scholarly journals Early Monsoon Time Local Flow Characteristics over the Hetauda Valley and its Implications

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Acharya ◽  
S. Neupane ◽  
R. Shrestha ◽  
C. Chapagain ◽  
P. Acharya ◽  
...  

The early monsoon time atmospheric transport processes over the Hetauda valley, the closest low-land that accommodates the third largest industrial district of Nepal, has been studied with the application of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Modeling System initialized with NCEP meteorological and USGS terrain elevation and land-use data. The study reveals that the mixing layer over the Hetauda valley may evolve as much as 3 km above the surface during the afternoon time. The near surface atmosphere of the valley appears very weakly stratified even in the early morning time indicating that prevailing meteorology over the valley favors efficient dispersion of air pollutants. The study also reveals that the daytime upslope winds over the Hetauda valley and associated northern mountains effectively intrude into the Kathmandu valley enhancing the southwesterly and northwesterly wind system of the valley. Intrusion of local flows appears to be accompanied with the excitation of mountain waves and plain-to-plateau wind. Formation of lowlevel rotors over the Hetauda valley, excitation of mountain waves and the strong downdrafts over the southwestern part of the Kathmandu valley may put aircrafts into high risk. The pattern of local flow fields strongly suggest that the increase emissions over the Hetauda valley can have significant help to further deteriorate the already unhealthy air of Kathmandu.Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2014, 19(2): 109-117

Fluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Ruben J. Paredes ◽  
Maria T. Quintuña ◽  
Mijail Arias-Hidalgo ◽  
Raju Datla

The safety of underwater operation depends on the accuracy of its speed logs which depends on the location of its probe and the calibration thoroughness. Thus, probes are placed in areas where the flow of water is smooth, continuous, without high velocity gradients, air bubbles, or vortical structures. In the present work, the flow around two different submarines is numerically described in deep-water and near-surface conditions to identify hull zones where probes could be installed. First, the numerical setup of a multiphase solver supplied with OpenFOAM v7 was verified and validated using the DARPA SUBOFF-5470 submarine at scaled model including the hull and sail configuration at H/D=5.4 and Fr=0.466. Later, the grid sensitivity of the resistance was assessed for the full-scale Type 209/1300 submarine at H/D=0.347 and Fr=0.194. Free-surface effect on resistance and flow characteristics was evaluated by comparing different operational conditions. Results shows that the bow and near free-surface regions should be avoided due to high flow velocity gradient, pressure fluctuations, and large turbulent vortical structures. Moreover, free-surface effect is stronger close to the bow nose. In conclusion, the probe could be installed in the acceleration region where the local flow velocity is 15% higher than the navigation speed at surface condition. A 4% correction factor should be applied to the probe readings to compensate free-surface effect.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 8157-8176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mues ◽  
Maheswar Rupakheti ◽  
Christoph Münkel ◽  
Axel Lauer ◽  
Heiko Bozem ◽  
...  

Abstract. In this study 1 year of ceilometer measurements taken in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, in the framework of the SusKat project (A Sustainable Atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley) were analysed to investigate the diurnal variation of the mixing layer height (MLH) and its dependency on the meteorological conditions. In addition, the impact of the MLH on the temporal variation and the magnitude of the measured black carbon concentrations are analysed for each season. Based on the assumption that black carbon aerosols are vertically well mixed within the mixing layer and the finding that the mixing layer varies only little during night time and morning hours, black carbon emission fluxes are estimated for these hours and per month. Even though this method is relatively simple, it can give an observationally based first estimate of the black carbon emissions in this region, especially illuminating the seasonal cycle of the emission fluxes. The monthly minimum median MLH values typically range between 150 and 200 m during night and early morning hours, the monthly maximum median values between 625 m in July and 1460 m in March. Seasonal differences are not only found in the absolute MLHs, but also in the duration of the typical daytime maximum ranging between 2 and 3 h in January and 6–7 h in May. During the monsoon season a diurnal cycle has been observed with the smallest amplitude (typically between 400 and 500 m), with the lowest daytime mixing height of all seasons (maximum monthly median values typically between 600 and 800 m), and also the highest night-time and early morning mixing height of all seasons (minimum monthly median values typically between 200 and 220 m). These characteristics can mainly be explained with the frequently present clouds and the associated reduction in incoming solar radiation and outgoing longwave radiation. In general, the black carbon concentrations show a clear anticorrelation with MLH measurements, although this relation is less pronounced in the monsoon season. The daily evolution of the black carbon diurnal cycle differs between the seasons, partly due to the different meteorological conditions including the MLH. Other important reasons are the different main emission sources and their diurnal variations in the individual seasons. The estimation of the black carbon emission flux for the morning hours show a clear seasonal cycle with maximum values in December to April. Compared to the emission flux values provided by different emission databases for this region, the estimated values here are considerably higher. Several possible sources of uncertainty are considered, and even the absolute lower bound of the emissions based on our methodology is higher than in most emissions datasets, providing strong evidence that the black carbon emissions for this region have likely been underestimated in modelling studies thus far.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangita Maharjan ◽  
Ram P. Regmi

