Validation of the Martilli's Urban Boundary Layer Scheme with measurements from two mid-latitude European cities

International audienceThe Martilli's urban parameterization scheme is improved and implemented in a mesoscale model in order to take into account the typical effects of a real city on the air temperature near the ground and on the surface exchange fluxes. The mesoscale model is run on a single column using atmospheric data and radiation recorded above roof level as forcing. Here, the authors validate the Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme using measurements from two mid-latitude European cities: Basel, Switzerland and Marseilles, France. For Basel, the model performance is evaluated with observations of canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes obtained during the Basel urban boundary layer experiment (BUBBLE). The results show that the urban parameterization scheme is able to reproduce the generation of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect over urban area and represents correctly most of the behavior of the fluxes typical of the city center of Basel, including the large heat uptake by the urban fabric and the positive sensible heat flux at night. For Marseilles, the model performance is evaluated with observations of surface temperature, canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes collected during the field experiments to constrain models of atmospheric pollution and transport of emissions (ESCOMPTE) and its urban boundary layer (UBL) campaign. At both urban sites, vegetation cover is less than 20%, therefore, particular attention was directed to the ability of the Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme to reproduce the observations for the Marseilles city center, where the urban parameters and the synoptic forcing are totally different from Basel. Evaluation of the model with wall, road, and roof surface temperatures gave good results. The model correctly simulates the net radiation, canyon temperature, and the partitioning between the turbulent and storage heat fluxes

Validation of Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme with measurements from two mid-latitude European cities

International audienceMartilli's urban parameterization scheme is improved and implemented in a mesoscale model in order to take into account the typical effects of a real city on the air temperature near the ground and on the surface exchange fluxes. The mesoscale model is run on a single column using atmospheric data and radiation recorded above roof level as forcing. Here, the authors validate Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme using measurements from two mid-latitude European cities: Basel, Switzerland and Marseilles, France. For Basel, the model performance is evaluated with observations of canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes obtained during the Basel urban boundary layer experiment (BUBBLE). The results show that the urban parameterization scheme represents correctly most of the behavior of the fluxes typical of the city center of Basel, including the large heat uptake by the urban fabric and the positive sensible heat flux at night. For Marseilles, the model performance is evaluated with observations of surface temperature, canyon temperature, surface radiation, and energy balance fluxes collected during the field experiments to constrain models of atmospheric pollution and transport of emissions (ESCOMPTE) and its urban boundary layer (UBL) campaign. At both urban sites, vegetation cover is less than 20%, therefore, particular attention was directed to the ability of Martilli's urban boundary layer scheme to reproduce the observations for the Marseilles city center, where the urban parameters and the synoptic forcing are totally different from Basel. Evaluation of the model with wall, road, and roof surface temperatures gave good results. The model correctly simulates the net radiation, canyon temperature, and the partitioning between the turbulent and storage heat fluxes

Analysis of strong wind events around Adelie Land, East Antarctica

Strong wind events at Dumont d'Urville (DdU), an East Antarctic coastal station, and Dome C, an interior station, were studied to determine if the wind along the Adelie Land coast increases with the approach of the depression from the west of the site or after its passage to the east of it. The events for the year 1993 were studied using synoptic observations, mean sea level pressure charts and composite infrared satellite images. It was found that the winds are enhanced with the approach of a depression from the west towards the DdU coast. The wind increases in response to the decreasing pressure at the coastal site and increasing downslope pressure difference (dp). The wind starts decreasing once the system moves to the east of DdU and the pressure at DdU starts building up, as reported in some earlier studies. The response of wind to the approaching depression is not the same for all the events but depends on the downslope pressure difference and the movement of the depression that is often conditioned by the presence of a blocking high to the northeast. The wind comes down if the system starts penetrating inland due to the presence of the high pressure ridge to the northeast and decreasing dp. It is observed that the winds at Dome C increase to as high as 17 m s-1 with the inland penetration of the depression

Simulation of the ozone formation in the northern part of the Po Valley

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95424/1/jgrd8866.pd

Implantation d'un Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (MAR) pour l'étude des variations climatiques et le suivi des campagnes agricoles en Côte d'Ivoire

