Seasonal variation of the temperature profile and its characteristics within urban roughness sublayer

By using conventional micro-meteorological observation data of Beijing Yuetan Park Tower (180 m), the temperature profile of urban boundary layer (UBL), its characteristics and seasonal variation are analyzed. The main results are as follows: (1) In winter, the interdiurnal surface air temperature variation at the surface is not synchronized with that of the upper levels, other than in summer and other seasons, which illuminates the impacts of Beijing’s geographical location, sky view factor and stably stratified nocturnal inversion. (2) Except that the stratification is unstable around noon, the stratification in the roof layer or above-roof layer is of seasonal variability, which is weak unstable or weak stable in winter or summer respectively. This weak stable stratification possibly inhibits urban pollutant dispersion upwards in summer season. (3) The effect of urban building rooftop on the UBL thermal state has seasonal difference, that is, the rooftop plays the role of heating or cooling the urban roughness sublayer, in summer or winter respectively, which is similar to the effects of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau on the atmospheric thermal state. Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCZ2-YW-219) and the Frontier Research of IAP of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 8-070204)