Tethered balloon-borne measurements for the characterization of the evolution of the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer at the Villum Research Station (Station Nord, Greenland)

We present a post-processed comprehensive balloon-borne measurement dataset, which was collected from a dedicated Arctic observation campaign conducted from 19 March to 18 April 2024 in the transition from polar night to polar day at the Villum Research Station (VRS, Station Nord, Greenland), as a contribution to the DFG-funded Transregio-project TRR 172 “Arctic Amplification (AC)³. The objective of the balloon-borne observations was to characterize the temporal evolution of the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), focusing on key transition periods, including cloud development, low-level jet evolution, and day to night shifts.

The measurements were taken by the Balloon-bornE moduLar Utility for profilinG the lower Atmosphere (BELUGA) tethered-balloon system performing in-situ observations of temperature, humidity, wind speed, turbulence, and thermal infrared irradiance from the surface to several hundred meters altitude, with frequent profiling in high vertical resolution. Twenty-eight research flights delivered more than 300 profiles, with up to 8 profiles per hour, complemented by daily radiosonde launches. For the BELUGA instrumentation at VRS, we specify the data processing procedures. The post-processed Level-2 data (BELUGA and radiosonde) are provided in instrument-separated data subsets listed in a data collection (https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.986431).

One major application of these balloon-borne data is to evaluate different model types—such as numerical weather prediction, single-column models, large-eddy simulations—in representing processes that control the Arctic ABL. As a preparation, we give an overview of the observations, environmental conditions during the campaign, and highlight specific events that are particularly valuable for model comparison. These events include variable cloud scenarios, where transitions between cloudy and cloud-free conditions induce changes in temperature rates and radiative heating rates, thereby influencing the ABL inversion and lapse-rate. Additionally, we examine an observed Arctic low-level jet which we compare with reanalysis.