SEMINARUL GEOGRAFIC D. CANTEMIR NR.

26 / 2006

Topoclimatic and Microclimatic Differences in the Braov Town-Area

Sterie Ciulache
Resum La spcificit du topoclimat urbain de Brasov, qui sinscrit comme une le de chaleur gnre par les caractristiques anthropiques de sa surface active, est complique par la superposition des particularits du climat de dpression, caractris par des inversions thermiques frquentes et persistantes. Le territoire de la ville de Brasov inclut un mosaque de microclimats, parmi lesquels, par la gnralisation des types relativement homognes de surface active, on peut identifier 5 microclimats distincts : le microclimat de la ville mdival compact , le microclimat de la ville rsidentielle ancienne (avec des maisons, cours et jardins) , le microclimat de la ville rsidentielle nouvelle (avec des immeubles collectifs et de petits espaces verts) , le microclimat de la ville industrielle et le microclimat de la ville verte (forme des parcs et jardins avec une vgtation forestire). Mots-cls: diffrences thermiques, surface active artificielle, impermabilit, inversion thermique, le de chaleur, rchauffement artificielle, topoclimat urbain, mosaque de microclimats.

Greatly changing the natural characteristics of the active surface they develop on, the towns exert largely modifying influences on all the meteorological elements, accordingly creating specific urban topoclimates that are sensibly different from the climate of the surrounding open spaces, both concerning the values of various meteorological parameters and their distribution in time. The Braov city is not excepted from the rule. Ranking as one of Romanias big cities and lying over a pretty large area with close buildings and compact street-pavements, it suggestively expresses the role that the artificial active layer plays in the creation of specific urban topoclimates. But the specific character of the respective topoclimates gets even more complicated since, in the particular case of the Braov city, they superimpose on a climate of intermountainous depression, which is characteized not only by a far greater spatial extention, but also by larger quantitatively differences in the daily and annual variations of all meteorological elements. The specific depressionary climate also exerts different influences on the various microclimates developing within the urban area of the Braov city. As these microclimates are better evidenced on clear and calm skies, it results that, in the Braov town area, they get less evident because of the lower frequency of clear skies, on one side, but get more evident because of the higher frequency of calm weather. Nevertheless, besides the specific microclimates that may form due to the particular characteristics of the various urban active layer-types, the temperature inversions getting very frequent during the cold season, may also generate further different microclimates, due mostly to the greater relative height of the relief forms, than to the other nature characteristics of the underlying active layer. Therefore, it is far more difficult to highlight the topoclimatic characteristics of the Braov town area in comparison to the climatic characteristics of the Braov Depression, than to do the same for a town lying in a plain area, as the Ploieti city for

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example, simply because the former one is not only located on the bottom of a large depressionary area, but also because it extends on the slopes of the surrounding mountains. Consequently, the differences of the main climatic characteristics between the inner and the outer parts of the town-area might be either positive or negative when compared to the values obtained from an outer weather station (meaning that the air-temperatures in the town-area might as well be higher than those recorded at a weather station located in the floodplain area of the Olt River, but lower than those recorded at a weather station located on the slopes of the nearby Tmpa or Postvaru Mts. In the latter case, if the height difference is large, the higher air-temperatures in the Braov town area dont make an exception from the rule of decreasing airtemperature with altitude (although sometimes, the town areas lying below the level of the persistent air-temperature inversions, may be colder than the upper parts of the mountain slopes raising above it). The specific topoclimates of the Braov town area may convincingly be evidenced by simply comparing the weather data recorded at the Braov-town weather station (609 m above sea level) to those recorded at Ghimbav (534 m above sea level). The value and the sign (positive or negative) of the differences between the two weather stations are largely modified by the two local factors of influence: the artificial active layer inside the town area, on one side, and the specific depressionary relief forms, on the other side. The analysis of various air-temperature parameters over a 30 yrs. period is quite relevant in this respect (Fig. 1). The annual air-temperature of 7.70C at the Braov-town station, and of 7.50C at the Ghimbav station, clearly indicate the important role that the temperature inversions play in the depressionary areas. The mean annual range of only 0.20C may seem insignificant, but we must keep in mind that this value is largely attenuated because when computing the annual means, we have to take into account both the periods of the year (the months of the warm season) and the intervals of the day (the noon and after-noon hours) when the temperature inversions are either weak or absent. The mean annual range increases to 0.80C in the coldest month of the year (January), when the mean air-temperature value decreases to -3.7 0C at the Braov-town station, and to -4.50C at the Ghimbav station. The temperature inversions are most clearly evidenced by comparing the mean values of the daily minimum air-temperatures in January. The difference of 1.80C (-7.00C at the Braov-town station and -8.80C at the Ghimbav station) seems quite substantial when referring to monthly average values, even if they have been obtained from the daily means of the minimum temperatures. The parameter of reference still reflects the influence of temperature inversions even during the hottest month of the year (July), when the difference between the Braovtown station (11.50C) and the Ghimbav station (10.90C) reaches 0.60C in favour of the former weather station, despite its location at a higher altitude.
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Figure 1. Air-temperature differences between the Braov-town ( ) and the Ghimbav ( ) weather stations
Mean annual air-temperatures Daily means of maximum airtemperatures in July Mean annual ranges of extreme daily air-temperatures Mean air-temperatures in January Annual means of maximum airtemperatures Mean annual ranges of extreme monthly air-temperatures Mean air-temperatures in July Mean annual air-temperature ranges Absolute anual air-temperature ranges

