Recorded presentationJ23.5
Results and sensitivities of the Town Energy Budget (TEB) coupled to the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) over Washington DC
Timothy E. Nobis, AWS, Whitesboro, NY; and R. A. Pielke
Observational studies have shown that urban areas fundamentally alter the overlying atmospheric boundary layer (causing a feature often referred to as the Urban Heat Island [UHI] because of the noticeable impact to temperatures) and that this altered boundary layer can significantly alter the local mesoscale circulations. Current operational atmospheric mesoscale models at locations like the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) are run at resolutions fine enough to simulate many mesoscale flow systems (e.g. sea breeze, outflow boundaries). However, urban representation in land surface schemes used by these models are not designed to simulate the UHI limiting the ability of the model to resolve atmospheric changes due to the UHI. Urban parameterizations have been created to rectify this situation; however, most studies to date have been conducted at very fine resolution (<2km). Results will be presented from efforts to couple a mesoscale model to an urban parameterization using a model set-up closer to a current US Air Force operational configuration (e.g. inner nest 5km) in an effort to assess the applicability of the parameterization to current operational model configuration. Results will show the magnitude of impact that an urban parameterization can have on the parent model's atmospheric boundary layer, compare boundary layers driven with and without the parameterization against observations, and present results from sensitivity studies designed to address issue related to operational implementation.
Joint Session 23, Modeling and Forecasting Urban Areas—II
Thursday, 15 January 2009, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM, Room 124A
Previous paper Next paper