scholarly journals Influence of the local urban environment on the thermo-radiative and hydrological behaviour of a garden lawn

Author(s):  
Aude Lemonsu ◽  
Cécile de Munck ◽  
Emilie Redon ◽  
Valéry Masson ◽  
Pascal Keravec ◽  
...  

Abstract Several urban canopy models now incorporate urban vegetation to represent local urban cooling related to natural soils and plants evapotranspiration. Nevertheless, little is known about the realism of simulating these processes and turbulent exchanges within the urban canopy. Here, the coupled modelling of thermal and hydrological exchanges was investigated for a lawn located in an urban environment, and for which soil temperature and water content measurements were available. The ISBA-DF surface-vegetation-atmosphere transfer model is inline coupled to the TEB urban canopy model to model mixed urban environments. For the present case study, ISBA-DF was applied to the lawn and first evaluated in its default configuration. Particular attention was then paid to the parameterization of turbulent exchanges above the lawn, and to the description of soil characteristics. The results highlighted the importance of taking into account local roughness related to surrounding obstacles for computing the turbulent exchanges over the lawn, and simulating realistic surface and soil temperatures. The soil nature and texture vertical heterogeneity are also key properties for simulating the soil water content evolution and water exchanges.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Debbage ◽  
J. Marshall Shepherd

Abstract The 2009 Atlanta flood was a historic event that resulted in catastrophic damage throughout the metropolitan area. The flood was the product of several hydrometeorological processes, including moist antecedent conditions, ample atmospheric moisture, and mesoscale training. Additionally, previous studies hypothesized that the urban environment of Atlanta altered the location and/or overall quantities of precipitation and runoff that ultimately produced the flood. This hypothesis was quantitatively evaluated by conducting a modeling case study that utilized the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. Two model runs were performed: 1) an urban run designed to accurately depict the flood event and 2) a nonurban simulation where the urban footprint of Atlanta was replaced with natural vegetation. Comparing the output from the two simulations revealed that interactions with the urban environment enhanced the precipitation and runoff associated with the flood. Specifically, the nonurban model underestimated the cumulative precipitation by approximately 100 mm in the area downwind of Atlanta where urban rainfall enhancement was hypothesized. This notable difference was due to the increased surface convergence observed in the urban simulation, which was likely attributable to the enhanced surface roughness and thermal properties of the urban environment. The findings expand upon previous research focused on urban rainfall effects since they demonstrate that urban interactions can influence mesoscale hydrometeorological characteristics during events with prominent synoptic-scale forcing. Finally, from an urban planning perspective, the results highlight a potential two-pronged vulnerability of urban environments to extreme rainfall, as they may enhance both the initial precipitation and subsequent runoff.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 100301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankit Garg ◽  
Vinay Kumar Gadi ◽  
Yi-Cheng Feng ◽  
Peng Lin ◽  
Wang Qinhua ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8347
Author(s):  
Letizia Appolloni ◽  
Alberto Giretti ◽  
Maria Vittoria Corazza ◽  
Daniela D’Alessandro

Background. The salutogenicity of urban environments is significantly affected by their ergonomics, i.e., by the quality of the interactions between citizens and the elements of the built environment. Measuring and modelling urban ergonomics is thus a key issue to provide urban policy makers with planning solutions to increase the well-being, usability and safety of the urban environment. However, this is a difficult task due to the complexity of the interrelations between the urban environment and human activities. The paper contributes to the definition of a generalized model of urban ergonomics and salutogenicity, focusing on walkability, by discussing the relevant parameters from the large and variegated sets proposed in the literature, by discussing the emerging model structure from a data mining process, by considering the background of the relevant functional dependency already established in the literature, and by providing evidence of the solutions’ effectiveness. The methodology is developed for a case study in central Italy, with a focus on the mobility issue, which is a catalyst to generate more salutogenic and sustainable behaviors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iara Gonçalves dos Santos ◽  
Thomas Auer ◽  
Roberta Vieira Gonçalves de Souza

Abstract Studies using metrics related to dynamic sky conditions for indoor daylight performance assessment in urban environment are rare in tropical latitudes. This study applied one of these metrics, the spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA 300,50% ≥75%, IES LM 83-12) for Cuiabá (15ºS, 56ºW, Brazil), a savanna climate city with a high frequency of partly cloudy skies. Parametric simulations were used to investigate the availability of daylight in dense urban areas. So daylight conditions inside a reference room with varied depths located within a continuous urban canyon were simulated with Radiance/Daysim in Grasshopper/Honeybee. Dimensions of the street and heights of front buildings (obstructions) are also varied in order to observe the relation between the sky angle and the sDA, for the four main cardinal directions. The results of regression analysis for this case study showed that among all evaluated parameters, room depth tended to be the most relevant for the optimization of indoor daylight. Finally, limitations of this approach and opportunities for further investigations were discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 385
Author(s):  
Chris Fair ◽  
Ricardo Flores ◽  
Eamonn Montague ◽  
Bilal Hakim ◽  
Soumitra Nande ◽  
...  

