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Title: Sensitivity of coastal meteorology and air quality to urban surface characteristics

Abstract

Surface characteristics play an important role in shaping the local meteorological conditions in urban areas, and subsequently affect the generation and transport of pollutants. A basic understanding of this relationship in urban climates has led researchers to explore surface modification strategies for cooling cities, saving energy, and reducing pollution. These strategies include planting of urban vegetation and increasing urban albedo, both of which represent a significant modification to the urban surface. The air temperature reductions resulting from enhanced evapotranspiration (from increasing vegetation), and reduced solar gain (from increasing albedo) have positive energy use and air quality implications. Research has shown that decreasing air temperature by 1{degrees}C in the Los Angeles Basin could save consumers $50,000 per hour in avoided energy use and reduce peak ozone levels by 5 to 10 parts per billion. Driven by these figures, this study is part of a larger research effort focusing on air quality in the Los Angeles Basin. Prior to conducting full three-dimensional meteorological simulations and the corresponding photochemical smog simulations, two-dimensional simulations were designed to isolate each surface characteristic and examine its role in a developing mesoscale coastal flow. The air temperature and mixing height impacts, having the most air quality significance,more » were then investigated through a preliminary photochemical sensitivity study.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
28759
Report Number(s):
CONF-940115-
TRN: 95:002816-0050
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 8. Joint conference on applications of air pollution meterology. 74. American Meteorological Society annual meeting, Nashville, TN (United States), 23-28 Jan 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Eighth joint conference on applications of air pollution meteorology with A & WMA; PB: 359 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; METEOROLOGY; MULTI-PARAMETER ANALYSIS; URBAN AREAS; AIR QUALITY; AIR-BIOSPHERE INTERACTIONS; AIR POLLUTION; LOS ANGELES; OZONE; SMOG; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; COASTAL REGIONS; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; ALBEDO; AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT

Citation Formats

Sailor, D J. Sensitivity of coastal meteorology and air quality to urban surface characteristics. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Sailor, D J. Sensitivity of coastal meteorology and air quality to urban surface characteristics. United States.
Sailor, D J. 1994. "Sensitivity of coastal meteorology and air quality to urban surface characteristics". United States.
@article{osti_28759,
title = {Sensitivity of coastal meteorology and air quality to urban surface characteristics},
author = {Sailor, D J},
abstractNote = {Surface characteristics play an important role in shaping the local meteorological conditions in urban areas, and subsequently affect the generation and transport of pollutants. A basic understanding of this relationship in urban climates has led researchers to explore surface modification strategies for cooling cities, saving energy, and reducing pollution. These strategies include planting of urban vegetation and increasing urban albedo, both of which represent a significant modification to the urban surface. The air temperature reductions resulting from enhanced evapotranspiration (from increasing vegetation), and reduced solar gain (from increasing albedo) have positive energy use and air quality implications. Research has shown that decreasing air temperature by 1{degrees}C in the Los Angeles Basin could save consumers $50,000 per hour in avoided energy use and reduce peak ozone levels by 5 to 10 parts per billion. Driven by these figures, this study is part of a larger research effort focusing on air quality in the Los Angeles Basin. Prior to conducting full three-dimensional meteorological simulations and the corresponding photochemical smog simulations, two-dimensional simulations were designed to isolate each surface characteristic and examine its role in a developing mesoscale coastal flow. The air temperature and mixing height impacts, having the most air quality significance, were then investigated through a preliminary photochemical sensitivity study.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/28759}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}

Conference:
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