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An Assessment of Turbulence Profiles in Rural and Urban Environments Using Local Measurements and Numerical Weather Prediction Results

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Abstract

Profiles of velocity variances based on observations in flat rural areas are well established, and are used for modelling turbulent dispersion in all types of regions including those of complex terrain and urban areas. Surface-based and balloon observations are used to assess the profiles in both rural and urban areas. It is shown that, with good meteorological inputs for the locality of friction velocity and surface sensible heat flux, the profiles are equally well suited to urban areas. The sensitivity of the profiles to the input meteorological data, in particular using numerical weather prediction (NWP) data, is discussed. This highlights the limitations of NWP data for dispersion modelling and stresses the importance of schemes for modelling urban meteorology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Met Office, FitzRoy Road, Exeter, EX1 3PB, U.K.

    N. L. Morrison & H. N. Webster

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  1. N. L. Morrison
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  2. H. N. Webster
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Correspondence to H. N. Webster.

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The British Crown’s right to retain a non-exclusive royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.

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Morrison, N.L., Webster, H.N. An Assessment of Turbulence Profiles in Rural and Urban Environments Using Local Measurements and Numerical Weather Prediction Results. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 115, 223–239 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-004-4422-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-004-4422-8

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