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Title: Role of surface characteristics in urban meteorology and air quality

Abstract

Urbanization results in a landscape with significantly modified surface characteristics. The lower values of reflectivity to solar radiation, surface moisture availability, and vegetative cover, along with the higher values of anthropogenic heat release and surface roughness combine to result higher air temperatures in urban areas relative to their rural counterparts. Through their role in the surface energy balance and surface exchange processes, these surface characteristics are capable of modifying the local meteorology. The impacts on wind speeds, air temperatures, and mixing heights are of particular importance, as they have significant implications in terms of urban energy use and air quality. This research presents several major improvements to the meteorological modeling methodology for highly heterogeneous terrain. A land-use data-base is implemented to provide accurate specification of surface characteristic variability in simulations of the Los Angeles Basin. Several vegetation parameterizations are developed and implemented, and a method for including anthropogenic heat release into the model physics is presented. These modeling advancements are then used in a series of three-dimensional simulations which were developed to investigate the potential meteorological impact of several mitigation strategies. Results indicate that application of moderate tree-planting and urban-lightening programs in Los Angeles may produce summertime air temperature reductionsmore » on the order of 4°C with a concomitant reduction in air pollution. The analysis also reveals several mechanisms whereby the application of these mitigation strategies may potentially increase pollutant concentrations. The pollution and energy use consequences are discussed in detail.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; California Inst. for Energy Efficiency (CIEE)
OSTI Identifier:
10184819
Report Number(s):
LBL-34459
ON: DE93040929
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Thesis (Ph.D.); PBD: Aug 1993
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; URBAN AREAS; METEOROLOGY; AIR QUALITY; CLIMATIC CHANGE; AIR POLLUTION; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; 540110; 580000; BASIC STUDIES; GEOSCIENCES

Citation Formats

Sailor, David Jean. Role of surface characteristics in urban meteorology and air quality. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.2172/10184819.
Sailor, David Jean. Role of surface characteristics in urban meteorology and air quality. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10184819
Sailor, David Jean. 1993. "Role of surface characteristics in urban meteorology and air quality". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10184819. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10184819.
@article{osti_10184819,
title = {Role of surface characteristics in urban meteorology and air quality},
author = {Sailor, David Jean},
abstractNote = {Urbanization results in a landscape with significantly modified surface characteristics. The lower values of reflectivity to solar radiation, surface moisture availability, and vegetative cover, along with the higher values of anthropogenic heat release and surface roughness combine to result higher air temperatures in urban areas relative to their rural counterparts. Through their role in the surface energy balance and surface exchange processes, these surface characteristics are capable of modifying the local meteorology. The impacts on wind speeds, air temperatures, and mixing heights are of particular importance, as they have significant implications in terms of urban energy use and air quality. This research presents several major improvements to the meteorological modeling methodology for highly heterogeneous terrain. A land-use data-base is implemented to provide accurate specification of surface characteristic variability in simulations of the Los Angeles Basin. Several vegetation parameterizations are developed and implemented, and a method for including anthropogenic heat release into the model physics is presented. These modeling advancements are then used in a series of three-dimensional simulations which were developed to investigate the potential meteorological impact of several mitigation strategies. Results indicate that application of moderate tree-planting and urban-lightening programs in Los Angeles may produce summertime air temperature reductions on the order of 4°C with a concomitant reduction in air pollution. The analysis also reveals several mechanisms whereby the application of these mitigation strategies may potentially increase pollutant concentrations. The pollution and energy use consequences are discussed in detail.},
doi = {10.2172/10184819},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10184819}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993},
month = {Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993}
}

Thesis/Dissertation:
Other availability
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