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: [email protected]
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)