Mixing Layer Height in the Atmosphere above Quasi-homogeneous Climatic Territories and Russian Arctic Seas

Abstract

The propagation and accumulation of impurities in the near-surface atmospheric layer largely depend on layer stability, which can be quantitatively characterized by the mixing layer height (MLH). For the first time, using a single methodology, the average values for 2001–2021 were estimated for different territories of Russia in the central months of seasons separately for daytime and nighttime. The analysis is based on MLH (or atmospheric mixing depth) values from the website [www.arl.noaa.gov] obtained during long-term studies of the long-range air mass transport to different Russian regions. The area-averaged MLH values over individual mainland quasi-homogeneous climatic territories or Russian Arctic seas are given, as well as the spatial distribution of MLH over the Russian territory on a geographical grid of 1° × 1°. The results of the study can be used in environmental assessments of, e.g., the atmospheric pollution potential, fluxes of aerosol impurities onto the underlying surface, sources of air pollution, and the degree of their impact on the environment and humans, as well as in comparative analysis of climate of different Russian regions.