Weather radar detection of planetary boundary layer and smoke layer top of peatland fire in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract During the dry period of August–October 2015, a C-band Doppler weather radar of the BMKG station in a fire-prone peatland area, Palangka Raya, detected echoes with reflectivity values between − 19 and + 34 dBZ at a height below 2–3 km and a slant range of 100 km. The MERRA-2/NASA atmospheric reanalysis database is used to obtain the vertical profiles of refractive index and equivalent potential temperature of the air. The temporal variation of the radar image is due to the tropical diurnal cycle of planetary boundary layer formation, which is consistent with the results of the database analysis. The echo images are discussed in terms of Bragg scattering of microwaves at the top of the planetary boundary layer. Weather radar monitoring of the fire smoke layer-top images has a potential feasibility to support real-time management of peatland fires.