CMG: Multiscale Modeling of Urban Atmospheres in a Changing Climate

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This project will develop models to simulate the urban atmosphere and its interaction with ambient climate and atmospheric circulation occurring on spatial scales which are much larger than cities. The research will consider both the downscale influence of large-scale atmospheric conditions on urban-scale weather and climate, and the upscale influences of cities on the regions surrounding them. Upscale influences will be studied on a variety of spatial scales, from the effect of urban heat islands on the countryside downwind of a city to the aggregate effect of all urban areas on global climate. In the case of downscale influences, the goal is to develop models which explicitly represent the urban landscape, including the thermal, hydrological, and radiative properties of paved and built urban surfaces, and the surface drag exerted on the wind by "street canyons". Urban effects will be simulated by creating nested modeling systems, in which microscale models to represent urban areas are incorporated into mesoscale models which represent larger regions, which may be further incorporated into global models. Research on the upscale effects of urban areas will develop strategies to represent urban areas through "parameterizations", in which the net effects of urban landscapes are approximated in computationally tractable ways in global models with relatively coarse resolution.The modeling capability developed in this project will directly benefit decision makers addressing issues relating to urban pollution, human comfort, and the effects of climate change on urban areas. The project will also train graduate students and early career scientists to undertake interdisciplinary computational studies of complex urban systems and conduct policy discussions of the results of their research.