Spatially distributed atmospheric boundary layer properties in Houston – A value-added observational dataset

• Published in: Scientific data Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 661 - 18
• Main Authors: Lamer, Katia, Mages, Zackary, Treserras, Bernat Puigdomènech, Walter, Paul, Zhu, Zeen, Rapp, Anita D., Nowotarski, Christopher J., Brooks, Sarah D., Flynn, James, Sharma, Milind, Klein, Petra, Spencer, Michelle, Smith, Elizabeth, Gebauer, Joshua, Bell, Tyler, Bunting, Lydia, Griggs, Travis, Wagner, Timothy J., McKeown, Katherine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.06.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 704/106/35; 704/172; Atmospheric boundary layer; Boundary layers; Data Descriptor; Datasets; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Relative humidity; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2052-4463; 2052-4463
• DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03477-9

In 2022, Houston, TX became a nexus for field campaigns aiming to further our understanding of the feedbacks between convective clouds, aerosols and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) properties. Houston’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay motivated the collection of spatially distributed observations to disentangle coastal and urban processes. This paper presents a value-added ABL dataset derived from observations collected by eight research teams over 46 days between 2 June - 18 September 2022. The dataset spans 14 sites distributed within a ~80-km radius around Houston. Measurements from three types of instruments are analyzed to objectively provide estimates of nine ABL parameters, both thermodynamic (potential temperature, and relative humidity profiles and thermodynamic ABL depth) and dynamic (horizontal wind speed and direction, mean vertical velocity, updraft and downdraft speed profiles, and dynamical ABL depth). Contextual information about cloud occurrence is also provided. The dataset is prepared on a uniform time-height grid of 1 h and 30 m resolution to facilitate its use as a benchmark for forthcoming numerical simulations and the fundamental study of atmospheric processes.