Surface Heat Research Articles

Io's Long‐Wavelength Topography as a Probe for a Subsurface Magma Ocean

AbstractWe investigated how spatial variations in tidal heating affect Io's isostatic topography at long wavelengths. The long‐wavelength relief is less than the 0.3 km uncertainty in Io's global shape. Assuming Airy isostasy, degree‐2 topography <0.3 km amplitude is only possible if surface heat flux varies spatially by <19% of the mean value. This is consistent with Io's volcano distribution and is possible if tidal heat is generated within and redistributed by a convecting layer underneath the lithosphere. However, that layer would require a viscosity <1010 Pa s. A magma ocean would have low enough viscosity but would not generate enough tidal heat internally. Conversely, assuming Pratt isostasy, we found ∼0.15 km degree‐2 topography is easily achievable. If a magma ocean was present, Airy isostasy would dominate; we therefore conclude that Io is unlikely to possess a magma ocean.

Temporal Variations in Land Surface Temperature within an Urban Ecosystem: A Comprehensive Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Kharkiv, Ukraine

Remote sensing technologies are critical for analyzing the escalating impacts of global climate change and increasing urbanization, providing vital insights into land surface temperature (LST), land use and cover (LULC) changes, and the identification of urban heat island (UHI) and surface urban heat island (SUHI) phenomena. This research focuses on the nexus between LULC alterations and variations in LST and air temperature (Tair), with a specific emphasis on the intensified SUHI effect in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Employing an integrated approach, this study analyzes time-series data from Landsat and MODIS satellites, alongside Tair climate records, utilizing machine learning techniques and linear regression analysis. Key findings indicate a statistically significant upward trend in Tair and LST during the summer months from 1984 to 2023, with a notable positive correlation between Tair and LST across both datasets. MODIS data exhibit a stronger correlation (R2 = 0.879) compared to Landsat (R2 = 0.663). The application of a supervised classification through Random Forest algorithms and vegetation indices on LULC data reveals significant alterations: a 70.3% increase in urban land and a decrement in vegetative cover comprising a 15.5% reduction in dense vegetation and a 62.9% decrease in sparse vegetation. Change detection analysis elucidates a 24.6% conversion of sparse vegetation into urban land, underscoring a pronounced trajectory towards urbanization. Temporal and seasonal LST variations across different LULC classes were analyzed using kernel density estimation (KDE) and boxplot analysis. Urban areas and sparse vegetation had the smallest average LST fluctuations, at 2.09 °C and 2.16 °C, respectively, but recorded the most extreme LST values. Water and dense vegetation classes exhibited slightly larger fluctuations of 2.30 °C and 2.24 °C, with the bare land class showing the highest fluctuation 2.46 °C, but fewer extremes. Quantitative analysis with the application of Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests across various LULC classes substantiated the normality of LST distributions p > 0.05 for both monthly and annual datasets. Conversely, the Shapiro-Wilk test validated the normal distribution hypothesis exclusively for monthly data, indicating deviations from normality in the annual data. Thresholded LST classifies urban and bare lands as the warmest classes at 39.51 °C and 38.20 °C, respectively, and classifies water at 35.96 °C, dense vegetation at 35.52 °C, and sparse vegetation 37.71 °C as the coldest, which is a trend that is consistent annually and monthly. The analysis of SUHI effects demonstrates an increasing trend in UHI intensity, with statistical trends indicating a growth in average SUHI values over time. This comprehensive study underscores the critical role of remote sensing in understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change and urbanization on local and global climates, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning and green infrastructure to mitigate UHI effects.

