This research provides a study of the horizontal variability of integrated boundary layer winds (IBLW's) for distances of the order of miles (kilometers). This information should be helpful for both theoretical and practical applications, e.g., boundary layer parameterization and air pollution models. The study concerned itself with winds integrated to a height of 1000 ft (300 m) and made use of data from two programs in which simultaneous and horizontally separated pilot balloon wind soundings were taken, Metromex 1971 and 1972 and a 1971 NOAA program in the Oklahoma City area. Only the data from rural locations were used in this study.

Pibals were released simultaneously at locations ranging in number from 4 to 8 separated by distances varying from near 5 to near 30 mi (8 to 48 km). For a given release time, IBLW wind speed and direction differences between stations were determined for all station combinations. These differences were then used to compute rms speed and direction differences as a function of station separation rounded to the nearest 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mi (8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 km).

The study shows that daytime rms speed differences are relatively independent of distance. At night, IBLW speed variability increases with increasing distance.