Study on Atmospheric Boundary Layer Retrieval Method and Observation Data Analysis Based on Aerosol Lidar

The atmospheric boundary layer is the lowest part of the troposphere, directly influenced by the Earth’s surface. The boundary layer’s height is a critical parameter for weather forecasting, air quality monitoring, and climate modeling. Lidar has become a premier tool for continuous boundary layer height detection with its high spatial–temporal resolution. A multi-wavelength aerosol lidar with 355 nm, 532 nm, and 1064 nm has been developed and deployed for operational observations at the Haidian District Meteorological Service of Beijing. The structure design, specifications, observation campaign, and detection principle of the multi-wavelength aerosol lidar are presented and the retrieval method of the boundary layer’s height is introduced. By comparing it with the data of the digital radiosonde, it is verified that the first normalized gradient of the range-corrected signal can more accurately retrieve the boundary layer’s height. The typical daily variation characteristics and influencing factors of urban boundary layer height are analyzed through observational examples and the monthly mean value of the boundary layer’s height in 2019 is acquired and analyzed.