How to improve the thermal performance of buildings with one simulation run? The heat exchange index applied to hot climates

Improvements in the thermal and energy performance of buildings usually involves techniques with high computational costs, such as multi-objective optimization and parametric simulation. However, sometimes, achieving the optimal case is not desirable, though only the refinement of thermal performance. Hence, methods that enable this analysis are helpful for designers and researchers. Then, this study proposed a framework based on the Heat Exchange Index to assist thermal performance analysis of buildings. The framework consists of two phases and begins by exploring air and surface heat balance derived from the base case building simulation. This analysis is based on the Heat Exchange Index, an index developed in this work, and its result indicates the impact of each heat exchange on the thermal performance. The next phase is the improvement, where strategies are defined and implemented, and the thermal performance of the improved case is evaluated against the base case. A single-family house was modeled using EnergyPlus to demonstrate the framework application. Results showed that the Heat Exchange Index could be used to enhance the thermal performance of buildings since the strategies adopted in the base case increased its thermal autonomy and decreased thermal load.

Modelling of fly ash viscous deposition and slagging prediction of biomass-fired boiler

In addressing the ash melting-induced slagging on the high-temperature heating surfaces of biomass-fired boiler, a combined experimental and modelling study of biomass ash viscous deposition has been conducted. A comprehensive ash viscous deposition model based on ash fusion and viscosity characteristics and the critical velocity criterion has been proposed. The deposits of the top furnace and high-temperature superheater of a 130 t/h biomass-fired boiler have been sampled for validation, and a modelling study using ANSYS FLUENT with a user defined function (UDF) and dynamic mesh has been performed. The results show that small particles with diameter of 20 μm lead to less viscous adhesion because of faster response to temperature decrease before reaching the heating surfaces. Deposition efficiency and growth rate of deposits are positively correlated with temperature. Slagging in the top furnace area is dominated by the viscous deposition of molten ash. However, the amount of viscous deposition accounts for a low proportion (20.1 %) in the high-temperature superheater, suggesting a change of dominant slagging mechanism from viscous deposition to gaseous condensation and the subsequent capture of fly ash. The model is suitable for predicting ash melting-induced slagging in high-temperature areas of biomass boilers.

A novel Swiss-roll counterflow micro-combustor: Experimental investigation of flame dynamic characteristics by spectroscopy and RGB image processing methods

In this study, a novel Swiss roll counterflow micro-combustor is developed to improve flame stability, preheating, and heat recovery. The study experimentally investigates the combustion characteristics of methane-oxygen mixtures in a constant-temperature aluminum chamber over a range of equivalence ratios using spectroscopic methods and RGB image processing. The results indicate that this micro-combustion flame is a cool flame with an inverse relationship between variations of flame thickness and flame length. Furthermore, the study explores the behavior of some radicals, including OH*, CH*, C2* , H2O*, and CO2* and their radiation intensity, which are influenced by the equivalence ratio and mass flow rate of fuel to the oxidizer, as well as other factors such as flame surface area and heat transfer from the wall. RGB image processing is also utilized to investigate the changes of CH* and C2* in channels G and B, respectively. The study shows a strong correlation between the visible light intensity of the flame and the R channel. The results demonstrate that for the equivalence ratios Between 1.93 and 2.26, the radiation intensity of the radicals is relatively stable, which makes it applicable for micro-combustors.

Influence of Aqueous‐Phase Chemistry on the Concentrations of PM2.5 and Hydrometers During the Development of Convective Clouds Over the Yellow Sea in July of 2017

AbstractMeteorological processes are investigated during the development of deep convective clouds over the Yellow Sea inside a quasi‐stationary rainy front in the East Asian region. WRF‐Chem simulations were conducted to assess the effects of aqueous‐phase chemistry on the concentrations of PM2.5 and hydrometers in deep convective clouds and the associated precipitation. A reduction in the south‐north air temperature gradient induced an inactive quasi‐stationary rainy front with nonlinear zonal clouds during the Changma period in the East Asian region in 2017, causing intensified surface heating due to solar radiation. A mesoscale cyclone was formed near the Shantung Peninsula inside the inactive quasi‐stationary rainy front, extending the eastward tongue of the troughs across the Yellow Sea. Deep convective clouds (CC16 on July 16, CC17 on July 17, and CC18 on July 18) formed in a severe mode on the east side of the mesoscale cyclone over the Yellow Sea at midnight as the warm type, as the warm and humid south‐southwesterly winds present at that time produced convection energy. PM2.5 from eastern China flowed into warm‐type CC16, CC17, and CC18 areas, producing more cloud droplets below 500 hPa via activation. In contrast, the release of additional condensation heat amplifies updrafts within convective clouds during efficient nighttime environmental cooling, thereby enhancing the production of cold‐type ice, reaching altitudes of up to 15 km. The WRF‐Chem PM2.5 outcomes indicate a significant increase in heavy rainfall, exceeding 10 mm hr−1, particularly in the context of the development of cold‐type convective clouds.

