Evaluation of the vegetated urban canopy model (VUCM) and its impacts on urban boundary layer simulation

The vegetated urban canopy model (VUCM) is implemented in a meteorological model, the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), for urban atmospheric modeling. The VUCM includes various urban physical processes such as in-canyon radiative transfer, turbulent energy exchanges, substrate heat conduction, and in-canyon momentum drag. The coupled model RAMS/VUCM is evaluated and then used to examine its impacts on the dynamic and thermodynamic structure of the urban boundary layer (UBL) in the Seoul metropolitan area. The spatial pattern of the nocturnal urban heat island (UHI) in Seoul is quite well simulated by the RAMS/VUCM. A statistical evaluation of 2-m air temperature reveals a significant improvement in model performance, especially in the nighttime. The RAMS/VUCM simulates the diurnal variations of surface energy balance fluxes realistically. This contributes to a reasonable UBL formation. A weakly unstable UBL is formed in the nighttime with UBL heights of about 100–200 m. When urban surfaces are represented in the RAMS using a land surface model of the Land Ecosystem-Atmosphere Feedback (LEAF), the RAMS/LEAF produces strong cold biases and thus fails to simulate UHI formation. This is due to the poor representation or absence of important urban physical processes in the RAMS/LEAF. This study implies that urban physical processes should be included in numerical models in order to reasonably simulate meteorology and air quality in urban areas and that the VUCM is one of the promising urban canopy models.     

MM5模式中城市冠层参数化方案的设计及其数值试验

文中在综合国外一些较先进的中尺度模式城市作用参数化方案的基础上 ,从城市下垫面结构对城市边界层大气作用的物理机制及实际应用两方面出发 ,对城市下垫面结构和人为活动等因素对边界层结构的影响及中尺度模式中城市化作用的合理体现等问题进行了较全面的考虑 ,改进和设计出能够较全面、细致地描述城市结构对大气边界层动力、热力结构的影响 ,且适合中尺度模式结构特点的城市冠层参数化方案 (UCP) ,并实现了其与MM5模式的耦合。进行了耦合后的UCP方案及采用原城市作用方案的MM5模式对BECAPEX试验期间北京地区气象条件多重嵌套细尺度进行了模拟试验 ,并与观测结果对比 ,结果表明 :相比于MM 5模式中原有表示城市作用的参数化方案来讲 ,设计的UCP方案在很大程度上提高了MM 5模式对城市边界层热力和动力结构的模拟能力。     

The urban boundary-layer field campaign in marseille (ubl/clu-escompte): set-up and first results

The UBL/CLU (urban boundary layer/couche limite urbaine) observation and modelling campaign is a side-project of the regional photochemistry campaign ESCOMPTE. UBL/CLU focuses on the dynamics and thermodynamics of the urban boundary layer of Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast of France. The objective of UBL/CLU is to document the four-dimensional structure of the urban boundary layer and its relation to the heat and moisture exchanges between the urban canopy and the atmosphere during periods of low wind conditions, from June 4 to July 16, 2001. The project took advantage of the comprehensive observational set-up of the ESCOMPTE campaign over the Berre–Marseille area, especially the ground-based remote sensing, airborne measurements, and the intensive documentation of the regional meteorology. Additional instrumentation was installed as part of UBL/CLU. Analysis objectives focus on (i) validation of several energy balance computational schemes such as LUMPS, TEB and SM2-U, (ii) ground truth and urban canopy signatures suitable for the estimation of urban albedos and aerodynamic surface temperatures from satellite data, (iii) high resolution mapping of urban land cover, land-use and aerodynamic parameters used in UBL models, and (iv) testing the ability of high resolution atmospheric models to simulate the structure of the UBL during land and sea breezes, and the related transport and diffusion of pollutants over different districts of the city. This paper presents initial results from such analyses and details of the overall experimental set-up.     

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 , and turbulence intensities u ² and w ² 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 w 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.     

