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Including the Drag Effects of Canopies: Real Case Large-Eddy Simulation Studies

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Abstract

We use the mesoscale meteorological model Meso-NH, taking the drag force of trees into account under stable, unstable and neutral conditions in a real case study. Large-eddy simulations (LES) are carried out for real orography, using a regional forcing model and including the energy and water fluxes between the surface (mostly grass with some hedges of trees) and the atmosphere calculated using a state-of-the-art soil-vegetation-atmosphere-transfer model. The formulation of the drag approach consists of adding drag terms to the momentum equation and subgrid turbulent kinetic energy dissipation, as a function of the foliage density. Its implementation in Meso-NH is validated using Advanced Regional Prediction System simulation results and measurements from Shaw and Schumann (Boundary-Layer Meteorol, 61(1):47–64, 1992). The simulation shows that the Meso-NH model successfully reproduces the flow within and above homogeneous covers. Then, real case studies are used in order to investigate the three different boundary layers in a LES configuration (resolution down to 2 m) over the “Lannemezan 2005” experimental campaign. Thus, we show that the model is able to reproduce realistic flows in these particular cases and confirm that the drag force approach is more efficient than the classical roughness approach in describing the flow in the presence of vegetation at these resolutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Meteo France/CNRM/GMME, Av. Gaspard Coriolis, 31057, Toulouse Cedex 1, France

    Pierre Aumond, Valery Masson & Christine Lac

  2. Ifsttar, Route de Bouaye, CS4, 44344, Bouguenais Cedex, France

    Benoit Gauvreau & Michel Berengier

  3. INRA, UR1263 EPHYSE, 33140, Villenave d’Ornon, France

    Sylvain Dupont

Authors
  1. Pierre Aumond
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  2. Valery Masson
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  3. Christine Lac
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  4. Benoit Gauvreau
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  5. Sylvain Dupont
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  6. Michel Berengier
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Correspondence to Pierre Aumond.

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Aumond, P., Masson, V., Lac, C. et al. Including the Drag Effects of Canopies: Real Case Large-Eddy Simulation Studies. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 146, 65–80 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-012-9758-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-012-9758-x

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