Determination of the features of the low-level temperature inversions above a suburban site in Oman using radiosonde temperature measurements: Long-term analysis

The objective of this investigation is to examine the characteristics of the low-level tropospheric temperature inversions to a height of 4 km above a suburban site in Oman by using 10-year records of daily upper-air meteorological data. The temperature profile data included in this study were derived from the radiosonde data collected by the Meteorology Department at Seeb International Airport station. The study addresses the statistical analysis of inversion parameters and investigates whether changes in these parameters (i.e., depth and strength) have occurred during the last decade. Both surface-based and elevated inversions are investigated. The study indicated a monthly change in inversion frequency, depth, and strength. Overall, most of the inversions tended to be surface based. The surface-based inversion was more common in winter compared with summer. An opposite trend in elevated inversion was seen where a maximum in their frequencies was found in summer. The elevated inversions were generally shallower and weaker than the surface-based inversions. The data for the past 10 years also indicated a reduction in surface-based inversion depths, accompanied by a rise in both the strength of the surface-based inversions and surface temperatures. It was found that the surface temperature increased by about 0.33°C per year, and the inversion depths declined by about 16.3 m yr^-1.