References

ACP

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ACP

1680-7324

Copernicus GmbH

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/acp-7-1835-2007

Mesoscale circulations over complex terrain in the Valencia coastal region, Spain – Part 1: Simulation of diurnal circulation regimes

Pérez-Landa

¹ Ciais

² Sanz

M. J.

¹ Gioli

³ Miglietta

³ Palau

J. L.

¹ Gangoiti

⁴ Millán

M. M.

Fundación CEAM. Parque Tecnológico, c/o Charles R. Darwin 14, 46980 Paterna (Valencia), Spain

Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, UMR Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique/CNRS 1572, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

IBIMET-CNR, Instituto di Biometeorologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Firenze, Italy

Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales de Bilbao, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain

16 04 2007

7 7 1835 1849

This is an open-access article ditributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

This article is available from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/1835/2007/acp-7-1835-2007.html

The full text article is available as a PDF file from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/1835/2007/acp-7-1835-2007.pdf

We collected ground-based and aircraft vertical profile measurements of meteorological parameters during a 2-week intensive campaign over the Valencia basin, in order to understand how mesoscale circulations develop over complex terrain and affect the atmospheric transport of tracers. A high-resolution version of the RAMS model was run to simulate the campaign and characterize the diurnal patterns of the flow regime: night-time katabatic drainage, morning sea-breeze development and its subsequent coupling with mountain up-slopes, and evening flow-veering under larger-scale interactions. An application of this mesoscale model to the transport of CO<sub>2</sub> is given in a companion paper. A careful evaluation of the model performances against diverse meteorological observations is carried out. Despite the complexity of the processes interacting with each other, and the uncertainties on modeled soil moisture boundary conditions and turbulence parameterizations, we show that it is possible to simulate faithfully the contrasted flow regimes during the course of one day, especially the inland progression and organization of the sea breeze. This gives confidence with respect to future applicability of mesoscale models to establish a reliable link between surface sources of tracers and their atmospheric concentration signals over complex terrain.

References 1

Anderson, J. R., Hardy, E. E., Roach, J. T., and Witmer, R. E.: A land use and land cover classification system for use with remote sensor data, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 964, Government Printing Office, Washington D.C., Available on-line http://landcover.usgs.gov/pdf/anderson.pdf, 1976.

Attane, I. and Courbage, Y.: Demography in the Mediterranean region. Plan Bleu. Paris, Economica, available on-line http://www.planbleu.org/publications/demo_uk_part1.pdf, 2004 .

Aubinet, M., Grelle, A., Ibrom,A., Rannik, U., Moncrieff, J., Foken, T., Kowalski, A. S., Martin, P. H., Berbigier, P., Bernhofer, C., Clement, R., Elbers, J., Granier, A., Grunwald, T., Morgenstern, K., Pilegaard, K., Rebmann, C., Snijders, W., Valentini, R., and Vesala, T.: Estimates of the annual net carbon and water exchange of European forests: the EUROFLUX methodology, Adv. Ecol. Res., 30, 113–175, 2000.

Badenas, C., Caselles, V., Estrela, M. J., and Marchuet R.: Some improvements on the processes to obtain accurate maps of sea surface temperature from AVHRR raw data transmitted in real time. Part. 1. HRPT images, Int. J. Rem. Sens., 18, 1743–1767, 1997.

Baklanov, A., Batchvarova, E., Calmet, I., Clappier, A., Chordá, J. V., Diéguez, J. J., Dupont, S., Fay, B., Fragkou, E., Hamdi, R., Kitwiroon, N., Leroyer, S., Long, N., Mahura, A., Mestayer, P., Nielsen, N. W., Palau, J. L., Pérez-Landa, G., Penelon, T., Rantamäki, M., Schayes G., and Sokhi, R. S.: Improved parameterisations of urban atmospheric sublayer and urban physiographic data classification, D4.1, 4.2 and 4.5 FUMAPEX Report, edited by: Baklanov, A. and Mestayer, P., DMI, Denmark, DMI Scientific Report: #04-05, ISBN nr. 87-7478-506-0., 2004.

Betts, A. K. and Ball J. H.: The FIFE surface diurnal cycle climate, J. Geophys. Res., 100(D12), 25 679–25 694, 1995.

Caplan, P., Derber, J., Gemmill, W., Hong, S. Y., Pan, H. L., and Parish, D.: Changes to the NCEP operational medium-range forecast model analysis/forecast system, Weat. Forecasting, 12, 581–594, 1997.