Leakage of water-cooled wall tube in subcritical boiler

Usually, heating surfaces used in thermal power plant boilers include economizers, water-cooled walls, superheaters, and reheaters, abbreviated as the “four tubes” of boilers. The leakage of the heating surface is a common form of unplanned shutdown in thermal power plants, accounting for more than 50% of abnormal shutdown accidents of units. Once the heating surface explosion occurs, the thermal power plant needs to shut down for treatment, resulting in huge losses in power generation and fuel consumption during startup and shutdown. This has a huge impact on the safety production and economic benefits of the enterprise. In this paper, the leaked water-cooled wall tube in the subcritical boiler was studied by means of microstructure analysis, hardness test, energy spectrum analysis, chemical composition test, macro-morphology inspection, and tensile test. The results revealed that the oxygen concentration difference between the area installed in ceiling pouring material and the area exposed to the air can result in significant differences in electrode potential between different areas of the front water wall tube passing through the ceiling. An oxygen concentration difference battery is formed. In this way, the water-cooled wall steel pipe continuously corroded and thinned. Finally, perforation leakage occurred under the pressure of the internal high-temperature medium.

Assessment of local temperature elevation at the surface of tissue exposed to radiation of milimeter waves using simplified analytical approach

Dominant effect of human exposure to electromagnetic fields in GHz frequency range corresponding to operation of 5G mobile communications systems is tissue heating i.e. local temperature elevation at the body surface, i.e. skin, ear and eyes. For the frequencies below transition frequency of 6GHz specific absorption rate (SAR) is used to quantify the volume heating. On the other hand, the surface heating above 6GHz is quantified via absorbed power density (Sab ). Once these quantities are determined by means of internal field dosimetry procedures it is possible to determine the local surface temperature increase by solving the bio-heat transfer equation. The present paper deals with the calculation of tissue surface heating due to exposure to millimeter waves. Internal dosimetry is based on the planar tissue model exposed to dipole antenna radiation. Electromagnetic model is based on the analytical solution of Pocklington integro-differential equation while the assessment of tissue surface heating in planar tissue model has been carried by analytically solving a simplified variant of the bio-heat transfer equation. Some illustrative results for power density and temperature elevations will be presented for different antenna parameters.

Numerical simulation of the influence of different heating directions on charging performance of the cubic combined sensible-latent heat storage structure

The sensible and latent heat storage system (CSLHS) has become a research hotspot. In this paper, we construct a thermal storage unit structure by using the method of cubic macro-encapsulation, and its charging performance is simulated by CFD. The material of sensible heat storage is magnesia brick or concrete, and the material of the latent heat storage is molten salt. First, we analyze the effects of different heat surfaces on the charging performance of the CSLHS. The charging performance is better when heating from the bottom than when heating from the top or the side. Then, the heat storage of concrete brick and CSLHS is compared, under the premise of heating from the bottom surface. When the PCM starts to melt, the heat transfer inside the hybrid configuration is 39% higher than the solid heat storage structure. When the heat storage is nearing completion, its temperature distribution is more uniform than the solid heat storage structure, and its heat transfer inside the hybrid configuration is at the same level as the concrete.

