Two-years of boundary layer measurements with a sodar - statistics and applications

Abstract

A Remtech PA2 sodar is permanently operated in northern Austria. The sodar renders the horizontal and vertical wind, echo intensity and velocity fluctuations. Mixing layer heights are deduced from the sodar measurements. A statistical evaluation of these parameters for the years 1997 and 1998 is presented. Data availability is rather good at this site due to mostly low ambient noise. The sodar wind measurements are verified for a three days period with tethered balloon profiles in October 1997. The sodar wind data is used in the diagnostic windfield model of the emergency response modelling system TAMOS of the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics. The deduction of mixing heights from sodar records is critically investigated.