Our topics

The focus of our group is:

• interaction of land surface and atmosphere on different scales,
• turbulence and exchange processes in the boundary layer and between the boundary layer and the free troposphere,
• formation and development of convective systems
• and the development of innovative measurement methods for the area-wide determination of soil moisture.

The aim is to achieve a better understanding of atmospheric processes and their interaction with the subsurface and to contribute to the verification and improvement of mesoscale models. The measuring systems range from ground-based and balloon-borne devices to remote sensing methods and airborne measuring platforms.

Human life essentially takes place within the 1 to 2 km thick atmospheric boundary layer, which thereby attains eminent importance. The condition of the boundary layer is defined, besides the synoptical influences, through the energy conversion at the earth surface. Regional differences in the energy conversion result from regional differences in the land surface characteristics (land use, terrain). This leads to:

• the formation of regional wind regimes, e.g. mountain and valley winds or land and sea winds – thus wind regimes, which are of essential importance for the transport characteristics in the boundary layer,
• different height expansions of the boundary layer and to a different vertical mixing ratio of trace gases, and
• differences in regional climate.

Aim of the work is the quantitative description of relevant climate processes, to be able to describe the parameterisation of the energy conversion processes at the earth surface, the turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer and in the free troposphere correctly.
Field experiments using different measuring systems, in particular the KITcube, serve to gain adequate data sets for the comparison and improvement of mesoscale models.

The group "Land Surfaces and Boundary Layer" existed since 1986 at the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research. In 2023, the group was renamed "Boundary Layer and Convective Systems".

If you wish further information please refer to our publications (publications, posters) and our scientific papers, or contact us directly (team).