Banca de DEFESA: ANA TEENA BULCÃO DOS SANTOS

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ANA TEENA BULCÃO DOS SANTOS
DATE: 13/12/2024
TIME: 08:30
LOCAL: remota
TITLE:

Numerical study of the impact of urban expansion on the urban heat island in cities of the Brazilian Northeast

KEY WORDS:

Urban Heat Islands, Trade Winds, Local circulation, Atmospheric modeling,

WRF, Dynamic downscaling

 

PAGES: 102
BIG AREA: Ciências Exatas e da Terra
AREA: Geociências
SUBÁREA: Meteorologia
SPECIALTY: Meteorologia Física
SUMMARY:

The high growth rate of the urban population directly contributes to the increase in the
number and territorial expansion of cities. As the urban area grows, a series of environmental
problems emerge or intensify in the urban climate, one of which is the urban heat island, a
phenomenon defined as the increase in air temperature in the urban center compared to its
surrounding rural areas. The Brazilian Northeast is influenced by the trade winds, and its
coastal region is affected by the circulation of sea and land breezes, making it necessary to
investigate the interaction between the urban heat island (UHI) and breeze circulation. The
objective of this study is to use an atmospheric model to characterize the urban heat island for
two coastal cities in the Brazilian Northeast and simulate the impact of increased urbanization
on urban areas and its effect on local circulation. The cities of Fortaleza and Natal were
analyzed. The WRF model version 4.3.1 was used alongside the dynamic downscaling
method, with initial and boundary condition data from ERA-5 provided by the European
Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The simulation period was from
November 1, 2019, to November 10, 2019, and hourly air temperature data at 2 meters were
obtained for Fortaleza (CE), Redencao (CE), Natal (RN), and Sao Goncalo do Amarante
(RN). Initially, a nighttime urban heat island was observed in the studied cities, with a heating
peak of 3.5°C during the early morning hours, consistent with the data obtained through
modeling. Spatial analysis of the model indicated that, in Fortaleza, the UHI is confined to the
extent of the city, and this positive temperature difference during the nighttime affects the
land breeze circulation mechanism, as the ocean's temperature is similar to that of the urban
region. For Natal, although the highest intensity point is concentrated in the city's central
region, the land breeze is overridden due to the intensity of southeasterly trade winds in the
eastern portion of the Brazilian Northeast. In the analysis of wind and vertical velocity fields
at 850 hPa, several regions of ascending and descending movements within Fortaleza were
identified, which may be related to smaller heat islands within the city, leading to an urban
breeze circulation. For Natal, an ascending current was observed over the Potengi River
region and descending currents in its surroundings, indicating the occurrence of a river breeze
that may contribute to thermal comfort in the area. Regarding the expansion of urban areas in
Fortaleza and Natal, it was observed that as urbanization increases, the intensity of the urban
heat island and the heated area also grow. In Fortaleza, urbanization may affect land breeze
circulation, with a greater impact on heating over the continental surface compared to the
ocean. In Natal, urbanization impacts the local climate, making nighttime and early morning

hours warmer. Regarding local winds, no change in the circulation pattern was observed;
however, if the urbanization process becomes more intense, it will bring greater impacts on
the local climate and regional circulation.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1879213 - JUDITH JOHANNA HOELZEMANN
Interno - 1280761 - CRISTIANO PRESTRELO DE OLIVEIRA
Interno - 1164414 - WEBER ANDRADE GONCALVES
Externo à Instituição - EDMILSON DIAS DE FREITAS - USP
Externo à Instituição - HELBER BARROS GOMES - UFAL
Externo à Instituição - JOÃO BOSCO VERÇOSA LEAL JUNIOR - UECE