Abstract
The dynamical mechanisms that control the evolution of the Saharan atmospheric boundary layer (SABL) play a significant role in the atmospheric global circulation and thus the global climate (e.g. dust transport). The convective SABL height can reach up to 4–6 km, making it one of the deepest boundary layers of the planet. The widely homogeneous desert region, characterized by high levels of incoming solar radiation when intercepted by land surfaces of different soil and vegetation characteristics, alter the surface energy balance significantly. In order to investigate the land—atmosphere interactions over this region, the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s large-eddy simulation code (LES) is coupled, in a two-way interaction mode, to the Noah land surface model (LSM). Initial conditions for the LES-LSM system are provided by real case simulations carried out with the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). Results from the coupled LES-LSM are compared to airborne observations and ideal surface heterogeneity scenarios are simulated and analyzed in order to investigate the effect of surface anomalies on the vertical structure of the SABL.
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Papangelis, G., Tombrou, M., Kalogiros, J. (2017). The Effect of Surface Heterogeneity on the Vertical Structure of the Saharan Convective Boundary Layer. In: Karacostas, T., Bais, A., Nastos, P. (eds) Perspectives on Atmospheric Sciences. Springer Atmospheric Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-35095-0_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-35095-0_16
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