Intercomparison of Planetary Boundary Layer Heights Using Remote Sensing Retrievals and ERA5 Reanalysis over Central Amazonia

The atmospheric boundary layer height (zi) is a key parameter in the vertical transport of mass, energy, moisture, and chemical species between surface free atmosphere. There lack long-term continuous observations zi, however, particularly for remote regions, such as Amazon forest. Reanalysis products, ERA5, can fill this gap by providing temporally spatially resolved information on zi. In work, we evaluate ERA5 estimates zi (zi-ERA5) two locations corrected them means ceilometer, radiosondes, SODAR measurements (zi-experimental). experimental data were obtained at Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) with its pristine tropical forest cover T3 site downwind city Manaus mixture (63%), pasture (17%), rivers (20%). We focus rather typical year 2014 El Niño 2015. comparison vs. yielded following results: (i) zi-ERA5 underestimates zi-experimental daytime both years (30%, underestimate) 2015 (15%, underestimate); (ii) overestimates ATTO (12%, overestimate); (iii) during nighttime, no significant correlation was observed. Based these findings, propose correction zi-ERA5, sites years, which yields better agreement data. These results corrections are relevant studies likely also be applied further Amazon.