Planetary Boundary Layer Height
atmosphereECV · GCOS Tier 1surface
Height of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) above the surface — the layer
of the troposphere directly influenced by surface friction, heating, and
evaporation. PBL height bounds vertical mixing of pollutants and moisture:
a shallow PBL traps aerosols and smoke (winter inversions, nocturnal stable
layers); a deep PBL ventilates them. NOAA HRRR diagnoses HPBL hourly at 3 km
via a hybrid TKE / Richardson-number scheme.
Canonical units:
m