Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer Research Articles

Interactions Between the Nocturnal Low-Level Jets and the Urban Boundary Layer: A Case Study over London

Understanding the physical processes that affect the turbulent structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL) is essential for improving forecasts of air quality and the air temperature in urban areas. Low-level jets (LLJs) have been shown to affect turbulence in the nocturnal UBL. We investigate the interaction of a mesoscale LLJ with the UBL during a 60-h case study. We use observations from two Doppler lidars and results from two high-resolution numerical-weather-prediction models (Weather Research and Forecasting model, and the Met Office Unified Model for limited-area forecasts for the U.K.) to study differences in the occurrence frequency, height, wind speed, and fall-off of LLJs between an urban (London, U.K.) and a rural (Chilbolton, U.K.) site. The LLJs are elevated (approx 70 m) over London, due to the deeper UBL, while the wind speed and fall-off are slightly reduced with respect to the rural LLJ. Utilizing two idealized experiments in the WRF model, we find that topography strongly affects LLJ characteristics, but there is still a substantial urban influence. Finally, we find that the increase in wind shear under the LLJ enhances the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy and helps to maintain the vertical mixing in the nocturnal UBL.

一様熱源と２冷熱源（ニュートン冷却・水平熱拡散）を有する夜間都市境界層高度の水平分布 〜移流速度が比較的大きい場合〜

一様熱源と２冷熱源（ニュートン冷却・水平熱拡散）を有する夜間都市境界層高度の水平分布 〜移流速度が比較的大きい場合〜

Boundary layer temperature measurements of a noctual urban boundary layer

A low-power lidar system based in Manchester, United Kingdom has been developed to measure temperature profiles in the nocturnal urban boundary layer. The lidar transmitter uses a 355nm diode-pumped solid state Nd:YAG laser and two narrow-band interference filters in the receiver filter out rotational Raman lines that are dependent on temperature. The spectral response of the lidar is calibrated using a monochromator. Temperature profiles measured by the system are calibrated by comparison to co-located radiosondes.

Flow and turbulence in an industrial/suburban roughness canopy

A field study conducted to investigate the flow and turbulence structure of the urban boundary layer (UBL) over an industrial/suburban area is described. The emphasis was on morning and evening transition periods, but some measurements covered the entire diurnal cycle. The data analysis incorporated the dependence of wind direction on morphometric parameters of the urban canopy. The measurements of heat and momentum fluxes showed the possibility of a constant flux layer above the height $$z\approx 2{H}$$ , wherein the Monin-Obukhov Similarity Theory (MOST) is valid; here $$H$$ is the averaged building height. For the nocturnal boundary layer, the mean velocity and temperature profiles obeyed classical MOST scaling up to $$\sim 0.5\Lambda \left( {\sim 6{H}}\right) $$ , where $$\Lambda $$ is the Obukhov length scale, beyond which stronger stratification may disrupt the occurrence of constant fluxes. For unstable and neutral cases, MOST scaling described the mean data well up to the maximum measured height $$(\sim 6{H})$$ . Available MOST functions, however, could not describe the measured turbulence structure, indicating the influence of additional governing parameters. Alternative turbulence parameterizations were tested, and some were found to perform well. Calculation of integral length scales for convective and neutral cases allowed a phenomenological description of eddy characteristics within and above the urban canopy layer. The development of a significant nocturnal surface inversion occurred only on certain days, for which a criterion was proposed. The nocturnal UBL exhibited length scale relationships consistent with the evening collapse of the convective boundary layer and maintenance of buoyancy-affected turbulence overnight. The length and velocity scales so identified are useful in parameterizing turbulent dispersion coefficients in different diurnal phases of the UBL.

Behavior of Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer and Air Pollutants

Behavior of Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer and Air Pollutants

Comparison of tethered balloon vertical profiles of particulate matter size distributions with lidar ceilometer backscatter in the nocturnal urban boundary layer

A novel ceilometer validation is presented for a nocturnal elevated PM layer observed over Vancouver, British Columbia. The boundary-layer structure was confirmed by both meteorological and PM vertical profiles. This result is especially significant due to the low PM concentrations present during the observational period (a mean PM10 concentration of 10.6 μg m−3 was recorded) and suggests that ceilometers are able to resolve boundary-layer structure more subtle than that normally present during periods of poor air-quality. A direct relation between backscatter intensity and PM concentration suggests that not only may these relatively cheap, robust ceilometers be used to elucidate boundary-layer structure, but they represent a promising quantitative alternative to the measurement of PM concentrations that complements existing surface-based instrumentation. This study extends and confirms the growing body of evidence supporting the utility of ceilometers for making detailed, cost-effective measurements of the boundary-layer.

