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The Effects of Highly Detailed Urban Roughness Parameters on a Sea-Breeze Numerical Simulation

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Abstract

We consider the effects of detailed urban roughness parameters on a sea-breeze simulation. An urban roughness database, constructed using a new aerodynamic parametrization derived from large-eddy simulations, was incorporated as a surface boundary condition in the advanced Weather Research and Forecasting model. The zero-plane displacement and aerodynamic roughness length at several densely built-up urban grids were three times larger than conventional values due to the consideration of building-height variability. A comparison between simulations from the modified model and its default version, which uses uniform roughness parameters within a conventional method, was conducted for a 2-month period during summer. Results showed a significant improvement in the simulation of surface wind speed but not with temperature. From the 2-month study period, a day with an evident sea-breeze penetration was selected and simulated at higher temporal resolution. Sea-breeze penetration weakened and was more delayed over urbanized areas. The slow sea-breeze penetration also lessened heat advection downwind allowing stronger turbulent mixing and a deeper boundary layer above urban areas. Horizontal wind-speed reduction due to the increased urban surface drag reached heights of several hundreds of metres due to the strong convection.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Research Program on Climate Change Adaptation (RECCA) Fund from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan and the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A): 25249066

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Development Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

    Alvin Christopher G. Varquez & Manabu Kanda

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan

    Makoto Nakayoshi

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  1. Alvin Christopher G. Varquez
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  2. Makoto Nakayoshi
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Correspondence to Alvin Christopher G. Varquez.

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Varquez, A.C.G., Nakayoshi, M. & Kanda, M. The Effects of Highly Detailed Urban Roughness Parameters on a Sea-Breeze Numerical Simulation. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 154, 449–469 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-014-9985-4

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