The height of the planetary boundary layer is a fundamental parameter that characterizes the structure of the lower troposphere. It determines the volume available for the dispersion and concentrations of mass exchanges such as CO_2, H20, and pollutants. Studies that have examined the daytime growth of the convective boundary layer (CBL) over forests (e.g. Martin et al. 1988, Barr & Betts 1997, Davis et al. 1997, Wilczak et al. 1997, Levy et al. 1999), have been restricted to time periods of a singleseason or less. The objective here is to examine seasonal variability in CBL development during clear-sky, anticyclonic conditions over a deciduous forest in the midwestern USA. Vertical profiles of air temperature and humidity are analyzed and used toevaluate predictions of CBL growth from a simple mixed-layer slab model, as well as sensitivity of the model to initialization data.
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