summer over the Lanzhou Suburb in the Yuzhong Area Using Lidar Measurement and Numerical Model

The atmospheric boundary layer over the Lanzhou suburb in the Yuzhong area was analyzed at the Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University (SACOL). Micro Pulse Lidar (MPL-4B) data was retrieved by the wavelet transform method and a simulation was performed using the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model with its two boundary layer parameterizations schemes: YSU and MYJ. The results showed that the Lidar retrieval data and the simulated boundary layer height were in agreement. The WRF with YSU scheme reflected the convection boundary layer well; the WRF with MYJ scheme showed good results in simulating the dynamic boundary layer. The boundary layer over SACOL started to develop around 0800 LST and reached its maximum height at 1700 LST. The analysis showed that the thermic convection boundary layer can reach an altitude of more than 2 km, and the dynamic boundary layer can reach 1.5 km. The thermic convection boundary layer decreases faster than the dynamic boundary layer.