THE STUDY OF URBAN CANOPY PARAMETERIZATION SCHEME FOR MM5*

Based on some advanced urban parameterization schemes for mesoscale model,a new urban canopy parameterization (UCP) for MM5 is developed.The UCP takes into account the impacts of urban infrastructure and anthropogenic activity on the dynamic,thermal structures of urban surface layer and the urban surface energy budget in a more rational way according to conformation of MMS.The UCP is implemented in MM5 and validated by IOP data in 2001 winter BECAPEX and automatic meteorological station data in Beijing area.The results illustrate that UCP versus traditional urban parameterization in MM5,it can make MM5 reproduce main characteristics of winter UBL in Beijing,which include urban heat island and its diurnal evolvement,nocturnal elavated inversion in downtown area,and some dynamic stuctures such as TKE peak at the top of urban canopy,lower wind speed in urban surface layer and so on.     

应用城市冠层模式研究建筑物形态对城市边界层的影响

文中将城市冠层模式耦合到南京大学城市尺度边界层模式中,通过模拟对比发现,耦合模式对城市地区气温模拟结果更接近于观测值,尤其是对城市地区夜间气温模拟的改进.运用改进耦合模式通过多个敏感性试验的模拟,从城市面积扩张、建筑物高度增加、建筑物分布密度变化等角度研究城市建筑物三维几何形态变化对城市边界层及城市气象环境的影响,试验结果表明:(1)城市面积扩张使得城市下垫面的热通量增大,热力湍流活动增强,动量通量输送增强,城市湍能增大,湍流扩散系数变大,城市气温升高,且对不同时刻城市区域大气层结稳定度均有不同程度的影响.(2)建筑物高度增加增大了城市下垫面的粗糙度和零平面位移.同时也增大了城市街渠高宽比.城市建筑物越高,白天城市地区地表热通量越小,城市上空大气温度越低,平均风速减小,湍能减小;夜间由于高大建筑物释放储热比低矮建筑物要多,其热力湍流相对活跃,地表热通量增大,使得城市区域气温较高.(3)建筑物密度增大,会减小城市下垫面的粗糙度同时增强街渠对辐射的影响.建筑物密度增大在白天会减小地表热通量和动量通量,使城市气温降低,平均风速增大,城市湍流活动能力减弱;夜间城市释放较多储热使得气温较高.     

The Influence Of Urban Canopy Configuration On Urban Albedo

We propose a calculation method for shortwave radiation flux and longwave radiation flux within the urban canopy and investigate the influence of urban canopy configuration on net radiation flux. In the assumed urban configuration, buildings of equal size are arranged in a regular lattice within the urban canopy. The net shortwave radiation flux and longwave radiation flux within the urban canopy were calculated by the photon tracking method based on the Monte Carlo method. The albedo value obtained by this method shows close agreement with experimental data, and the average sky view factor shows almost perfect agreement with the theoretical value. Moreover, we calculated the urban albedo for the urban canopy configuration including roads and building height distribution.%Moreover, we calculated net radiation within the urban canopy in %consideration of roads and building height distribution.We found that the sky view factor of the ground surface is high when building coverage is low, building height is low, open space by roads exists, and building height is non-uniform. Moreover, we found that the albedo value is high when building height is small, open space by roads is wide, and building height is uniform. The albedo value was found to vary in a complicated manner with change in building coverage.     

Numerical Study of Winter Urban Boundary Layer Structure over Beijing Area

1. Introduction The urban canopy layer (UCL) (Roth, 2000) is defined as a layer in the vertical structure of urban boundary layer (UBL) ranging from the surface to the top of buildings. The urban infrastructures within UCL, such as buildings with different heights, the het- erogeneity of urban land cover and the anthropogenic activity, all directly influence the thermal and dynam- ical structures of atmosphere and net radiation budget at the surface, meanwhile, affect the structure of ur- …     