The influence of liquid height to bubble size ratio on the boiling crisis in pool boiling

We conducted experiments to analyze water boiling under 10 K subcooling and atmospheric conditions in a horizontal pool boiling test setup, focusing on the effect of liquid height above the heating surface. Our main interest was the transition in boiling crisis mechanisms at liquid heights comparable to bubble size. For pool heights above 4.0 mm, we observed a relatively constant critical heat flux (CHF) of approximately 1.21 MW/m^2. Conversely, CHF significantly dropped to around 0.19 MW/m^2 for liquid heights below 2.5 mm. For depths between 2.5 – 4.0 mm the measured CHF values varied within these limits. Our pool boiling facility featured a stainless-steel chamber filled with deionized water heated by external circulating oil. A ceramic cartridge supported a transparent heater at the cell’s center-bottom, which utilized an indium tin oxide layer on a sapphire substrate for heat dissipation. We monitored bubbles’ footprint dynamics during boiling using infrared and high-speed video cameras. Preliminary high-speed data analysis revealed different hydrodynamic mechanisms corresponding to the obtained CHFs. For heights above 4.0 mm, the formation of an irreversible dry patch is triggered by bubble interactions. Conversely, at heights below 2.5 mm, one of the bubbles nucleating shortly after the onset of boiling failed to detach from the surface shortly. Instead, it grew in size and eventually spread over the entire surface, prematurely triggering a boiling crisis. We attributed this behavior to a lack of buoyancy forces to detach the bubble from the surface as it grew above the liquid level. Pool heights between 2.5 – 4.0 mm showed both behaviors. Further investigations will focus on exploring the transition in boiling mechanisms shifting from buoyancy- to surface-tension-dominated processes by varying bubble dimensions through the introduction of surfactants. Ultimately, we aim to analyze fundamental boiling parameters and heat flux to characterize how boiling dynamics, boiling crisis and CHF value vary with the bubble-to-liquid height ratio.

Experimental investigation of electrically enhanced boiling of FC 72 using high-resolution phase-detection diagnostics

This work features the boiling of FC72 on a transparent sapphire substrate. Tests are performed using a thin ITO film (indium tin oxide) coated on the sapphire substrate as the heat source, a fast speed video camera to capture the boiling process using a technique to track the phase (liquid or vapor) in contact with the heating surface, an InfraRed video camera to capture the average temperature on the surface, and a metallic grid to impose an electric field perpendicular to the boiling surface. The maximum average electric field tested in this work is 3.3kV/mm, which led to a 18% increase of the critical heat flux. This study analyses in detail the phase distribution data showing that (1) there is no evidence of microlayer formation, and suggesting that (2) the triple contact line evaporation accounts for approximately 20% of the total heat flux, while (3) the quenching stage accounts for approximately 80%. Finally, phase distribution images are processed to characterize the size of vapor patches, showing that a boiling crisis occurs when the distribution of the vapor patches becomes scale-free, and corroborating the hypothesis that the boiling crisis can be modelled as a bubble interaction instability using a percolation model.

On the Mechanisms Driving Latent Heat Flux Variations in the Northwest Tropical Atlantic

AbstractThe Northwest Tropical Atlantic (NWTA) is a region of complex surface ocean circulation. The most prominent feature is the North Brazil Current (NBC) and its retroflection at 8°N, which leads to the formation of numerous mesoscale eddies known as NBC rings. The NWTA also receives the outflow of the Amazon River, generating freshwater plumes that can extend up to 100,000 km2. We show that these two processes influence the spatial variability of the region's surface latent heat flux (LHF). On the one hand, the presence of surface freshwater modifies the vertical stratification of the ocean, the mixed layer heat budget, and thus the air‐sea heat exchanges. On the other hand, NBC rings create a highly heterogeneous mesoscale sea surface temperature (SST) field that directly influences the near‐surface atmospheric circulation. These effects are illustrated by observations from the ElUcidating the RolE of Cloud‐Circulation Coupling in ClimAte ‐ Ocean Atmosphere (EUREC4A‐OA) and Atlantic Tradewind Ocean‐Atmosphere Interaction Campaign (ATOMIC) experiments, satellite and reanalysis data. We decompose the LHF budget into several terms controlled by different atmospheric and oceanic processes to identify the mechanisms leading to LHF changes. We find LHF variations of up to 160 W m2, of which 100 W m2 are associated with wind speed changes and 40 W m2 with SST variations. Surface currents or heat release associated with stratification changes remain as second‐order contributions with LHF variations of less than 10 W m2 each. This study highlights the importance of considering these three components to properly characterize LHF variability at different spatial scales, although it is limited by the scarcity of collocated observations.