The common use of high-resolution tree gauges and downhole permanent pressure/temperature gauges has made it possible to use the measured pressure drop in the wellbore to directly and accurately calculate the gas rate. This is accomplished by first combining an equation of state with a dynamic heat transfer model to create a phase-thermal model (PTM). The PTM is then integrated with a direct solution to the mechanical energy balance (MEB) for flow in pipes. The results obtained using this technique can be as accurate as, or in some cases more accurate than, conventional rate measurements. Since the wellbore may also be used for fluid density validation, the effective gas gravity (an input for many conventional flow rate calculations) may also be determined during shut-ins and used as an input to improve the accuracy of meter provers. The purpose of this paper is to explain the physics behind the gas rate calculation and to present case study results from the implementation of this method in both real-time and historic data processing. The paper will also discuss the limitations of this method and the range of potential applications.


Author(s):  
Jorge E. González ◽  
Estatio Gutierrez

Recent trends for denser cities and associated levels of human activity reflected in energy demands are requiring new ways for quantifying human environmental impacts in cities. There is little information on human-induced environmental heat fluxes from very dense urban environments, and far less information on the anthropogenic sensible/latent heat flux partition. To address this, a surface energy model that takes into account evaporation from impervious surfaces and from cooling towers from buildings was implemented in the multilayer urban canopy model (BEP+BEM) of the Weather Forecasting Research (WRF) model to estimate the overall sensible/latent heat fluxes from urban surfaces and from air condition (A/C) systems from buildings in complex urban environments. The scenario used as case study was New York City (NYC) during summers (2010 & 2013). Urban canopy parameters from the Department of City Planning of NYC were assimilated into WRF with BEP+BEM at 250 meters horizontal resolution to have an accurate representation of the city topology. The modeling approach was calibrated with surface weather stations in NYC showing general good agreement with slight tendency to overestimate maximum temperatures and underestimate moisture content at nighttime. The A/C component was estimated in 150W/m2 latent heat due to cooling towers, and close to 40 W/m2 in sensible. Evaporative cooling technology diminishes between 80 and 90% the amount of sensible heat which is transformed into latent heat. Impacts of anthropogenic in the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) reflect warm season increases in the PBL height, and significant increases of atmospheric instability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saranya Banerjee ◽  
Deepshikha Ray

Twin studies have mostly focused on the pattern of maladaptive behaviour manifested by the twins and their biological basis but the findings have remained controversial till date. The present case study explores the psychopathology in 14 year old twins of Indian origin. They were referred for psychometric assessment and psychotherapy for their conduct problems. The tools administered on them during psychometric assessment are Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV (WISC-IV), Rorschach Inkblot Test (RIBT) and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Findings are discussed in terms of the personality processes and relationship quality of the twins.


2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Magnavita ◽  
Norbert Schleifer

In the last decades, geophysical methods such as magnetic survey have become a common technique for prospecting archaeological sites. At sub-Saharan archaeological sites, however, magnetic survey and correlated techniques never came into broad use and there are no signs for an immediate change of this situation. This paper examines the magnetic survey undertaken on the Nigerian site of Zilum, a settlement of the Gajiganna Culture (ca 1800-400 BC) located in the Chad Basin and dated to ca 600-400 BC. By means of the present case study, we demonstrate the significance of this particular type of investigation in yielding complementary data for understanding the character of prehistoric settlements. In conclusion, we point out that geophysical methods should play a more important role in modern archaeological field research, as they furnish a class of documentation not achievable by traditional survey and excavation methods, thus creating new perspectives for interpreting the past of African societies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Teresa Paiva

Background: The theoretical background of this article is on the model developed of knowledge transfer between universities and the industry in order to access the best practices and adapt to the study case in question regarding the model of promoting and manage innovation within the universities that best contribute with solution and projects to the business field. Objective: The development of a knowledge transfer model is the main goal of this article, supported in the best practices known and, also, to reflect in the main measurement definitions to evaluate the High Education Institution performance in this area. Methods: The method for this article development is the case study method because it allows the fully understanding of the dynamics present within a single setting, and the subject examined to comprehend what is being done and what the dynamics mean. The case study does not have a data collection method, as it is a research that may rely on multiple sources of evidence and data which should be converged. Results: Since it’s a case study this article present a fully description of the model proposed and implemented for the knowledge transfer process of the institution. Conclusion: Still in a discussion phase, this article presents as conclusions some questions and difficulties that could be pointed out, as well as some good perspectives of performed activity developed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourenildo W.B. Leite ◽  
J. Mann ◽  
Wildney W.S. Vieira

ABSTRACT. The present case study results from a consistent processing and imaging of marine seismic data from a set collected over sedimentary basins of the East Brazilian Atlantic. Our general aim is... RESUMO. O presente artigo resulta de um processamento e imageamento consistentes de dados sísmicos marinhos de levantamento realizado em bacias sedimentares do Atlântico do Nordeste...


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