Kathmandu valley has seen visible transformations in its intrinsic climate in recent decades. The atmosphere of the Kathmandu valley has become increasingly uncomfortable, unhealthy and more susceptible to, so far, unanticipated viral and other diseases. The lack of spatial distribution and temporal variation of potential climatic parameters as well as future scenarios have given rise to serious uncertainties with respect to climate change and development of adaptation strategies for sustainable climate of the valley and beyond. An accurate assessment and gridded documentation of prevailing climate at desired resolution is instrumental. Present study has been carried out to develop a high-resolution gridded map of near surface temperature and humidity for Kathmandu valley and its immediate surrounding areas as a starting point to address the foreseen problem of climate change and adaptation. Grid based seasonal and annual distribution map of near surface temperature and humidity have been developed as predicted by numerical simulation at horizontal resolution of 1km2 with the application of WRF Modeling System initializing with NCEP meteorological and USGS land use and terrain elevation data. Model predictions agree well with the available observation data.Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2014, 19(1): 7-13


2019 ◽  
Vol 867 ◽  
pp. 438-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Watteaux ◽  
G. Sardina ◽  
L. Brandt ◽  
D. Iudicone

We present a study of Lagrangian intermittency and its characteristic time scales. Using the concepts of flying and diving residence times above and below a given threshold in the magnitude of turbulence quantities, we infer the time spectra of the Lagrangian temporal fluctuations of dissipation, acceleration and enstrophy by means of a direct numerical simulation in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence. We then relate these time scales, first, to the presence of extreme events in turbulence and, second, to the local flow characteristics. Analyses confirm the existence in turbulent quantities of holes mirroring bursts, both of which are at the core of what constitutes Lagrangian intermittency. It is shown that holes are associated with quiescent laminar regions of the flow. Moreover, Lagrangian holes occur over few Kolmogorov time scales while Lagrangian bursts happen over longer periods scaling with the global decorrelation time scale, hence showing that loss of the history of the turbulence quantities along particle trajectories in turbulence is not continuous. Such a characteristic partially explains why current Lagrangian stochastic models fail at reproducing our results. More generally, the Lagrangian dataset of residence times shown here represents another manner for qualifying the accuracy of models. We also deliver a theoretical approximation of mean residence times, which highlights the importance of the correlation between turbulence quantities and their time derivatives in setting temporal statistics. Finally, whether in a hole or a burst, the straining structure along particle trajectories always evolves self-similarly (in a statistical sense) from shearless two-dimensional to shear bi-axial configurations. We speculate that this latter configuration represents the optimum manner to dissipate locally the available energy.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Yu Shi ◽  
Lei Liu ◽  
Fei Hu ◽  
Guangqiang Fan ◽  
Juntao Huo

To investigate the evolution of the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) and its impacts on the vertical distributions of pollutant particulates, a combination of in situ observations from a large tethered balloon, remote sensing instruments (aerosol lidar and Doppler wind lidar) and an atmospheric environment-monitoring vehicle were utilized. The observation site was approximately 100 km southwest of Beijing, the capital of China. Results show that a considerable proportion of pollutant particulates were still suspended in the residual layer (RL) (e.g., the nitrate concentration reached 30 μg m−3) after sunset. The NBL height calculated by the aerosol lidar was closer to the top of the RL before midnight because of the pollutants stored aloft in the RL and the shallow surface inversion layer; after midnight, the NBL height was more consistent with the top of the surface inversion layer. As the convective mixing layer gradually became established after sunrise the following day, the pollutants stored in the nocturnal RL of the preceding night were entrained downward into the mixing layer. The early morning PM2.5 concentration near 700 m in the RL on 20 December decreased by 83% compared with the concentration at 13:34 on 20 December at the same height. The nitrate concentration also decreased significantly in the RL, and the mixing down of nitrate from the RL could contribute about 37% to the nitrate in the mixing layer. Turbulence activities still existed in the RL with the bulk Richardson number (Rb) below the threshold value. The corresponding increase in PM2.5 was likely to be correlated with the weak turbulence in the RL in the early morning.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 2811-2832 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Zhang ◽  
H. Wan ◽  
M. Zhang ◽  
B. Wang