An improved continuum model for hypersonic thermal nonequilibrium flow in the near-continuum regime

In this work, the rarefied Couette flow of diatomic gases with thermal nonequilibrium effects is investigated by the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, and a macroscopic computational model is developed to consider the local rarefaction effects for diatomic gases in the near-continuum regime. The nonlinear transport properties of the diatomic gases are studied, indicating that effective viscosity and effective translational thermal conductivity in the shear nonequilibrium state are affected by translational nonequilibrium effects, which obey the same laws for both monatomic and diatomic gases. The transport coefficients of internal energy modes are affected by both translational nonequilibrium and internal energy relaxation, therefore, the effective rotational and vibrational thermal conductivities are related to the effective viscosity through a modified Eucken relation that accounts for internal energy relaxation. Conclusively, effective constitutive relations are newly established as a function of the shear nonequilibrium parameter and the modified Eucken factors for thermal nonequilibrium flows, and these are integrated into the macroscopic two-temperature model. Subsequently, it is assessed in the simulation of hypersonic flows over flat plates and cylinders at various Knudsen numbers. The results show that the surface shear stress and heat flux obtained by the proposed model agree well with the DSMC results, indicating significantly improved performance compared to the conventional Navier–Stokes two-temperature model for hypersonic flows in the near-continuum regime.

Research on the optimization of tribological performance of wind power lubricating grease based on carbon emission

The manufacturing, installation, operation and dismantling of wind turbines can also have environmental impacts such as excessive carbon emissions and consume large amounts of resources. Optimisation of the tribological properties of wind power greases can reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of wind power systems, improve their operational efficiency and reliability, thereby slowing down climate change and improving environmental quality, which is not only important for individual wind power projects, but also has a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions, promoting clean energy development and combating climate change on a global scale. However, the higher the grease lubrication performance, the lower the wind turbine failure rate and the lower the carbon emissions. Good tribological properties can significantly reduce the coefficient of friction of mechanical components, reducing surface wear and heat generation, helping to extend the life of mechanical equipment, improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary repairs and replacements. Therefore, in this paper, Mobil SHC 461WT lithium composite grease was mixed with molybdenum dialkyl dithiocarbamate (RFM3000), nano-boronated rare-earth friction modifiers (SK3115), polysiloxane viscosity modifier (PV611), and zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), and the comparative analysis of their tribological performances was carried out through the method of cross-experimentation. The results showed that the average coefficient of friction of Mobil added with the four antiwear additives was reduced by 74 %, 41 %, 54 % and 48 %, respectively, and the average diameter of wear spots was reduced by 64 %, 63 %, 69 % and 54 %.

Commissioning of Upgrades to T6 to Study Giant Planet Entry

The scientific potential of a mission to the ice giants is well recognized and has been identified by NASA and ESA as a high priority on several occasions, most recently in the 2023–2032 Decadal Survey. The payload capacity of such a spacecraft is limited by the heat shield thickness, which must be sized conservatively due to a lack of reliable data for convective and radiative heat flux along the proposed entry trajectories. Major upgrades to the Oxford T6 Stalker Tunnel have been commissioned that allow study of giant planet entry trajectories, including a flammable gas handling system, a Mach 10 expansion nozzle, and a steel shock tube with optical access. Initial testing has been completed in shock tube and expansion tunnel modes, with peak shock speeds of 18.9 km/s achieved. Convective heat flux and surface pressure were measured at several locations on a 45° sphere cone model in expansion tunnel mode. Measurements of the radiating shock layer were made in shock tube mode to assess the effect of CH4 concentration. This work establishes the first high-enthalpy giant planet entry test bed in Europe.

Dynamic cyclic fatigue resistance of RACE EVO in S-shaped canal with different angles of access: An in vitro study

Abstract Introduction: Nickel–titanium instruments annually undergo improvements to enhance the cyclic fatigue lifespan, especially with challenging canals. This study examines RACE EVO instrument in an S-shaped double-curvature canal in different angles of insertion 0°, 20°, and 40° to investigate the behavior of the heat-treated instruments in challenging canals. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 instruments were assigned to three groups (Group 0°, Group 20°, and Group 40°). RACE EVO instruments were tested in artificial canals. The canals had two curvatures: an apical one which its parameters are 70° angle and 2 mm radius and a coronal one which its parameters are 60° angle and 5 mm radius. The test was done using a cyclic fatigue apparatus. A statistical study was done by one-way analysis of variance groups, and Tukey’s honestly significant difference/Tukey–Kramer with a level of significance (α) was adjusted to 0.05. Results: The time until failure was reduced by the increase in the angle of insertion; however, Group 20° and Group 40° were not significantly different. All the instruments were broken apically. The scanning electron microscopic analysis showed typical characteristics of cyclic fatigue failure. Conclusions: Increasing the inclination during the insertion reduced the resistance of the RACE EVO instruments to cyclic fatigue failure despite the surface heat treatment of the instrument.

Engulfing behavior of vapor bubbles in downward facing heated surface boiling

Boiling of the coolant at the hot surface provides relatively better cooling by absorbing latent heat along with convection heat transfer as compared to heat transfer under single-phase conditions. In boiling, the orientation of heated surface also plays a crucial role. Downward facing boiling is complex than upward facing boiling, as the detachment of the bubble inhibited due to the heater surface orientation. Consequently, the bubble residence time and interaction with other bubbles are different in such boiling conditions. Our experiments on a large downward facing flat surface (100 × 400 mm2) revealed unexplored boiling phenomena. The boiling process is dominated by a complex engulfing phenomenon, which is rarely reported in the past. The engulfing phenomena have been captured using high-speed photography, wherein, at low heat fluxes, it is observed that larger bubbles engulf small bubbles by opening their mouth and swallowing the small bubbles. However, at higher heat fluxes, this phenomenon disappears. A larger vapor blanket is formed due to engulfing of bubbles, which may lead to departure from nucleate boiling. This engulfing behavior depends on the heat flux and subcooling. With the increase in heat flux, it is found that the rate of vapor engulfing increases. We have attempted to explain the science behind such engulfing phenomenon based on the capillary pressure difference. These results are consistent at various subcooling. This research provides new insights into nucleate boiling and may help in developing advanced mathematical models for accurate heat transfer prediction on downward facing nucleate boiling.

Coriolis darkening in late-type stars

Context. Modeling the surface brightness distribution of stars is of prime importance to interpret the large amount of available interferometric, spectropolarimetric, or photometric observations. Beyond stellar physics, this is also a prerequisite to characterize exoplanets or our Galaxy. Nevertheless, this remains quite challenging for cool stars as it requires one to model the magnetohydrodynamic turbulence that develops in their convective envelope. Aims. In Paper I (Raynaud, R., Rieutord, M., Petitdemange, L., Gastine, T., & Putigny, B. 2018, A&A, 609, A124), the effect of the Coriolis acceleration on the surface heat flux has been studied by means of hydrodynamic simulations. In this paper, we aim to investigate the additional effect of dynamo magnetic fields that can be generated in the thick convective envelopes of cool stars. We focus on an envelope thickness that is representative of either a ∼0.35 M⊙ M dwarf, a young red giant star or a pre-main sequence star. Methods. We performed a parametric study using numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations of anelastic convection in thick rotating spherical shells. The stratification in density ranges from a few tens to a few hundreds. The setup assumes a constant entropy jump between the inner and outer layers to force convection, with stress-free boundary conditions for the velocity field. The magnetic Prandtl number was systematically varied in order to vary the magnetic field intensity. For each model, we computed the azimuthally and temporally averaged surface distribution of the heat flux, and examined the leading-order effect of the magnetic field on the obtained latitudinal luminosity profile. Results. We identify three different regimes. Close to the onset of convection, while the first unstable modes tend to convey heat more efficiently near the equator, magnetic fields are shown to generally enhance the mean heat flux close to the polar regions (and the tangent cylinder). By progressively increasing the Rayleigh number, the development of a prograde equatorial jet was previously shown to make the equator darker when no magnetic field is taken into account. For moderate Rayleigh numbers, magnetic fields can instead inverse the mean pole-equator brightness contrast (which means going from a darker to a brighter equator when a dynamo sets in) and finally induce a similar regime to that found close to the onset of convection. For more turbulent models with larger Rayleigh numbers, magnetic fields alternatively tend to smooth out the brightness contrast. This general behavior is shown to be related to the quenching of the surface differential rotation by magnetic fields and remains valid regardless of the magnetic morphology. Conclusions. Mean global trends regarding the impact of rotation and magnetic fields on the surface brightness distribution of cool stars are theoretically depicted and need to be tested by future observations. This work opens the door to more detailed theoretical studies including the effect of nonaxisymmetric and time-variable surface features associated with magnetic activity.

