We study the characteristics of the boundary layer over three areas: the tropical Atlantic, the tropical West African continent, and near Cabo Verde using PollyXT and CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) lidar measurements, as well as ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) data. The findings underline the strengths and limitations of different observational and modeling approaches, and emphasizes on the importance of considering aerosol conditions and local meteorology when interpreting boundary layer dynamics.