surface energy balance and the mixing height in urban areas--activities and recommendations of COST-Action 715

• Published in: Boundary - layer meteorology Vol. 124; no. 1; pp. 3 - 24
• Main Authors: Piringer, Martin, Joffre, Sylvain, Baklanov, Alexander, Christen, Andreas, Deserti, Marco, De Ridder, Koen, Emeis, Stefan, Mestayer, Patrice, Tombrou, Maria, Middleton, Douglas, Baumann-Stanzer, Kathrin, Dandou, Aggeliki, Karppinen, Ari, Burzynski, Jerzy
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers 01.07.2007; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air pollution; Algorithms; Applied sciences; Atmospheric models; Atmospheric pollution; Boundary layers; Convection, turbulence, diffusion. Boundary layer structure and dynamics; Cost analysis; Critical components; Dispersion modelling; Diurnal cycle; Diurnal variations; Earth, ocean, space; Energy balance; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Heat storage; Height; Identification; Mathematical models; Meteorological parameters; Meteorological services; Meteorology; Mixing height; Modelling; Numerical models; Numerical schemes; Outdoor air quality; Parameter identification; Parameters; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Sodar; Spatial discrimination; Spatial resolution; Surface energy; Surface energy balance; Surface properties; Turbulent fluxes; Urban air; Urban areas; Urban atmosphere; Pollutant behavior; energy balance; digital simulation; urban areas; Parameterization; Layer thickness; Urban atmosphere; Mixing layer; Dispersion modelling,Mixing height,Surface energy balance; Micrometeorology; Atmospheric boundary layer; Air pollution; Atmospheric dispersion; Computing method; Surface energy; Microclimatology
• ISSN: 0006-8314; 1573-1472
• DOI: 10.1007/s10546-007-9170-0

The specific problems of determining and simulating the surface energy balance (SEB) and the mixing height (MH) over urban areas are examined. The SEB and MH are critical components of algorithms and numerical models for the urban boundary layer, though the constituent parts of the SEB and the MH are not routinely measured by national weather services. Parameterisations are thus needed in applications. In this investigation, several recently developed algorithms and models for estimating the SEB and MH were applied to new datasets and assessed. Results are discussed in terms of the need for spatial resolution and the parameters needed to describe the urban atmosphere. Limitations of models are identified and recommendations for further development and observations are given. Having identified gaps in knowledge, key findings from new urban experiments and numerical modelling for the SEB and MH are given. The diurnal cycle for the SEB is significantly different from rural conditions--urban heat storage is needed in urban parameterisations. The urban MH is increased over the rural MH, as shown by several numerical schemes and careful sodar analyses. This work has been carried out within the COST-715 Action “Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems (1998-2004). COST 715 reached a consensus proposing representatively sited measurements of meteorological parameters and turbulent fluxes above roof-tops, and recognised that such data are needed to improve numerical models of the urban surface processes.