CEC (Commission of the European Communities): CORINE Land cover, Guide Technique, Brussels, Available on-line, http://reports.eea.eu.int/COR0-landcover/en, 1995.

Chang, Y. S., Carmichael, G. R., Kurita, H., and Ueda, H.: The transport and formation of photochemical oxidants in Central Japan, Atmos. Environ., 23, 363–393, 1989.

Chen, C. and Cotton, W. R.: A one-dimensional simulation of the stratocumulus-capped mixed layer, Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 25, 289–321, 1983.

De Wekker, S. F. J., Steyn, D. G., Fast, J. D., Rotach, M. W., and Zhong, S.: The performance of RAMS in representing the convective boundary layer structure in a very steep valley, Environ. Fluid Mech., 5, 35–62, 2005.

Gangoiti, G., Millán, M. M., Salvador, R., and Mantilla, E.: Long-range transport and re-circulation of pollutants in the western Mediterranean, during the project Regional Cycles of Air Pollution in the West-Central Mediterranean Area, Atmos. Environ., 35, 6267–6276, 2001.

Georgiadis, T., Giovanelli, G., and Fortezza, F.: Vertical layering of photochemical ozone during land-sea breeze transport, Il Nuovo Cimento, 17, 371–375, 1994.

Gioli, B., Miglietta, F., De Martino, B., Hutjes, R. W. A., Dolman, H. A. J., Lindroth, A., Schumacher, M., Sanz, M. J., Manca, G., Peressotti, A., and Dumas, E. J.: Comparison between tower and aircraft-based eddy covariance fluxes in five European regions, Agric. For. Meteorol., 127, 1–16, 2004.

Hanna, S. R. and Yang, R.: Evaluations of mesoscale model simulations of near-surface winds, temperature gradients, and mixing depths, J. Appl. Meteorol., 40, 1095–1104, 2001.

Jacobson, M. Z.: Effects of soil moisture on temperatures, winds, and pollutant concentrations in Los Angeles, J. Appl. Meteorol., 38, 607–616, 1999.

Kallos, G., Kotroni, V., Lagouvardos, K., and Papadopoulos, A.: On the long-range transport of air pollutants from Europe to Africa, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25(5), 619–622, 1998.

Koster, R. D. and Milly, P. C. D.: The interplay between transpiration and runoff formulations in land surface schemes used with atmospheric models, J. Climate, 10(7), 1578–1591, 1997.

Lalas, D. P., Tombrou-Tsella, M., Petrakis, M., Asimakopoulos, D. N., and Helmis, C.: An experimental study of the horizontal and vertical distribution of ozone at Athens, Atmos. Environ., 21, 2681–2693, 1987.

Lanicci, J. M., Carlson, T. N., and Warner, T. T.: Sensitivity of the Great Plains severe-storm environment to soil-moisture distribution, Mon. Wea. Rev., 115, 2660–2673, 1987.

Lu, R. and Turco, R. P.: Air pollutant transport in a coastal environment. Part I. Two-dimensional simulations of sea-breeze and mountain effects, J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2285–2308, 1994.

Mahfouf, J. F.: Analysis of Soil Moisture from Near-Surface Parameters: A Feasibility Study, J. Appl. Meteorol., 30, 1534–1547, 1991.

McKendry, I. G., Steyn, D. G., Lundgren, J., Hoff, R. M., Strapp, W., Anlauf, K., Froude, F., Martin, J. B., Banta, R. M., and Olivier, L. D.: Elevated ozone layers and vertical downmixing over the Lower Fraser Valley, BC, Atmos. Environ., 31, 2135–2146, 1997.

Mellor, G. L. and Yamada, T.: Development of a turbulence closure model for geophysical fluid problems, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys., 20, 851–875, 1982.

Michener, W. K., Blood, E., R., Bildstein, K. L., Brinson, M. M., and Gardner, L. R.: Climate change, hurricanes and tropical storms, and rising sea level in coastal wetlands, Ecol. Appl., 7(3), 770–801, 1997.

Millán, M. M., Alonso, L., Legarreta, J. A., Albizu, M. V., and Ureta, I.: A fumigation episode in an industrialized estuary: Bilbao, November 1981, Atmos. Environ., 18, 563–572, 1984.

Millán, M. M., Artiñano, B., Alonso, L., Castro, M., Fernandez-Patier, R., and Goberna, J.: Meso-Meteorological Cycles of Air Pollution in the Iberian Peninsula, (MECAPIP), Air Pollution Research Report 44, EUR No. 14834, European Commission DG XII/E-1, Rue de la Loi, 200, B-1040, Brussels, 1992.

