Toward a Global Planetary Boundary Layer Observing System: A Summary

A global planetary boundary layer (PBL) observing system is urgently needed to address fundamental PBL science questions and societal applications related to climate, weather, and air quality. Such a PBL observing system should optimally combine emerging yet technically viable space-based observations of the PBL thermodynamic structure with complementary surface-based and suborbital assets, while taking advantage of, and helping improve, climate and weather models as well as data assimilation systems. The Earth science community has expressed great interest in improving the characterization of the atmospheric PBL in the recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) 2017–27 decadal survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space (ESAS). Specifically, higher spatial and temporal resolution observations of PBL temperature and water vapor profiles, and of PBL height, were selected as priorities by the decadal survey, which recommended a PBL mission in its incubation class. In response, NASA established the Decadal Survey Incubation program and a PBL Study Team focused on prioritizing PBL science and technology that would require advancement and development prior to implementation. In this paper, we summarize the key findings of the NASA PBL Study Team report.