Nocturnal NO 3 radical chemistry in Houston, TX

Radical chemistry in the nocturnal urban boundary layer is dominated by the nitrate radical, NO 3, which oxidizes hydrocarbons and, through the aerosol uptake of N 2O 5, indirectly influences the nitrogen budget. The impact of NO 3 chemistry on polluted atmospheres and urban air quality is, however, not well understood, due to a lack of observations and the strong impact of vertical stability of the boundary layer, which makes nocturnal chemistry highly altitude dependent. Here we present long-path DOAS observations of the vertical distribution of the key nocturnal species O 3, NO 2, and NO 3 during the TRAMP experiment in Summer 2006 in Houston, TX. Our observations confirm the altitude dependence of nocturnal chemistry, which is reflected in the concentration profiles of all trace gases at night. In contrast to other study locations, NO 3 chemistry in Houston is dominated by industrial emissions of alkenes, in particular of isoprene, isobutene, and sporadically 1,3-butadiene, which are responsible for more than 70% of the nocturnal NO 3 loss. The nocturnally averaged loss of NO x in the lowest 300 m of the Houston atmosphere is ∼0.9 ppb h −1, with little day-to-day variability. A comparison with the daytime NO x loss shows that NO 3 chemistry is responsible for 16–50% of the NO x loss in a 24-h period in the lowest 300 m of the atmosphere. The importance of the NO 3 + isoprene/1,3-butadiene reactions implies the efficient formation of organic nitrates and secondary organic aerosol at night in Houston.

Plume Dispersion Anomalies in a Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer in Complex Terrain

Abstract The URBAN 2000 experiments were conducted in the complex urban and topographical terrain in Salt Lake City, Utah, in stable nighttime conditions. Unexpected plume dispersion often arose because of the interaction of complex terrain and mountain–valley flow dynamics, drainage flows, synoptic influences, and urban canopy effects, all within a nocturnal boundary layer. It was found that plume dispersion was strongly influenced by topography, that dispersion can be significantly different than what might be expected based upon the available wind data, and that it is problematic to rely on any one urban-area wind measurement to predict or anticipate dispersion. Small-scale flows can be very important in dispersion, and their interaction with the larger-scale flow field needs to be carefully considered. Some of the anomalies observed include extremely slow dispersion, complicated recirculation dispersion patterns in which plume transport was in directions opposed to the measured winds, and flow decoupling. Some of the plume dispersion anomalies could only be attributed to small-scale winds that were not resolved by the existing meteorological monitoring network. The results shown will make clear the difficulties in modeling or planning for emergency response to toxic releases in a nocturnal urban boundary layer within complex terrain.

Venting of Heat and Carbon Dioxide from Urban Canyons at Night

Abstract Turbulent fluxes of carbon dioxide and sensible heat were observed in the surface layer of the weakly convective nocturnal boundary layer over the center of the city of Marseille, France, during the Expérience sur Sites pour Contraindre les Modèles de Pollution Atmosphérique et de Transport d’Emission (ESCOMPTE) field experiment in the summer of 2001. The data reveal intermittent events or bursts in the time series of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and air temperature that are superimposed upon the background values. These features relate to intermittent structures in the fluxes of CO2 and sensible heat. In Marseille, CO2 is primarily emitted into the atmosphere at street level from vehicle exhausts. In a similar way, nocturnal sensible heat fluxes are most likely to originate in the deep street canyons that are warmer than adjacent roof surfaces. Wavelet analysis is used to examine the hypothesis that CO2 concentrations can be used as a tracer to identify characteristics of the venting of pollutants and heat from street canyons into the above-roof nocturnal urban boundary layer. Wavelet analysis is shown to be effective in the identification and analysis of significant events and coherent structures within the turbulent time series. Late in the evening, there is a strong correlation between the burst structures observed in the air temperature and CO2 time series. Evidence suggests that the localized increases of temperature and CO2 observed above roof level in the urban boundary layer (UBL) are related to intermittent venting of sensible heat from the warmer urban canopy layer (UCL). However, later in the night, local advection of CO2 in the UBL, combined with reduced traffic emissions in the UCL, limit the value of CO2 as a tracer of convective plumes in the UBL.