Conference: Congo – State, Peace, Economy and Well-being, 21-22 February 2008. Le plateau Adja est l'une des principales zones de production agricole du sud du Bénin avec plus de 90% de sa population dans l'agriculture. Malheureusement, cette zone de très forte pression fonci��re souffre, contrairement à la théorie de Boserup (3), de la persistance de l'agriculture minière et de la dégradation prononcée de l'environnement cultural. Cette étude a pour objectif d'analyser la dynamique de pauvreté sur tout le plateau Adja, aux fins de caractériser les formes de pauvreté dont la prise en compte s'avère nécessaire pour la promotion de l'agriculture durable dans la zone. A partir d'un échantillon de 122 ménages les données collectées portent essentiellement sur les caractéristiques des ménages, leur exploitation agricole, leur dotation en actifs et leurs états de bien-être en 2000 et en 2007 appréciés par les dépenses de consommation par équivalent-adulte comme indicateur. Les analyses de données ont permis d'identifier les traits qui distinguent les ménages pauvres chroniques des ménages pauvres transitoires sur le plateau Adja. Le niveau d'instruction, le nombre de champs, le capital naturel et le capital physique possédés sont les facteurs discriminants importants des deux catégories de pauvres. Sur la période de 2000 à 2007, la pauvreté transitoire domine la pauvreté chronique avec 36,9% des ménages contre 28,7%. La pauvreté chronique se traduit par un déficit persistant en actifs naturels et physiques. Selon le genre, les ménages dirigés par les femmes souffrent largement plus de la pauvreté chronique (47,1%) que les ménages dirigés par les hommes (25,7%). En ce qui concerne les pratiques agricoles, les pauvres chroniques mettent moins en oeuvre les pratiques agricoles de conservation des terres que les pauvres transitoires

Fatigue oligocyclique de l'acier Fe-3Si : mécanismes d'endommagement et localisation de la déformation par EBSD

L’objectif de ce travail de thèse était d’étudier le comportement en fatigue oligocyclique de l’acier Fe-3Si utilisé pour les rotors des nouveaux alterno-démarreurs développés par Valeo. L’étude pris en compte la relation entre la réponse mécanique et la microstructure, les mécanismes de fatigue, l’évaluation de la déformation à une échelle mésoscopique et une optimisation du dimensionnement du rotor. Les essais de fatigue, menés sur des éprouvettes d’épaisseur 350μm, ont montré un durcissement cyclique du matériau et le mode de propagation de la fissure, fragile, souligne sa faible ténacité. La formation de structure de dislocations observées par Microscopie Electronique en Transmission (TEM) et par cECCI (Controlled Electron Channelling Contrast Imaging) est dépendante de la déformation et la variation de déformation totale Δεt=0.7% apparaît comme une valeur de transition. En-dessous de Δεt =0.7%, des arrangements homogènes de dislocations et un amorçage de la fissure transgranulaire sont observés. Au-dessus de Δεt =0.7%, des structures veines-canaux et murs-canaux sont observés et l'amorçage de fissure est intergranulaire. Une étude EBSD (Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction) basée sur les paramètres KAM, GROD et GOS menée sur les éprouvettes fatiguées montre un gradient de déformation dans les grains et une localisation de la déformation aux joints de grain au-dessus de Δεt =0.7%. Enfin, en prenant en compte les propriétés en fatigue de l’acier Fe-3Si dans la base de données matériaux de la modélisation par éléments finis, des légères modifications de la géométrie du rotor ont été effectuées ce qui améliore les performances électromagnétiques de la machine.The objective of the PhD work was to investigate the low cycle fatigue (LCF) behaviour of Fe-3Si steel employed for rotors of new starter-alternators developed by Valeo. The study took into account the relation between mechanical response and microstructure, the fatigue mechanisms, the assessment of strain at a mesoscopic scale and an optimisation of the rotor design. Low cycle fatigue tests performed on 350μm thick specimen pointed out a cyclic hardening of the material. The brittle crack propagation mode underlined the low toughness of the material. The formation of dislocations structures observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and controlled Electron Channelling Contrast Imaging (cECCI) was strain dependant. The total strain variation Δεt =0.7% appeared as a transition value. Below Δεt =0.7%, homogeneous arrangement of dislocations and transgranular crack initiation are observed. Above Δεt =0.7%, a mixture of veins-channels and wall-channels were observed inside the grains and cracking became intergranular. An Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) study was then performed on the specimen fatigued above Δεt=0.7% and approached with KAM, GROD and GOS parameters. It pointed out the strain gradient within grain and highlighted the strain localisation at grain boundaries. Finally, by taking into account LCF properties of the Fe-3Si steel in the material database of the finite element modelling, slight modifications of the rotor geometry have been performed which improves the electromagnetic performances of the machine

Dynamic Aspects of Katabatic Wind Evolution in the Antarctic Coastal Zone

The spatial evolution of katabatic winds along idealized slopes representative of Antarctic terrain is examined using a hydrostatic, two-dimensional primitive equation model with high resolution. A downslope momentum-forces analysis is made of simulations in which katabatic flow reaches steady state, with emphasis on physical mechanisms in the coastal zone. The importance of the reversal of the pressure gradient force in the coastal zone, causing the sudden decay of katabatic winds, is discussed

Les Pays-Bas avant et durant la domination romaine, ou tableau historique, géographique, physique, statistique et archéologique de la Belgique et de la Hollande : depuis les premiers temps historiques, jusqu'au 6me siècle

par A.-G.-B. SchayesBd. 2 bei Société Encyclographique erschienenErschienen: Bd. 1 -