Title: Experimental study of turbulence and vertical temperature profile in the urban boundary layer

Authors: Hitoshi Kono; Satsuki Watanabe; Yoshinori Iwai; Yoshiki Ito; Tomokazu Aoki; Dai Tamura; Takashi Adachi

Addresses: University of Hyogo, School of Human Sciences and Environment, 1-1-12 Shinzaike-honcho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, 670-0092, Japan ' University of Hyogo, School of Human Sciences and Environment, 1-1-12 Shinzaike-honcho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, 670-0092, Japan ' Sonic Corporation, 19-6 Higashimatsubara, Hakonegasaki, Mizuho-cho, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo, 190-1295, Japan ' Sonic Corporation, 19-6 Higashimatsubara, Hakonegasaki, Mizuho-cho, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo, 190-1295, Japan ' Japan Meteorological Corporation, 2-7-6 Saiwai-cho, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City, 556-0021, Japan ' Tokyo Kyuei Co. Ltd., 6906-10 Shiba, Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, 333-0866, Japan ' Japan Weather Association, Sunshine-60 bldg., 55th floor, 3-1-1, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-6055 Japan

Abstract: We observed the turbulence and vertical profile of temperature in and above the roughness sublayer (RS) using a tower, a tethered balloon and a Doppler sodar in Himeji City. A 3-D ultrasonic anemometer-thermometer was sited at a height of 54 m on the tower. The present results showed that in the RS, the ratio of friction velocity to wind speed, u* /u, observed under unstable conditions of −4.2 < z′/L < −0.5 were close to those under neutral conditions, where z′ = z − d; the displacement height of d = 2 m; L is the Monin-Obkhov stability length. In addition, σw/u* were lower than the universal function presented by Panofsky et al. (1977). The cross correlation coefficients for u′w′ and T′w′ under neutral and unstable conditions were also studied.

Keywords: correlation coefficient; Doppler sodar; field observation; Monin-Obukhov similarity theory; roughness sublayers; towers; turbulence; unstable conditions; urban areas; vertical temperature profile; urban boundary layers; friction velocity; wind speed; air pollution; air quality; dispersion modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2011.047347

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2011 Vol.47 No.1/2/3/4, pp.337 - 347

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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