Performance of a new wind updating system for a prognostic meteorological model in the environs of Mexico City
Los Alamos National Laboratory and Institute Mexicano del Petroleo are completely a joint study of options for improving air quality in Mexico City. The US Department of Energy supported the efforts of the Los Alamos investigators, while PEMEX supported the efforts of the Mexican researchers. One of the first steps in the process was to develop an understanding of the existing air quality situation. In this context we have modified a three-dimensional, prognostic, higher order turbulence model for atmospheric circulation (HOTMAC) to treat domains which include an urbanized area. This sophisticated meteorological model is required because of the complexity of the terrain and the relative paucity of meteorological data. Mexico City lies at an elevation of approximately 7500 feet above sea level in a ``U`` shaped basin which opens to the north. The city occupies a major part of the southwest portion of the basin. Upper level winds are provided by rawinsondes at the airport, while low-level winds are measured at several sites within the city. Many of the sites have obstructed upwind fetches for a variety of directions. During the wintertime when the worst air quality episodes occur, the winds are frequently light, and out of the northeast at lower levels, while above 1000 meters above the surface they are usually from the southwest. This means the winds are light within the city, but significant slope winds develop which influence the behavior of the pollutants. Frequently, the winds in the basin change as a seabreeze penetrates the basin from the northeast. The seabreeze produces a much different wind regime after its arrival in the late afternoon or early evening. This makes it important to update the winds in a realistic fashion.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10120534
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-94-229; CONF-931251-1; ON: DE94006243
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: IMP workshop,Mexico City (Mexico),Dec 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Development and testing of an air quality model for Mexico City
Development and testing of an air quality model for Mexico City
Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
H CODES
URBAN AREAS
AIR QUALITY
MEXICO
TURBULENCE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
WIND
METEOROLOGY
540150
540120
990200
SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS