Abstract
During the UBL-ESCOMPTE program (June–July 2001), intensive observations were performed in Marseille (France). In particular, a Doppler lidar, located in the north of the city, provided radial velocity measurements on a 6-km radius area in the lowest 3 km of the troposphere. Thus, it is well adapted to document the vertical structure of the atmosphere above complex terrain, notably in Marseille, which is bordered by the Mediterranean sea and framed by numerous massifs. The present study focuses on the last day of the intensive observation period 2 (26 June 2001), which is characterized by a weak synoptic pressure gradient favouring the development of thermal circulations. Under such conditions, a complex stratification of the atmosphere is observed. Three-dimensional numerical simulations, with the Méso-NH atmospheric model including the town energy balance (TEB) urban parameterization, are conducted over south-eastern France. A complete evaluation of the model outputs was already performed at both regional and city scales. Here, the 250-m resolution outputs describing the vertical structure of the atmosphere above the Marseille area are compared to the Doppler lidar data, for which the spatial resolution is comparable. This joint analysis underscores the consistency between the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) observed by the Doppler lidar and that modelled by Méso-NH. The observations and simulations reveal the presence of a shallow sea breeze (SSB) superimposed on a deep sea breeze (DSB) above Marseille during daytime. Because of the step-like shape of the Marseille coastline, the SSB is organized in two branches of different directions, which converge above the city centre. The analysis of the 250-m wind fields shows evidence of the role of the local topography on the local dynamics. Indeed, the topography tends to reinforce the SSB while it weakens the DSB. The ABL is directly affected by the different sea-breeze circulations, while the urban effects appear to be negligible.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Banta R. M. (1995). ‘Sea Breezes Shallow and Deep on the California Coast’. Mon. Wea. Rev. 123: 3614–3622
Banta R. M., Olivier L. D. and Levinson D. H. (1993). ‘Evolution of the Monterey Bay Sea-Breeze Layer as Observed by Pulsed Doppler Lidar’. J. Atmos. Sci. 50: 3959–3982
Bastin S. and Drobinski P. (2005). ‘Temperature and Wind Velocity Oscillations Along a Gentle Slope During Sea Breeze Events’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 114: 573–594
Bastin S., Drobinski P., Dabas A. M., Delville P., Reitebuch O. and Werner C. (2005a). ‘Impact of the Rhône and Durance Valleys on Sea-Breeze Circulation in the Marseille Area’. Atmos. Res. 74: 303–328
Bastin S., Drobinski P., Dabas A., Delville P., Reitebuch O. and Werner C. (2004). ‘Sea Breeze Case Study using a Combination of Observations and Numerial Stimulation in Complex Terrain in Southern France: Contribution to Matter Transport’. Mt Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA
Beffrey G., Jaubert G. and Dabas A. M. (2004). ‘Foehn Flow and Stable Air-Mass in the Rhine Valley: The Beginning of a MAP Event’. Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 130: 541–560
Calhoun R., Heap R. B., Princevac M., Sommer J., Fernando H. J. S. and Ligon D. (2004). ‘Measurement of Winds Flowing Toward an Urban Area Using Coherent Doppler Lidar’. Fifth Conference on Urban Environment Vancouver, Canada
Carroll J. J. (1989). ‘Analysis of Airborne Doppler Lidar Measurements of the Extended California Sea Breeze’. J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 6: 820–831
CEC (1993). ‘CORINE Land Cover, Technical Guide’. Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg
Chiba O., Kobayashi F., Naito G. and Sassa K. (1999). ‘Helicopter Observations of the Sea Breeze over a Coastal Area’. J. Appl. Meteorol. 38: 481–492
Cros B., Durand P., Cachier H., Drobinski P., Frejafon E., Kottmeier C., Perros P. E., Peuch V.-H., Ponche J. L., Robin D., Saïd F., Toupance G. and Wortham H. (2004). ‘The ESCOMPTE Program: An Overview’. Atmos. Res. 69: 241–279
Darby L. S., Banta R. M. and Pielke R. A. (2002). ‘Comparisons between Mesoscale Model Terrain Sensitivity Studies and Doppler Lidar Measurements of the Sea Breeze at Monterey Bay’. Mon. Wea. Rev. 130: 2813–2838
Davies F., Collier C. G., Pearson G. N. and Bozier K. E. (2004). ‘Doppler Lidar Measurements of Turbulent Structure Function over an Urban Area’. J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 21: 753–761
Deardorff J. W. (1974). ‘Three-Dimensional Numerical Study of Turbulence in an Entraining Mixed Layer’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 7: 199–126
Delbarre S., Augustin P., Freville P., Campistron B., Saïd F., Bénech B., Lohou F., Puygrenier V. and Fréjafon E. (2005). ‘Ground-Based Remote Sensing Observation of the Complex Behaviour of the Marseille Boundary Layer during ESCOMPTE’. Atmos. Res. 74(1–4): 403–433
Dousset B. and Kermadi S. (2003). ‘Satellites Observation over the Marseille-Berre Area during the UBL/CLU-ESCOMPTE Experiment’. Lódź, Poland
Drobinski P., Bastin S., Guénard V., Caccia J.-L., Dabas A. M., Delville P., Protat A., Reitebuch O. and Werner C. (2005a). ‘Summer Mistral at the Exit of the Rhône Valley’. Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 131: 353–375
Drobinski, P., Bastin, S., Dusek, J., Zängl, G., and Flamant, P. H.: 2005b, ‘Idealized Simulations of Flow Splitting at the Bifurcation Between Two Valleys: Comparison with the Mesoscale Alpine Program Experiment’, Meteorol. Atmos. Phys., in press.
Drobinski P., Dabas A. M., Haeberli C. and Flamant P. H. (2001a). ‘On the Small-Scale Dynamics of Flow Splitting in the Rhine Valley during a Shallow South Foehn Event’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 99: 277–296
Drobinski P., Dusek J. and Flamant C. (2001b). ‘Diagnostics of Hydraulic Jump and Gap Flow in Stratified Flows over Topography’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 98: 475–495
Drobinski P., Haeberli C., Richard E., Lothon M., Dabas A. M., Flamant P. H., Furger M. and Steinacker R. (2003). ‘Scale Interaction Processes during the MAP IOP 12 South Foehn Event in the Rhine Valley’. Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 129: 729–753
Estoque M. A. (1962). ‘The Sea Breeze as a Function of the Prevailing Synoptic Situation’. J. Atmos. Sci. 19: 244–250
Finkele K., Hacker J. M., Kraus H. and Byron-Scott R. A. D. (1995). ‘A Complete Sea Breeze Circulation Cell Derived from Aircraft Observations’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 73: 299–317
Grimmond C. S. B., Salmond J., Oke T. R., Offerle B. and Lemonsu A. (2004). ‘Flux and Turbulence Measurements at a Densely Built-Up Site in Marseille: Heat, Mass (Water, Carbon Dioxide) and Momentum’. J. Geophys. Res. 109: D24101 doi:10.1029/2004JD004936
Guénard V., Drobinski P., Caccia J.-L., Campistron B. and Bénech B. (2005). ‘Experimental Investigation of the Mesoscale Dynamics of the Mistral’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 115: 263–288
Kambezidis H. D., Peppes A. A. and Melas D. (1995). ‘An Environmental Experiment over Athens Urban Area under Sea Breeze Conditions’. Atmos. Res. 36: 139–156
Lafore J.-P., Stein J., Asencio N., Bougeault P., Ducrocq V., Duron J., Fischer C., Héreil P., Mascart P., Masson V., Pinty J.-P., Redelsperger J.-L., Richard E. and Vilà-Gueraude Arellano J. (1998). ‘The Meso-Nh atmospheric simulation system Part I: Adiabatic Formulation and Control Simulation’. Ann. Geophys. 16: 90–109
Lemonsu A., Grimmond C. S. B. and Masson V. (2004). ‘Modelisation of the Surface Energy Budget of an Old Mediterranean City Core’. J. Appl. Meteorol. 43: 312–327
Lemonsu, A., Pigeon, G., Masson, V., and Moppert, C.: 2005, ‘Sea-Town Interaction over Marseille: 3D Urban Boundary Layer and Thermodynamic Fields near the Surface’, Theor. Appl. Clim., in press.
Lemonsu A. and Masson V. (2002). ‘Simulation of a Summer Urban Breeze over Paris’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 104: 463–490
Masson V. (2000). ‘A Physically-Based Scheme for the Urban Energy Budget in Atmospheric Models’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 94: 357–397
Mestayer P., Durand P., Augustin P., Bastin S., Bonnefond J.-M., Bénech B., Campistron B., Coppalle A., Delbarre H., Dousset B., Drobinski P., Druilhet A., Fréjafon E., Grimmond S., Groleau D., Irvine M., Kergomard C., Kermadi S., Lagouarde J.-P., Lemonsu A., Lohou F., Long N., Masson V., Moppert C., Noilhan J., Offerle B., Oke T., Pigeon G., Puygrenier V., Roberts S., Rosant J.-M., Saïd F., Salmond J., Talbaut M. and Voogt J. (2005). ‘The Urban Boundary Layer Field Experiment over Marseille UBL/CLU-ESCOMPTE: Experimental Set-up and First Results’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 114: 315–365
Noilhan J. and Planton S. (1989). ‘A Simple Parameterization of Land Surface Processes for Meteorological Models’. Mon. Wea. Rev. 117: 536–549
Ohashi Y. and Kida H. (2002). ‘Effects of Mountains and Urban Areas on Daytime Local-Circulations in the Osaka and Kyoto Region’. J. Meteorol. Soc. Japan 80: 539–560
Physick W. L. and Byron-Scott R. A. D. (1977). ‘Observations of the Sea Breeze in the Vicinity of a Gulf’. Weather 32: 373–381
Pooler F. (1963). ‘Airflow over the City in Terrain of Moderate Relief’. J. Appl. Meteorol. 2: 446–455
Schär C. and Smith R. B. (1993). ‘Shallow-Water Flow Past Isolated Topography. Part I: Vorticity Production and Wake Formation’. J. Atmos. Sci. 50: 1373–1400
Vukovich F. M., King W. J., Dunn J. W. and Worth J. J. B. (1979). ‘Observations and Simulations of the Diurnal Variation of the Urban Heat Island Circulation and Associated Variations of the Ozone Distribution: A Case Study’. J. Appl. Meteorol. 18: 836–854
Yoshikado H. and Kondo H. (1989). ‘Inland Penetration of the Sea Breeze in the Suburban Area of Tokyo’. Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 48: 389–407
Yoshikado H. (1990). ‘Vertical Structure of the Sea Breeze Penetrating through a Large Urban Complex’. J. Appl. Meteorol. 29: 878–891
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lemonsu, A., Bastin, S., Masson, V. et al. Vertical Structure of the Urban Boundary Layer over Marseille Under Sea-Breeze Conditions. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 118, 477–501 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-005-7772-y
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-005-7772-y