Abstract
Results are given of a detailed study to determine the spatial and temporal (seasonal) distributions of the planetary boundary layer depths (PBLD) over the Mediterranean Basin. More then 65,000 upper-air measurements from 45 rawinsonde stations in the Basin were compiled and analysed for two consecutive years from spring 1986 through winter 1988. A methodology using both tested and newly developed criteria was applied to determine PBLD values. As expected, the values prove to be generally higher over land and are probably minimum over the eastern and western ends of the Mediterranean Sea. Factors influencing this spatial distribution are mainly topography, the distance from the shoreline, and to a lesser extent, synoptic weather systems. The most striking temporal effect on PBLD distribution over the Mediterranean Basin is caused by larger scale synoptic weather systems. The second effect is the diurnal cycle, which has its largest impact mainly during the summer months.
The PBLD values are displayed as analysed seasonal maps, from which typical values are extracted and presented in a tabular form. The results can be used as input values for dynamic meteorological models in order to better assess the transport and dispersion over the Mediterranean Basin.
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© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Dayan, U., Heffter, J.L., Miller, J.M. (1996). Seasonal Distribution of the Boundary Layer Depths Over the Mediterranean Basin. In: Guerzoni, S., Chester, R. (eds) The Impact of Desert Dust Across the Mediterranean. Environmental Science and Technology Library, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3354-0_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3354-0_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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