Observation of wind and thermodynamic structure within an urban boundary layer

Abstract

Understanding the fluid dynamics and thermodynamics in the urban atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is of great practical importance. Based on one-year observations from two advanced remote sensing instruments, namely, the wind lidar and the microwave radiometer, this study investigates the urban ABL structure in a densely built downtown area of Hong Kong. Atmospheric stability, ABL height, wind shear, and wind veer are statistically analyzed. The interconnections among wind speed profiles, wind direction profiles, ABL stability, and ABL height are comprehensively examined. Some features of the wind and thermodynamic structure are observed, such as the prevalence of unstable conditions in the urban ABL and the increase in wind shear and veer with ABL stability. The research outcomes are expected to contribute to the understanding of urban meteorology and offer scientific insights into the influences of urban terrain on the ABL and the vertical and temporal structure of wind and thermodynamic properties in the urban ABL.