Joint multifractal description of the relationship between wind patterns and land surface air temperature

• Published in: Atmospheric research 2011-03, Vol.99 (3-4), p.366-376
• Main Authors: Jiménez-Hornero, F.J., Pavón-Domínguez, P., de Ravé, E. Gutiérrez, Ariza-Villaverde, A.B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autumn; Blowing time; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Heterogeneity; Joint multifractal analysis; Land; Land surface air temperature; Meteorology; Southern Spain; Springs; Summer; Time series; Wind patterns; Winter
• ISSN: 0169-8095; 1873-2895
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.11.009

Land surface air temperature (SAT), registered at 1.25–2m above the ground, is influenced by wind patterns. As a consequence, some phenomena such as urban heat islands and the formation of ground-level air pollutants are affected. Detailed understanding of the effects of wind circulations on SAT is convenient to improve the knowledge of these phenomena. Thus, the joint multifractal analysis has been applied to describe time series recorded at Cordoba (southern Spain) from 2001 to 2008 revealing the presence of seasonal patterns related with warm and cold winds blowing from the SW (later spring and summer) and NE (later autumn and winter), respectively, that provoke different heterogeneity in SAT values. In addition, the extreme high SAT values seem to be related with summer SW winds. However, the presence of rare low SAT values produced by NE winds is less relevant. ► Joint multifractal analysis describes wind and land surface air temperature (SAT). ► Joint multifractal analysis reveals the presence of patterns on SAT related with wind directions. ► The multifractal information can be helpful for checking SAT dynamics models.