Improving the atmospheric dispersion forecasts over Washington, D.C. using UrbanNet observations: A study with HYSPLIT model

UrbanNet data have been used to enhance the predictions of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model through observational nudging to improve temperature and wind predictions. HYSPLIT was utilized to understand the impact of using the observationally nudged WRF fields in dispersion modeling. The meteorological observations collected from the National Weather Service monitoring stations located at two major airports in Washington metropolitan area were also assimilated into WRF modeling. The results showed that observational nudging successfully adjusted WRF wind fields towards the observations and significantly reduced the forecast temperature bias at nighttime. The comparison of HYSPLIT simulations with and without the enhancement of the WRF model using UrbanNet and airport data showed significant differences in the pattern and direction of the dispersion plume especially during the early morning hours. Furthermore, ingesting the data from the closer airport to the downtown area in WRF provided HYSPLIT simulations very similar to the ones using UrbanNet data. This provides strong evidence that local data are essential to adjust weather prediction models routinely used to drive dispersion models. There was also evidence of increased mixing height when using local data collected in the downtown, mainly resulting from the increased surface heating in the city.

Observed Subdaily Variations in Air–Sea Turbulent Heat Fluxes under Different Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer Stability Conditions in the Gulf Stream

Abstract Based on data collected from 14 buoys in the Gulf Stream, this study examines how hourly air–sea turbulent heat fluxes vary on subdaily time scales under different boundary layer stability conditions. The annual mean magnitudes of the subdaily variations in latent and sensible heat fluxes at all stations are 40 and 15 W m−2, respectively. Under near-neutral conditions, hourly fluctuations in air–sea humidity and temperature differences are the major drivers of subdaily variations in latent and sensible heat fluxes, respectively. When the boundary layer is stable, on the other hand, wind anomalies play a dominant role in shaping the subdaily variations in latent and sensible heat fluxes. In the context of a convectively unstable boundary layer, wind anomalies exert a strong controlling influence on subdaily variations in latent heat fluxes, whereas subdaily variations in sensible heat fluxes are equally determined by air–sea temperature difference and wind anomalies. The relative contributions by all physical quantities that affect subdaily variations in turbulent heat fluxes are further documented. For near-neutral and unstable boundary layers, the subdaily contributions are O(2) and O(1) W m−2 for latent and sensible heat fluxes, respectively, and they are less than O(1) W m−2 for turbulent heat fluxes under stable conditions. Significance Statement High-resolution buoy observations of air–sea variables in the Gulf Stream provide the opportunity to investigate the physical factors that determine subdaily variations in air–sea turbulent heat fluxes. This study addresses two key points. First, the observed subdaily amplitudes of heat fluxes are related to various processes, including wind fields and air–sea thermal effect differences. Second, the global sea surface heat budget is known to not be in near-zero balance and it ranges from several to tens of watts per square meter. Therefore, consideration of the relatively strong influence of subdaily variability in air–sea turbulent heat fluxes could provide a new strategy for solving the global heat budget balance problem.