Wavelet analysis of the atmospheric flows over real urban morphology

Winds are the basic forces for atmospheric transport such as pollutant removal and pedestrian thermal comfort. The transport capability is commonly measured in terms of length and velocity scales. In this connection, the flows in the at-mospheric surface layer (ASL) over the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong (HK) are scrutinized by the large-eddy simulation (LES) to characterize the motion scales over real urban morphology. Apart from statistical analysis, the streamwise fluc-tuating velocity u ' is examined by both wavelet and energy spectrum in which a primary peak is consistently shown at streamwise wavelength 70 m <= lambda x <= 300 m. A secondary peak at a longer wavelength 800 m <= lambda x <= 3000 m, however, is unveiled by wavelet only. It denotes the existence of intermittent turbulence structures whose sizes are much larger than those of buildings. Further wavelet analysis reveals that majority energy-carrying eddies are enlarging (tens to hun-dreds of meters) from the roughness sublayer (RSL) to the inertial sublayer (ISL). Analogous to its smooth-wall and sche-matic rough-wall counterparts, the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) over urban areas is peaked in the ISL which is carried by eddies of size 50 m <= lambda x <= 1000 m. The (horizontal) spatial distribution of energy-carrying eddies is further visual-ized to compare the crucial motion scales in the RSL and ISL. Finally, conditional sampling is used to demystify the contribution to vertical momentum flux u ' w ' in terms of streamwise wavelength and quadrants. The results advance our fundamental understanding of ASL transport processes, fostering sustainable environmental policy.

Automated summary

In this study, the flows in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) over the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong were analyzed using large-eddy simulation (LES). The results show the existence of intermittent turbulence structures with streamwise wavelengths ranging from 70 m to 3000 m. Energy-carrying eddies were found to enlarge from the roughness sublayer (RSL) to the inertial sublayer (ISL). This research contributes to our understanding of ASL transport processes and supports the development of sustainable environmental policies.