Estimations of the Mexicali Valley (Mexico) Mixing Height

Atmosphere

Telma Castro¹  Oscar Peralta¹  Rogelio-Sebastián Salcido-González²  Alejandro Salcido³  Gustavo-Adolfo Tamayo-Flores³  Ana-Teresa Celada-Murillo³  Marco-Antonio Martínez-Flores³  Susana Carreón-Sierra³  Nicasio Hernández-Flores³ 

[1] Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico;Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico;Instituto Nacional de Electricidad y Energías Limpias, Programa de Sustentabilidad Ambiental, Cuernavaca 62490, Mexico;

关键词: atmospheric sounding;    mixing height;    Mexicali Valley;   

DOI  :  10.3390/atmos11050505

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

We report estimations of the Mexicali Valley (Mexico) mixing height for three seasons. Surface and upper air meteorological measurements were carried out nearby Cerro Prieto geothermal power plant during July 2010 (summer), January 2012 (winter), and October 2016 (autumn). Four different methods were applied to estimate the convective boundary layer (CBL) height from radiosonde (RS) profiles: the parcel method, the gradients method, the least-squares variational approach based on the slab model of the CBL structure, and a covariance method. For nocturnal conditions, we used diagnostic models based on friction velocity and Monin–Obukhov length. Under unstable conditions, we obtained (on average) mixing heights of 497 m at 06:00 LST, 1242 m at 12:00 LST, 1404 m at 15:00 LST, and 482 at 18:00 LST during summer; 754 m at 12:00 LST during winter; and 1195 m at 12:00 LST and 13:00 m between the 14:00 and 15:00 LST during the autumn. The results allowed adjusting a semiempirical model to evaluate mixing height from turbulent sensible heat flux and friction velocity data. Our results provide practical tools that could facilitate the application of regulatory dispersion models to assess air quality in the region.

【 授权许可】

Unknown