Experimental study of heat and water vapor transfer processes in the planetary boundary layer (PBL)

The turbulent structure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is investigated based on measurements from a 213 m meteorological tower. It is found that the sensible heat flux decreases with height, resulting in a temperature increase during the daytime. On the other hand, the water vapor flux is almost constant with height and the diurnal variation of specific humidity is not so clear. Time variations of sensible heat flux and water vapor flux are closely correlated to the variation of net radiation and some differences are seen in their response times. Transient processes in the mixed layer including those related to the moisture structure are also investigated during periods of development and disappearance of the layer.