Evaluation of an Urban Canopy Parameterization in a Mesoscale Model Using VTMX and URBAN 2000 Data

Abstract A modified urban canopy parameterization (UCP) is developed and evaluated in a three-dimensional mesoscale model to assess the urban impact on surface and lower-atmospheric properties. This parameterization accounts for the effects of building drag, turbulent production, radiation balance, anthropogenic heating, and building rooftop heating/cooling. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) land-use data are also utilized to derive urban infrastructure and urban surface properties needed for driving the UCP. An intensive observational period with clear sky, strong ambient wind, and drainage flow, and the absence of a land–lake breeze over the Salt Lake Valley, occurring on 25–26 October 2000, is selected for this study. A series of sensitivity experiments are performed to gain understanding of the urban impact in the mesoscale model. Results indicate that within the selected urban environment, urban surface characteristics and anthropogenic heating play little role in the formation of the modeled nocturnal urban boundary layer. The rooftop effect appears to be the main contributor to this urban boundary layer. Sensitivity experiments also show that for this weak urban heat island case, the model horizontal grid resolution is important in simulating the elevated inversion layer. The root-mean-square errors of the predicted wind and temperature with respect to surface station measurements exhibit substantially larger discrepancies at the urban locations than their rural counterparts. However, the close agreement of modeled tracer concentration with observations fairly justifies the modeled urban impact on the wind-direction shift and wind-drag effects.

Estimation Of Atmospheric Water Vapour Flux Profiles In The Nocturnal Unstable Urban Boundary Layer With Doppler Sodar And Raman Lidar

The vertical wind profiles determined by Doppler sodar and the water vapourmixing ratio profiles obtained by Raman lidar are used to estimate the atmosphericwater vapour flux profiles in the nocturnal urban boundary layer under unstableconditions. The experiment was conducted for several nights in the central areaof Rome under a variety of moisture conditions and different urban boundary-layerflow regimes. Despite some scatter in the profiles, the latent heat flux is found tobe positive throughout the depth of the nocturnal urban boundary-layer. Thelayer-averaged flux shows a variation between -4 to +40 W m-2, whileindividual values of flux in excess of +150 W m-2 pertain to a case offree convection during cold air advection caused by the sea breeze. The qualityof flux estimates is found to be highly limited by the low sampling rates employedin the experiment resulting in errors to the order of 60%. Therefore, the results mustbe viewed as estimates rather than precise measurements. The skewness profiles ofthe turbulent fluctuations of vertical velocity and water vapour mixing ratio are alsopositive.

Convective characteristics of the nocturnal urban boundary layer as observed with Doppler sodar and Raman lidar

Convective plume patterns, characteristic of clear sky and light wind daytime boundary layers over land, were observed for two nights with a tri-axial Doppler sodar operated in the central area of Rome during the summer of 1994. An urban heat island effect, combined with a continuation of a breeze from the sea late into night during both days, is believed to be responsible for the observed nocturnal convection. Estimates of the surface heat flux and the vertical velocity scaling parameter are obtained from profiles of vertical velocity variance, and the Raman lidar water vapor measurements are used to obtain the humidity scaling parameter. Convective scaling results for vertical wind and humidity fairly agree with the results of other experiments and models. On the basis of available measurements, it appears that mixed-layer similarity formulations used to characterize the daytime convective boundary layer over horizontally homogeneous surfaces can also be applied to the nocturnal urban boundary layer during periods of reasonable convective activity.

Observed structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer and its evolution into a convective mixed layer

The turbulence properties of the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL) and its transition to the convective mixed layer have been observed over the urban center of Sapporo, Japan. The nocturnal UBL was characterized by an elevated inversion layer and a near-neutral mixed layer below it. The inversion layer varied with time and showed a wavy pattern. Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (billow) was observed within the elevated inversion layer, the horizontal and vertical scales of this billow being evaluated to be of the order of the vertical scale of the elevated inversion layer. The transition from the nocturnal UBL to the convective mixed layer occured rapidly, within 1–1.5 h over the center of the urban area. At this time, the downward transport of sensible heat below the inversion base became important. The normalized turbulence intensities in the convective mixed layer were also examined.

Mie Lidar Measurements of Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer Height and Its Relation to Severe Air Pollution

Mie Lidar Measurements of Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer Height and Its Relation to Severe Air Pollution

Numerical modeling of the nocturnal urban boundary layer

A numerical case study with a second-order turbulence closure model is proposed to study the role of urban canopy layer (UCL) for the formation of the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL). The turbulent diffusion coefficient was determined from an algebraic stress model. The concept of urban building surface area density is proposed to represent the UCL. Calculated results were also compared with field observation data. The height of the elevated inversion above an urban center was simulated and found to be approximately twice the average building height. The turbulent kinetic energy k, energy dissipation rate e, and turbulence intensities 〈u2〉 and 〈w2〉 increase rapidly at the upwind edge of the urban area. The Reynolds stress 〈uw〉 displayed a nearly uniform profile inside the UBL, and the vertical sensible heat flux 〈wθ〉 had a negative value at the inversion base height. This indicates that the downward transport of sensible heat from the inversion base may play an important role in the formation of the nocturnal UBL.

