Boundary Layer Thermodynamic Structure from Space

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) plays a key role in weather and climate. It is clear that improved PBL parameterizations would lead to significantly better weather and climate forecasts. To solve several of the key weather and climate PBL challenges, there is an urgent need for more accurate global observations of PBL water vapor and temperature structure. These observations are not yet available from space but are within our grasp in the next 10 years. This can be achieved by investing in optimal combinations of different approaches and technologies. In this presentation the connections between PBL theory, parameterization and space observations will be discussed in some detail. These connections provide the best rationale for future observations. Different observational approaches and potential combinations of techniques, to optimally depict the 3D structure of temperature and water vapor in the boundary layer, will be discussed.