EXERCISE 4:

The Dynamical and Thermal Effects of Metropolitan Areas on Meteorology

Model used: Enviro-HIRLAM
        (Enviro-HIRLAM is based on the DMI version of the HIRLAM - HIgh Resolution Limited Area Model)

Teacher
: Alexander Mahura (DMI, Denmark)

Group 4.1
:
Allan Christensen
 (Denmark), Anna Kanukhina (Russia), Andres Luhamaa (Estonia), Suleiman Mostamandy (Russia), Elena Savenkova (Russia)

Group 4.2
:
Yulia Gavrilova
(Russia), Adomas Mazeikis (Lithuania), Ekaterina Suvorova (Russia), Tommaso Torrigiani (Italy)

Introduction Background:
Recently, the urbanization is considered as one of the important steps for improvement of the numerical forecasts in the metropolitan areas and surroundings. These steps are also included into the Enviro-HIRLAM model developments (Korsholm et al., 2008), because due to rapidly extending urban areas, the impact of cities on the formation of meteorological fields became more evident. Since the urban areas change diurnal cycles of temperature, humidity, and wind characteristics, etc., and hence, these influence the quality of forecasts from the numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. To improve these forecasts, modifications of the land surface scheme of the model are required. For Enviro-HIRLAM these modifications include the following. At first, the changes in albedo, anthropogenic heat flux, and roughness (AHF+R) can be used for grid cells of modelling domain which are attributed to urban areas (Baklanov et al., 2005; Mahura et al., 2008). At second, the effects of buildings and street canyons can be implemented through the building effect parameterization (BEP) module (Martilli et al., 2002). At third, the re-classified land-use with respect to urban types of surfaces (such as buildings, artificial surfaces with/without vegetation, etc.) and urban districts with detailed morphological characteristics can be included through the soil model for sub-meso scales urban version (SM2-U) module (Dupont et al., 2006ab).
These mentioned approaches (to study possible urban effects on meteorological patterns) have been preliminary tested and evaluated for the model for both specific case studies (related to low, typical, and high winds conditions) and long-term simulations.

Main Goal:
Study influence of the selected metropolitan area on a formation of meteorological fields above the urban area and surroundings due to modification of the land surface scheme of the numerical weather prediction (NWP) model by analysis of temporal and spatial variability of diurnal cycle for meteorological variables of key importance

Specific Objectives:  
1)    Modify the land surface scheme of NWP model by changing – (a) roughness, (b) anthropogenic heat flux, (c) albedo for urban grid cells;
2)    Perform simulations for selected specific cases/dates (meteorological conditions with dominating low and typical wind conditions over the metropolitan area and surroundings) in two modes - the control run and the modified run (with changes for roughness, anthropogenic heat flux, albedo);
3)    Evaluate diurnal cycle variability for – (a) air temperature, (b) wind velocity, (c) relative humidity, (d) sensible heat flux, (e) latent heat flux, and etc. –  for two types of runs; estimate extension and direction of boundaries under influence of metropolitan areas, magnitude and signs of changes due to urban areas, etc.;
4)    Summaries results of the exercise in a form of an oral presentation (max 15 minutes).

Literature List:
Before the Summer School, the students should read, at least, the first 3 required papers; the three other papers are highly recommended to read to be useful for the discussions/talks; the additional readings might be useful too.

REQUIRED READINGS:

Korsholm U.S., A. Baklanov, A. Gross, A. Mahura, B.H. Sass, E. Kaas, 2008: Online coupled chemical weather forecasting based on HIRLAM – overview and prospective of Enviro-HIRLAM. HIRLAM Newsletter, 54: 1-17.
Baklanov A., Mahura A., Nielsen N.W., C. Petersen, 2005: Approaches for urbanization of DMI–HIRLAM NWP model. HIRLAM Newsletter 49: 61-75.
Mahura A., Petersen C., Baklanov A., B. Amstrup, U.S. Korsholm, K. Sattler, 2008: Verification of long-term DMI–HIRLAM NWP model runs using urbanization and building effect parameterization modules. HIRLAM HIRLAM Newsletter 53: 50-60.

RECOMMENDED READINGS:

Martilli, A., Clappier, A., and Rotach, M. W., 2002: An Urban Surface Exchange Parameterisation for Mesoscale Models, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 104: 261-304.
Dupont S., P. Mestayer, 2006:  Parameterization of the Urban Energy Budget with the Submesoscale Soil Model. J. of Appl. Meteor.  and Climat., 45: 1744-1765.
Dupont S.,  P.G. Mestayer,  E. Guilloteau,  E. Berthier, H. Andrieu, 2006: Parameterization of the Urban Water Budget with the Submesoscale Soil Model. J. of Appl. Meteor.  and Climat., 45: 624-648.

ADDITIONAL READINGS:

Baklanov A., P. Mestayer, A. Clappier, S. Zilitinkevich, S. Joffre, A. Mahura, N. W. Nielsen, 2008: Towards improving the simulation of meteorological fields in urban areas through updated/advanced surface fluxes description. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 8: 523-543.
Mahura A., S. Leroyer, P. Mestayer, I. Calmet, S. Dupont, N. Long, A. Baklanov, C. Petersen, K. Sattler, N. W. Nielsen, 2005: Large eddy simulation of urban features for Copenhagen metropolitan area. Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 5: 11183–11213.