北京冬季城市边界层结构形成机制的初步数值研究

利用耦合了城市冠层参数化方案的MM5模式对2001年冬季北京地区一次典型的城市边界层过程进行成功模拟的基础上,对北京城市化作用、周边地形以及城市化进程发展对城市边界层结构的影响等问题进行了一系列的数值模拟试验。城市化作用的因子分离试验发现,城市化的总体作用即城市下垫面结构对大气热力及动力的综合影响导致了北京冬季城市边界层结构主要特征的形成。此外,揭示了城市结构的不同影响因子———动力因子、热力因子和热动力因子间的相互作用在北京冬季城市边界层结构形成和演变过程中的不同作用。在夜间,城市结构的动力因子对于城市边界层主要特征如市区悬浮逆温、近地层中小的风速及较强的湍流动能等的形成起着主导作用;在白天,城市结构的热力因子则成为影响市区混合层强度以及湍流运动特征等边界层结构的主导因素;热、动力因子间的相互作用对城市边界层结构的形成和演变也有着重要作用,但其影响特征比较复杂。北京周边地形作用的敏感性试验的结果表明,北京周边的特殊地形条件对城市边界层热力结构特征如悬浮逆温层及城市热岛等的结构及分布特征的形成也有着明显的影响,使其具有特殊的局地化特征,同时,它也是北京地区近地层主要气流特征的强迫源。不同城市化程度的敏感性试验结果揭示,随着北京城市建筑高度和密度的增加,市区风速将减小、湍流动能将加强,夜间城市悬浮逆温层底的高度会有所提高,城市热岛的强度也将加强,并可能在白天出现比较明显的城市热岛效应。     

Study on Effects of Building Morphology on Urban Boundary Layer Using an Urban Canopy Model

An urban canopy model is incorporated into the Nanjing University Regional Boundary Layer Model. Temperature simulated by the urban canopy model is in better agreement with the observation, especially in the night time, than that simulated by the traditional slab model. The coupled model is used to study the effects of building morphology on urban boundary layer and meteorological environment by changing urban area, building height, and building density.It is found that when the urban area is expanded, the urban boundary layer heat flux, thermal turbulence, and the turbulent momentum flux and kinetic energy all increase or enhance, causing the surface air temperature to rise up. The stability of urban atmospheric stratification is affected to different extent at different times of the day.When the building height goes up, the aerodynamic roughness height, zero plane displacement height of urban area, and ratio of building height to street width all increase. Therefore, the increase in building height results in the decrease of the surface heat flux, urban surface temperature, mean wind speed, and turbulent kinetic energy in daytime. While at night, as more heat storage is released by higher buildings, thermal turbulence is more active and surface heat flux increases, leading to a higher urban temperature.As the building density increases, the aerodynamic roughness height of urban area decreases, and the effect of urban canopy on radiation strengthens. The increase of building density results in the decrease in urban surface heat flux, momentum flux, and air temperature, the increase in mean wind speed, and the weakening of turbulence in the daytime. While at night, the urban temperature increases due to the release of more heat storage.     

Building morphological characteristics and their effect on the wind in Beijing

An urban boundary layer model (UBLM) is improved by incorporating the effect of buildings with a sectional drag coefficient and a height-distributed canopy drag length scale. The improved UBLM is applied to simulate the wind fields over three typical urban blocks over the Beijing area with different height-to-width ratios. For comparisons, the wind fields over the same blocks are simulated by an urban sub-domain scale model resolving the buildings explicitly. The wind fields simulated from the two different methods are in good agreement. Then, two-dimensional building morphological characteristics and urban canopy parameters for Beijing are derived from detailed building height data. Finally, experiements are conducted to investigate the effect of buildings on the wind field in Beijing using the improved UBLM.     