An observational study of the structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer

The formation mechanism of the nocturnal urban boundary layer (UBL), especially in the winter nighttime, was investigated based on the extensive field observations conducted during November 1984 in Sapporo, Japan. A strong, elevated inversion formed over the Sapporo urban area and the inversion base height was approximately twice the average building height. Velocity fluctuations Σ u, Σw and Reynolds stress % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaam4DamaaCaaa% leqabaGaaGymaaaaaaaaaa!3A9C!\[\overline {u^1 w^1 } \] had nearly uniform profiles within the nocturnal UBL and decreased with height above the UBL. On the other hand, temperature fluctuations Σ t , and heat fluxes % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG1bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaeqiUde3aaWba% aSqabeaacaaIXaaaaaaaaaa!3B56!\[\overline {u^1 \theta ^1 } \] and % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG3bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIXaaaaGGaaOGae8hiaaIaeqiUde3aaWba% aSqabeaacaaIXaaaaaaaaaa!3B58!\[\overline {w^1 \theta ^1 } \] had peaks at the inversion base and small values within the nocturnal UBL. The turbulent kinetic energy budget showed that the turbulent transport term and shear generation from urban canopy elements are important in the nocturnal UBL development; the role of the buoyancy term is small. The turbulence data analysis and application of a simple advective model showed that the mechanism of UBL formation may be controlled by the downward transport of sensible heat from the elevated inversion caused by mechanically-generated turbulence.

A Study on the Formation Mechanism of Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer by Turbulence Closure Model

A Study on the Formation Mechanism of Nocturnal Urban Boundary Layer by Turbulence Closure Model

Evolution of the Nocturnal Inversion Layer at an Urban and Nonurban Location

The evolutionary cycle of the nocturnal radiation inversion layer, from formation through the time of erosion under fair weather summer conditions was investigated by time-series analyses of observations of inversion base and top heights, and inversion strength at an urban and a nonurban site in St. Louis, Missouri. The time-dependent behavior of each inversion parameter is presented from statistical and least-squares regression analyses. Differences of inversion evolution between these sites are discussed. A surface-based inversion generally formed before sunset at the nonurban site, and the growth of the inversion top height has been described quite well by (2KTt)½, where KT is the thermal eddy coefficient. The average time of formation of an elevated inversion layer at the urban site was 2.5 h after sunset. The height of the nocturnal urban boundary layer decreased after formation under steady wind conditions. The urban mixing height was consistently higher during the morning than at the nonurban site, although the difference diminished with time since the nonurban mixing height growth rate was greater. The slower growth rate of the urban mixing height was attributed primarily to advection of relatively cold air and lower mixing heights from the upwind nonurban environment. An overall rise of the inversion top height after sunrise was believed to be due to urban-induced upward motions, caused by low-level convergence that produced increasing mixing height growth rates. The average time for the inversion layer to erode completely was 4 h after sunrise at both sites.

Numerical study of the nocturnal urban boundary layer

A two-dimensional time-dependent Earth-atmosphere model is developed which can be applied to the study of a class of atmospheric boundary-layer flows which owe their origin to horizontal inhomogeneities with respect to surface roughness and temperature. Our main application of the model is to explore the governing physical mechanisms of nocturnal urban atmospheric boundarylayer flow.

A numerical study of the nocturnal heat island over a medium-sized mid-latitude city (Columbus, Ohio)

A numerical investigation is conducted of the nocturnal heat island over Columbus, Ohio, a relatively flat mid-latitude city. Specifically, a cross-sectional steady-state numerical model to simulate the (thermal) structure of the nocturnal urban boundary layer is developed from a one-dimensional, time-dependent model due to Estoque. The model is applied to Columbus for special periods in September 1968 and March 1969 during which comparable experimental data were collected. The numerical simulations agree well with the observed data with respect to the detailed spatial form of the surface-based thermal boundary layer across the city. The use of the model for other metropolitan areas, for ascertaining the relative effect of city size and building geometry on the development of the thermal boundary layer, and for determining the effect of alternate land-use strategies on the thermal stratification are also discussed.