Determination of the Atmospheric Boundary-Layer within the Urban Environment(<Special Issue>Environmental Flows)

In this paper, novel mathematical methods are implemented. In particular a mesh refinement technique is developed that allows the larger scale topographical effects on the atmospheric boundary-layer to be taken into account, yet still enabling the fine resolution of the boundary-layer within the smaller scale of the urban environment, as well as a parameterisation for urban effects. In the latter, the surface roughness is included through additional drag terms within the Navier-Stokes equations. A surface energy budget equation is solved using a force-restore method to obtain a ground surface temperature. It is shown that this method allows the diurnal and yearly variation of the structure of the atmospheric boundary-layer to be accounted for within the model. The combined effects of all these features enable the resolution of the atmospheric boundary-layer within the urban canopy and also the surrounding area to be obtained.