城市建筑物动力冠层方案的引入及应用研究

文中将建筑物动力冠层方案引入到城市边界层精细模式中,该方案描叙了城市地Ⅸ建筑物对气流的拖曳作用以及建筑物形态对城市地区湍流活动动量输送的影响.采用建筑物拖曳法和建筑物动力冠层方案两种不同建筑物动力学处理方法对北京地区东南部进行模拟,通过城市地区水平风速的模拟结果与自动气象站实测资料对比发现模拟结果与实测相当吻合,建筑物动力冠层方案的引入能够更好地实施对城市地区的水平风速分布的数值模拟.分别采用建筑物拖曳法与建筑物动力冠层方案对一个实际小规模城市进行模拟试验,分析表明引入建筑物动力冠层方案可以模拟出小规模城市地区水平风速偏低的现象;还可以模拟出城市地区建筑物动力作用对湍流活动的影响;对湍流动能模拟结果表明比较符合实际分布情形.采用建筑物动力冠层方案对小规模城市地区建筑物高度变化对城市地区的流场及湍流活动的影响进行模拟分析,结果表明:城市地区建筑物高度增加,风速变小,但是高大建筑物底部风速略高于低矮建筑物底部;城市地区大气湍能增加,高大建筑物底部湍能较小,冠层高度内湍能随高度增加而增加;同时城市地Ⅸ的垂直扩散系数也随建筑物高度增加而增加;城市地区污染物排放高度处污染物浓度较低,下游乡村地区地面污染物浓度较低,但高空污染物浓度却较高.     

Pollutant Plume Dispersion in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over Idealized Urban Roughness

The Gaussian model of plume dispersion is commonly used for pollutant concentration estimates. However, its major parameters, dispersion coefficients, barely account for terrain configuration and surface roughness. Large-scale roughness elements (e.g. buildings in urban areas) can substantially modify the ground features together with the pollutant transport in the atmospheric boundary layer over urban roughness (also known as the urban boundary layer, UBL). This study is thus conceived to investigate how urban roughness affects the flow structure and vertical dispersion coefficient in the UBL. Large-eddy simulation (LES) is carried out to examine the plume dispersion from a ground-level pollutant (area) source over idealized street canyons for cross flows in neutral stratification. A range of building-height-to-street-width (aspect) ratios, covering the regimes of skimming flow, wake interference, and isolated roughness, is employed to control the surface roughness. Apart from the widely used aerodynamic resistance or roughness function, the friction factor is another suitable parameter that measures the drag imposed by urban roughness quantitatively. Previous results from laboratory experiments and mathematical modelling also support the aforementioned approach for both two- and three-dimensional roughness elements. Comparing the UBL plume behaviour, the LES results show that the pollutant dispersion strongly depends on the friction factor. Empirical studies reveal that the vertical dispersion coefficient increases with increasing friction factor in the skimming flow regime (lower resistance) but is more uniform in the regimes of wake interference and isolated roughness (higher resistance). Hence, it is proposed that the friction factor and flow regimes could be adopted concurrently for pollutant concentration estimate in the UBL over urban street canyons of different roughness.     

Small-Scale Horizontal Variability of Mean and Turbulent Quantities in the Nocturnal Boundary Layer

The study of the boundary layer can be most difficult when it is in transition and forced by a complex surface, such as an urban area. Here, a novel combination of ground-based remote sensing and in situ instrumentation in central London, UK, is deployed, aiming to capture the full evolution of the urban boundary layer (UBL) from night-time until the fully-developed convective phase. In contrast with the night-time stable boundary layer observed over rural areas, the night-time UBL is weakly convective. Therefore, a new approach for the detection of the morning-transition and rapid-growth phases is introduced, based on the sharp, quasi-linear increase of the mixing height. The urban morning-transition phase varied in duration between 0.5 and 4 h and the growth rate of the mixing layer during the rapid-growth phase had a strong positive relationship with the convective velocity scale, and a weaker, negative relationship with wind speed. Wind shear was found to be higher during the night-time and morning-transition phases than the rapid-growth phase and the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy near the mixing-layer top was around six times larger than surface shear production in summer, and around 1.5 times larger in winter. In summer under low winds, low-level jets dominated the UBL, and shear production was greater than buoyant production during the night-time and the morning-transition phase near the mixing-layer top. Within the rapid-growth phase, buoyant production dominated at the surface, but shear production dominated in the upper half of the UBL. These results imply that regional flows such as low-level jets play an important role alongside surface forcing in determining UBL structure and growth.     

