Title: Urban boundary layer simulations of sea-breeze over Marseille during the ESCOMPTE experiment

Authors: Sylvie Leroyer, Isabelle Calmet, Patrice G. Mestayer

Addresses: Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides, UMR CNRS 6598 Ecole Centrale de Nantes, BP 92101, F-44321 Nantes Cedex 3, France. ' Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides, UMR CNRS 6598 Ecole Centrale de Nantes, BP 92101, F-44321 Nantes Cedex 3, France. ' Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides, UMR CNRS 6598 Ecole Centrale de Nantes, BP 92101, F-44321 Nantes Cedex 3, France

Abstract: Numerical simulations of the urban atmosphere of Marseille during the UBL/ESCOMPTE experiment that took place in June–July 2001 are presented. The atmospheric model is the SUBMESO version with grid-nesting, coupled to the urban soil model SM2U, with new parameterisations for sea surface and lateral boundary forcing. Urban characteristics are reproduced with a high degree of realism through a land-use/morphology analysis of Marseille urban fabric. The simulations of the intense observation period IOP2b, characterised by land/sea-breeze regimes, are confronted against measurements to validate the set of models. The 25 June meteorological situation is analysed in detail and a sensitivity study to the city representation is conducted to highlight the city influence on the flow dynamics, especially the urban heat island process and the wind field alterations.

Keywords: urban boundary layer; numerical simulation; topography; grid nesting; soil model; urban classification; turbulent fluxes; sea breezes; urban heat island; France; Marseille; atmospheric modelling; flow dynamics; air quality; air pollution; dispersion modelling; pollutant dispersion; sea-city interactions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.030887

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.40 No.1/2/3, pp.109 - 122

Published online: 11 Jan 2010 *

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