Prediction of the Nocturnal Surface Inversion Height

A simple prognostic equation for predicting the development of the nocturnal surface inversion height is constructed from the thermal energy equation. The purpose of the paper is to provide a simple method to estimate the nocturnal surface inversion heights to augment the prediction of the mixed-layer heights (Yamada and Berman, 1979) for regional-scale pollutant dispersion models. A significant improvement of the present model over previous simple models is the inclusion of atmospheric cooling due to longwave radiation. Another important difference, which considerably simplifies the present model, is the adoption of an empirical expression for the potential temperature profile. Predictions agree quite well with the data of the Wangara experiment.