大气应急响应模拟中城市冠层风廓线参数化方法检验

城市冠层内风场的准确模拟或预报是突发性大气污染应急响应措施制定和实施的重要前提和基础。为了合理反映城市冠层的影响, 并满足应急响应时效性的要求, 将MacDonald(2000)提出的城市冠层内风廓线参数化方法耦合于中尺度气象模式MM5, 并利用2010年7月18日至8月6日北京325 m气象塔垂直观测资料进行验证。试验结果表明:(1)城市冠层参数化方法能够较好的模拟各种稳定度条件下冠层内风速廓线垂直变化, 中性、稳定和不稳定层结时的标准平均偏差分别为78%、12%、4%, 标准平均误差分别为78%、52%、21%。(2)城市冠层参数化方法能够较好的模拟冠层内实际风速变化情况, 虽然随高度增加模拟偏差增大, 但8、15、32、47 m高度的模拟风速与观测值依然十分接近, 标准平均偏差分别为2%、-26%、25%、60%, 标准平均误差分别为54%、46%、52%、73%。(3)与传统的Monin-Obukhov相似性边界层参数化方法相比, 城市冠层参数化方法明显提高了冠层风速的模拟能力。中性、稳定、不稳定层结时, Monin-Obukhov相似性边界层参数化方法的标准平均误差高达420%、176%、184%, 城市冠层参数化方法的标准平均误差减小至78%、52%、21%;冠层内8、15、32、47 m高度, Monin-Obukhov相似性边界层参数化方法的标准平均误差分别为283%、184%、227%、167%, 城市冠层参数化方法的标准平均误差减小至54%、46%、52%、73%。     

A Multi-layer Radiation Model for Urban Neighbourhoods with Trees

A neighbourhood-scale multi-layer urban canopy model of shortwave and longwave radiation exchange that explicitly includes the radiative effects of tall vegetation (trees) is presented. Tree foliage is permitted both between and above buildings, and mutual shading, emission and reflection between buildings and trees are included. The basic geometry is a two-dimensional canyon with leaf area density profiles and probabilistic variation of building height. Furthermore, the model accounts for three-dimensional path lengths through the foliage. Ray tracing determines the receipt of direct shortwave irradiance by building and foliage elements. View factors for longwave and shortwave diffuse radiation exchange are computed once at the start of the simulation using a Monte Carlo ray tracing approach; for subsequent model timesteps, matrix inversion rapidly solves infinite reflections and interception of emitted longwave between all elements. The model is designed to simulate any combination of shortwave and longwave radiation frequency bands, and to be portable to any neighbourhood-scale urban canopy geometry based on the urban canyon. Additionally, the model is sufficiently flexible to represent forest and forest-clearing scenarios. Model sensitivity tests demonstrate the model is robust and computationally feasible, and highlight the importance of vertical resolution to the performance of urban canopy radiation models. Full model evaluation is limited by the paucity of within-canyon radiation measurements in urban neighbourhoods with trees. Where appropriate model components are tested against analytic relations and results from an independent urban radiation transfer model. Furthermore, system response tests demonstrate the ability of the model to realistically distribute shortwave radiation among urban elements as a function of built form, solar angle and tree foliage height, density and clumping. Separate modelling of photosynthetically-active and near-infrared shortwave bands is shown to be important in some cases. Increased canyon height-to-width ratio and/or tree cover diminishes the net longwave radiation loss of individual canyon elements (e.g., floor, walls), but, notably, has little effect on the net longwave loss of the whole urban canopy. When combined with parametrizations for the impacts of trees on airflow and hydrological processes in the urban surface layer, the new radiation model extends the applicability of urban canopy models and permits more robust assessment of trees as tools to manage urban climate, air quality, human comfort and building energy loads.     

