Precipitable water as a predictor of LCL height

• Published in: Theoretical and applied climatology Vol. 130; no. 1-2; pp. 467 - 476
• Main Authors: Murugavel, P., Malap, N., Balaji, B., Mehajan, R. K., Prabha, T. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.10.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aerosol interaction; Aerosol-cloud interactions; Analysis; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atmospheric Sciences; Boundary layer; Boundary layer height; Boundary layers; Climate science; Climatology; Cloud-climate relationships; Clouds; Condensation; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ground-based observation; Height; High resolution; Hoisting; Interactions; Lifting; Lifting condensation level; Mathematical models; Microwave radiometers; Monsoons; Numerical models; Original Paper; Parameterization; Precipitable water; Precipitation; Precipitation (Meteorology); Radiometers; Radiosonde data; Radiosondes; Remote sensing; Remote sensors; Robustness (mathematics); Satellite observation; Satellites; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Wind; Convective Available Potential Energy; Microwave Radiometer; Local Standard Time; Precipitable Water; Radiosonde Data
• ISSN: 0177-798X; 1434-4483
• DOI: 10.1007/s00704-016-1872-0

Based on the precipitable water observations easily available from in situ and remote sensing sensors, a simple approach to define the lifting condensation level (LCL) is proposed in this study. High-resolution radiosonde and microwave radiometer observations over peninsular Indian region during the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment Integrated Ground Observational Campaign (CAIPEEX-IGOC) during the monsoon season of 2011 are used to illustrate the unique relationship. The inferences illustrate a linear relationship between the precipitable water (PW) and the LCL temperature. This relationship is especially valuable because PW is easily available as a derived parameter from various remote sensing and ground-based observations. Thus, it could be used to estimate the LCL height and perhaps also the boundary layer height. LCL height and PW correlations are established from historical radiosonde data (1984–2012). This finding could be used to illustrate the boundary layer-cloud interactions during the monsoon and is important for parameterization of boundary layer clouds in numerical models. The relationships are illustrated to be robust and seem promising to get reasonable estimates of the LCL height over other locations as well using satellite observations of PW.