Data for the parameterization of radiative transfer processes in urban climate models

Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) is a key component in microscale building resolving urban climate models (UCM), which are used to simulate the flow within urban area. We use different parameterizations of RTMs in the model system PALM version 6.0 to show how much detail modellers should include in their simulation.

We introduce the output PALM model results for two examples: (1) A simplified urban geometry consisting of an urban crossing (UC) and (2) a realistic urban domain located at the town square Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Charlottenburg in Berlin (ER). The netCDF files contain the radiative flux received by each surface in the domains, including the shortwave (direct and diffuse) radiation as well as the longwave radiation. Also, the data set includes the 3D flow variables (u, v, w) and the potential temperature. The model drivers (input data) for both examples are included as well.

The data set consists of the following model input/output data:

1) Simplified urban domain (UC):

• Input driver for the model PALM for UC (UC_model_driver.tar.gz)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_01: radiation for horizontal surfaces (UC_RTM_01.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_02: sky view effect (building shadows) (UC_RTM_02.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_03: vegetation interaction with SW radiation (UC_RTM_03.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_04: receiving radiation from surface emission (UC_RTM_04.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_05: vegetation interaction with LW radiation (UC_RTM_05.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_06: single reflection (UC_RTM_06.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_07: vegetation interaction with reflected radiation (UC_RTM_07.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for UC when using RTM_08: multiple reflections (UC_RTM_08.nc)
• 3D data for the UC reference case which includes u,v,w,theta

2) Realistic urban domain (ER):

• Input driver for the model PALM for ER (ER_model_driver)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_01: radiation for horizontal surfaces (ER_RTM_01.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_02: sky view effect (building shadows) (ER_RTM_02.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_03: vegetation interaction with SW radiation (ER_RTM_03.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_04: receiving radiation from surface emission (ER_RTM_04.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_05: vegetation interaction with LW radiation (ER_RTM_05.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_06: single reflection (ER_RTM_06.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_07: vegetation interaction with reflected radiation (ER_RTM_07.nc)
• Radiation fluxes for ER when using RTM_08: multiple reflections (ER_RTM_08.nc)
• 3D data for the ER reference case which includes u,v,w,theta

For more information and analysis, please check out the relevant publication in the international journal Geoscientific Model Development: Salim et. al, Importance of radiative transfer processes in urban climate models:A study based on the PALM model system 6.0, submitted to GMD.