Millán, M. M., Salvador, R., Mantilla, E., and Kallos, G.: Photooxidants dynamics in the Mediterranean basin in summer: Results from European research projects, J. Geophys. Res., 102(D7), 8811–8823, 1997.

Molinari, J.: A general form of Kuo cumulus parameterisation, Mon. Wea. Rev., 113, 1411–1416, 1985.

Mucher, C. A., Steinnocher, K. T., Kressler, F. P., and Heunks, C.: Land cover characterisation and change detection for environmental monitoring of pan-Europe, Int. J. Remote Sens., 21(6–7), 1159–1181, 2000.

Ookouchi, Y., Segal, M., Kessler, R. C., and Pielke, R. A.: Evaluation of soil moisture effects on the generation and modification of mesoscale circulations, Mon. Wea. Rev., 112, 2281–2292, 1984.

Orciari, R., Georgiadis, T., Fortezza, F., Alberti,, L., Leoncini, G., Venieri, L., Gnani, V., Montanari, T., and Rambelli, E.: Vertical evolution of photochemical ozone over greater Ravenna, Annali di Chimica, 88, 403–411, 1998.

Pérez-Landa, G., Palau , J. L., Mantilla, E., and Millán, M. M.: A study of the dispersion of an elevated plume on complex terrain under summer conditions, paper presented at 15th Symposium on Boundary Layers and Turbulence, American Meteorological Society, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 346–349, 2002.

Pérez-Landa, G., Ciais, P., Gangoiti, G., Palau, J. L., Carrara, A., Gioli, B., Miglietta, F., Schumacher, M., Millán, M., and Sanz, M. J.: Mesoscale circulations over complex terrain in the Valencia coastal region, Spain – Part 2: Modeling CO<sub>2</sub> transport using idealized surface fluxes, Atmos. Chem. Phys., \blackbox\bf Will be updated by Production Office!, 2007.

Pielke, R. A., Cotton, W. R., Walco, R. L., Tremback, C. J., Lyons, W. A., Grasso, L. D., Nicholls, M. E., Moran, M. D., Wesley, D. A., Lee, T. J., and Copeland, J. H.: A comprehensive meteorological modelling system RAMS, Meteorol. Atmos. Phys., 49, 69–91, 1992.

Pielke Sr., R. A.: Mesoscale meteorological modeling. 2nd Edition, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 676 pp, 2002.

Reynolds, R. W. and Smith, T. M.: Improved global sea surface temperature analyses using optimum interpolation, J. Climate, 7, 929–948, 1994.

Seaman, N. L. and Michelson, S. A.: Mesoscale meteorological structure of a high-ozone episode during the 1995 NARSTO-Northeast study, J. Appl. Meteorol., 39(3), 384–398, 2000.

Smith, C. B., Lakhtakia, M. N., Capehart, W. J., and Carlson, T. N.: Initialization of soil-water content in regional-scale atmospheric prediction models, Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 75, 585–593, 1994.

Stauffer, D. R. and Seaman, N. L.: Use of Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation in a limited-area mesoscale model. Part I: Experiments with Synoptic-Scale Data, Mon. Wea. Rev., 6, 1250–1277, 1990.

Walko, R. L., Band, L. E., Baron, J., Kittel, T. G. F., Lammers, R., Lee, T. J., Ojima, D., Pielke Sr. R. A., Taylor, C., Tague, C., Tremback, C. J., and Vidale, P. J.: Coupled atmospheric-biophysics-hydrology models for environmental modeling, J. Appl. Meteorol., 39, 931–944, 2000.

Walko, R. L., Cotton, W. R., Meyers, M. P., and Harrington, J. Y.: New RAMS cloud microphysics parameterization. Part I: The single-moment scheme, Atmos. Res., 38, 29–62, 1995.

Willmott, C. J.: On the validation of models, Phys. Geog., 2, 184–194, 1981.

Zhong, S. and Fast, J.: An evaluation of MM5, RAMS, and Meso ETA at sub-kilometer resolution using VTMX field campaign data in the Salt Lake Valley, Mon. Wea. Rev., 131, 1301–1322, 2003.

Ziomas, I. C., Gryning, S. E., Borstein, R. D. (Eds.): The Mediterranean campaign of photochemical tracers-transport and chemical evolution (MEDCAPHOT-TRACE): Athens, Greece 1994–1995, Atmos. Environ., 32, 2043–2326, 1998.