Abstract. The radioactive species radon (222Rn) has long been used as a test tracer for the numerical simulation of large scale transport processes. In this study, radon transport experiments are carried out using an atmospheric GCM with a finite-difference dynamical core, the van Leer type FFSL advection algorithm, and two state-of-the-art cumulus convection parameterization schemes. Measurements of surface concentration and vertical distribution of radon collected from the literature are used as references in model evaluation. The simulated radon concentrations using both convection schemes turn out to be consistent with earlier studies with many other models. Comparison with measurements indicates that at the locations where significant seasonal variations are observed in reality, the model can reproduce both the monthly mean surface radon concentration and the annual cycle quite well. At those sites where the seasonal variation is not large, the model is able to give a correct magnitude of the annual mean. In East Asia, where radon simulations are rarely reported in the literature, detailed analysis shows that our results compare reasonably well with the observations. The most evident changes caused by the use of a different convection scheme are found in the vertical distribution of the tracer. The scheme associated with weaker upward transport gives higher radon concentration up to about 6 km above the surface, and lower values in higher altitudes. In the lower part of the atmosphere results from this scheme does not agree as well with the measurements as the other scheme. Differences from 6 km to the model top are even larger, although we are not yet able to tell which simulation is better due to the lack of observations at such high altitudes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 131-133 ◽  
pp. 425-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anis M. Saad ◽  
Oleg Velichko ◽  
Yu P. Shaman ◽  
Adam Barcz ◽  
Andrzej Misiuk ◽  
...  

The silicon substrates were hydrogenated at approximately room temperature and hydrogen concentration profiles vs. depth have been measured by SIMS. Czochralski grown (CZ) wafers, both n- and p-type conductivity, were used in the experiments under consideration. For analysis of hydrogen transport processes and quasichemical reactions the model of hydrogen atoms diffusion and quasichemical reactions is proposed and the set of equations is obtained. The developed model takes into account the formation of bound hydrogen in the near surface region, hydrogen transport as a result of diffusion of hydrogen molecules 2 H , diffusion of metastable complexes * 2 H and diffusion of nonequilibrium hydrogen atoms. Interaction of 2 H with oxygen atoms and formation of immobile complexes “oxygen atom - hydrogen molecule” (O - H2 ) is also taken into account to explain the hydrogen concentration profiles in the substrates of n-type conductivity. The computer simulation based on the proposed equations has shown a good agreement of the calculated hydrogen profiles with the experimental data and has allowed receiving a value of the hydrogen molecules diffusivity at room temperature.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Dietze ◽  
F. Maussion ◽  
M. Ahlborn ◽  
B. Diekmann ◽  
K. Hartmann ◽  
...  

Abstract. Grain-size distributions offer powerful proxies of past environmental conditions that are related to sediment sorting processes. However, they are often of multimodal character because sediments can get mixed during deposition. To facilitate the use of grain size as palaeoenvironmental proxy, this study aims to distinguish the main detrital processes that contribute to lacustrine sedimentation across the Tibetan Plateau using grain-size end-member modelling analysis. Between three and five robust grain-size end-member subpopulations were distinguished at different sites from similarly–likely end-member model runs. Their main modes were grouped and linked to common sediment transport and depositional processes that can be associated with contemporary Tibetan climate (precipitation patterns and lake ice phenology, gridded wind and shear stress data from the High Asia Reanalysis) and local catchment configurations. The coarse sands and clays with grain-size modes >250 μm and <2 μm were probably transported by fluvial processes. Aeolian sands (~200 μm) and coarse local dust (~60 μm), transported by saltation and in near-surface suspension clouds, are probably related to occasional westerly storms in winter and spring. Coarse regional dust with modes ~25 μm may derive from near-by sources that keep in longer term suspension. The continuous background dust is differentiated into two robust end members (modes: 5–10 and 2–5 μm) that may represent different sources, wind directions and/or sediment trapping dynamics from long-range, upper-level westerly and episodic northerly wind transport. According to this study grain-size end members of only fluvial origin contribute small amounts to mean Tibetan lake sedimentation (19± 5%), whereas local to regional aeolian transport and background dust deposition dominate the clastic sedimentation in Tibetan lakes (contributions: 42 ± 14% and 51 ± 11%). However, fluvial and alluvial reworking of aeolian material from nearby slopes during summer seems to limit end-member interpretation and should be crosschecked with other proxy information. If not considered as a stand-alone proxy, a high transferability to other regions and sediment archives allows helpful reconstructions of past sedimentation history.


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