多层城市冠层模式的建立及数值试验研究

为在城市气象数值模拟中更好地体现由城市发展引起的下垫面土地利用改变及人为活动对大气过程的影响,建立了基于建筑物三维分布的多层城市冠层模式,冠层内动力方程组考虑了建筑物冠层拖曳力的作用及雷诺应力的影响,通过引入建筑物宽度、间距以及垂直分布密度指数等建筑物形态特征参数,以更好地体现城市复杂地表对大气温度、湿度及动量方程的影响.同时,该模式分屋顶、4个侧壤及地面分别考虑辐射及能量平衡求解表面温度,计算各表面与大气的通量交换,并考虑辐射阴影效应、冠层内部各个面之间的可视因子、以及与冠层内建筑物密度指数、可视因子等相关的多重反射辐射导致的辐射截陷作用.模式的离线检验结果表明:(1)冠层模式计算风廓线与风洞实验测量数据吻合良好;(2)离线冠层模式能够模拟实际小区的风速、温度垂直廓线,并能够较好地体现小区内气温日变化.冠层模式与区域边界层模式耦合检验结果表明:(1)耦合模拟的近地面(2 m处)气温及地表温度的结果明显优于传统的水泥平板方案,尤其是在夜间,水泥平板方案与实测气温最大偏差4 K左右,耦合模拟方案为1-2 K;(2)耦合模拟方案考虑了建筑物对冠层之上的拖曳力影响以及建筑物形态结构对雷诺应力的影响,风速(10 m处)计算结果与观测值相差约在1 m/s,水泥平板方案偏差3 m/s左右.     

Development of a Multi-Layer Urban Canopy Model for the Analysis of Energy Consumption in a Big City: Structure of the Urban Canopy Model and its Basic Performance

A multilayer one-dimensional canopy model was developed to analyze the relationship between urban warming and the increase in energy consumption in a big city. The canopy model, which consists of one-dimensional diffusion equations with a drag force, has three major parameters: building width, distance between buildings, and vertical floor density distribution, which is the distribution of a ratio of the number of the buildings that are taller than some level to all the buildings in the area under consideration. In addition, a simplified radiative process in the canopy is introduced. Both the drag force of the buildings and the radiative process depend on the floor density distribution. The thermal characteristics of an urban canopy including the effects of anthropogenic heat are very complicated. Therefore, the focus of this research is mainly on the basic performance of an urban canopy without anthropogenic heat. First, the basic thermal characteristics of the urban canopy alone were investigated. The canopy model was then connected with a three-dimensional mesoscale meteorological model, and on-line calculations were performed for 10 and 11 August, 2002 in Tokyo, Japan. The temperature near the ground surface at the bottom of the canopy was considerably improved by the calculation with the canopy model. However, a small difference remained between the calculation and the observation for minimum temperature. Deceleration of the wind was well reproduced for the velocity at the top of the building by the calculation with the canopy model, in which the floor density distribution was considered.     

Improving the Representation of the Nocturnal Near-Neutral Surface Layer in the Urban Environment with a Mesoscale Atmospheric Model

A new approach to improve the representation of surface processes in the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) atmospheric model associated with the exchanges between the urban canopy and the atmosphere is presented. Effects of the urban canopy on the evolution of surface-layer wind, temperature, moisture, and turbulence are directly parametrized in order to allow realistic interactions between the canopy elements (i.e., roofs, roads, and walls) and the atmosphere at GEM’s multiple vertical levels that are positioned inside the canopy. Surface energy budgets as implemented in the Town Energy Balance (TEB) scheme have been used to determine temperatures of the urban canopy elements for the proposed multilayer scheme. Performance of the multilayer scheme is compared against standard implementations of the TEB scheme for one nighttime intensive observation period of the Joint Urban 2003 experiment held in Oklahoma City, USA. Although the new approach is found to have a negligible impact on urban surface-layer wind profiles, it improves the prediction of near-neutral nocturnal profiles of potential temperature close to the surface. The urban heat island effect is simulated with a better accuracy by the multilayer approach. The horizontal temperature gradient across the central business district of the city along the direction of flow is also reasonably well captured by the proposed scheme.