Assessment of Localized Urban Climates

and Associations with Air Pollution and

Synoptic Weather Patterns

Aaron Hardin, MS Candidate, Texas Tech University

Jennifer Vanos, PhDAssistant Professor of Atmospheric ScienceTexas Tech University

November 6, 2014. Urbanization and Global Environmental Change

Objectives

• Study the spatiotemporal differences in the surface UHI development and intensity, while different synoptic weather types are present, using meso-scale UrbaNet stations.

• Examine spatiotemporal differences between different stations to learn where the hottest regions in each city are.

• Determine what potential associations exist between differential urban heating & air pollution, + health effects.

UrbaNet Data

• Observational surface research network run by NOAA and Earth Networks, Inc. in 17 different cities in the U.S.

• Data from 2006 through 2013

• 5min or 60min averages of 19 different variables

• Very high spatial and temporal resolution.

• Instruments used: propeller and vane anemometer, temp/RH probe, and tipping bucket rain gauge.

Temp, RH,

Pressure

Wind Velocity

Source: http://madis.noaa.gov/urbanet.html

Baltimore, 125 stations

Daytime/Nighttime UHI

Nighttime UHI Baltimore/Boston 2006-2013

Variation in Heating

Application of Results

Air Pollution Variations by Site: Summer 2007

1

2

3

July 2007 Variations 1

2

3

Conclusions/Future Work

• Largest heat islands occur when dry weather type present.

• Most intense heat islands occur at night, moisture plays a role in weather type with largest UHI at night.

• DT hottest in urban area, MT+ hottest over entire area.

• Ability to see spatial variability of urban heating in very high detail.

• Potential to consider other meteorological variables (e.g. wind and humidity) in analysis.

• UrbaNet combined with air pollution sensors can support operational meteorologists for more localized forecasts.

Thanks! Questions?Email: Aaron.Hardin@ttu.edu

Average DT Day Boston

Human Energy Budget Modeling

Absorbed Radiation (RRT)

Metabolism (M)(Mnet = M − W)

Evaporation (E)

Emitted LW Radiation (Lemit)

Convective Heat (C)

RRT

BUDGET (W m-2) = Mnet + RRT – C – E – LemitBUDGET (W m-2) = Mnet + RRT – C – E – Lemit

Fiala et al., (1999)