Modeling Wind Trajectories in an Urban Setting and Cross-Validation with Doppler LiDAR

Doppler Wind LiDAR and RADAR systems give us insight on how wind patterns are formed within urban areas. Studying wind patterns in urban areas is vital for the health of citizens, since wind is important for dispersing pollution away from concentrated areas. High rise buildings are responsible for a majority of the New York Metropolitan area’s unique wind trajectories, which pose a health concern for residents in the area. Therefore, careful analysis of wind interaction with urban infrastructure is crucial for providing residents with a safer environment. Other factors that influence wind are meteorological and environmental features, such as relative humidity, atmospheric chemistry which influences the ambient air temperature and pressure. Using a Halo Photonics StreamLine Scanning Doppler LiDAR system, we scanned areas to give us wind data about specific targets: at edges and in between buildings, at tops of buildings, and further out toward the skyline. These scans help us understand how wind interacts with corners and rooftops of buildings, as well as general velocities of wind. Mathematical models were derived using multiple environmental parameters. Using these models, we predicted and validated the wind velocity and direction during the study. Additional instruments were used for cross-validation.