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During the period of analysis, the differences between the absolute minimum air-temperature values that have been recorded at the Braov-town (-26.30C) and at the Ghimbav (-32.30C) weather stations, perfectly fit into the logic of the inversion processes, the value of 6.00C being quite impressive if taking into account the distance and the difference of altitude between the two weather stations. The topoclimatic consequences of the air-temperature inversions are also evidenced by the annual means of specific air-temperature parameters from the whole data series. For example, the mean annual number of freezing days (Tmin 00C) is lower with 9.4 days in Braov (130.9 days) than in Ghimbav (140.3 days); the mean annual number of frosty nights is lower with 8.2 nights in Braov (23.1) than in Ghimbav (31.3) etc. As air-temperature inversions are largely influenced by the presence of anticyclonic air-pressure forms and greatly favoured by the depressionary relief forms or by the existence of the snow-layer cover, they have low frequencies, durations and depths during the warm period of the year, when the intervals with direct airtemperature stratification are getting more dominating, especially in the lower troposphere. Consequently, the air-temperature parameters strictly referring to this period have a spatial distribution that perfectly corresponds to the general rule of their value decreasing with altitude. For example, the mean air-temperature in the hottest month (July) is 0.20C higher at Ghimbav (17.70C) than in Braov (17.50C) and the mean value of the daily maximum air-temperatures at Ghimbav (24.60C) is 0.60C higher than the corresponding value recorded in Braov (24.00C) during the same month. The direct air-temperature stratification during the warm season largely compensates the influence of the air-temperature inversions during the whole year only when dealing with the mean annual value of daily maximum air-temperatures (13.80C at Ghimbav and 13.50C at Braov) or with the mean annual number of summer days (51.5 at Ghimbav and 47.3 in Braov). The greater decrease of air-temperature as result of the stronger influence of winter air-temperature inversions and the larger increase of the values of the same weather parameter as result of the more prevalent direct air-temperature stratification in summer, clearly reveal why the air-temperature ranges are sensibly higher at Ghimbav than in Braov. For example, the mean annual temperature range in Ghimbav is 22.20C, while in Braov, it hardly reaches 21.20C; the mean annual range of daily extreme air-temperatures is 11.60C at Ghimbav and 10.40C at Braov; the mean annual range of monthly extreme air-temperatures is 33.40C at Ghimbav and 30.60C at the Braov-town weather station. Logically, the absolute range of the whole period of analysis is also higher at Ghimbav (67.70C) than in Braov (61.70C). The lower values of the air-temperature ranges clearly reflect the decreasing temperature continentalism with increasing altitudes. However, the decreasing values of this indicator, which are getting sensibly lower than it would have been expected for the
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altitude difference of only 75 m between the two weather stations, are more than relevant for the influence of the frequent and persistent air-temperature inversions. The higher rates of the referred-to thermal continentalism may easily be explained, especially on condition that between the Ghimbav (534 m) and the Braov-town weather stations (609 m) there appears a difference of 233 days (64%) with air-temperature inversions, as referred to the minimum air-temperature values, and a difference of 212 days (58%), as referred to maximum air-temperature values. The topoclimatic characteristics of the Braov town-area, as presented above by means of specific air-temperature features, are obviously inconsistently analyzed in the absence of a convenient volume of meteorological data resulted from simultaneous measurements in representative stationary points or stations of observations, located both inside and outside the town-area, or from field measurements along preestablished routes, during the relatively stable intervals of either minimum or maximum air-temperatures occurence. Episodic measurements made by both (stationary and expeditionary) methods during the summer months of the 2000-2005 period, especially on calm and clear weather, on anticyclonic conditions, have clearly revealed the towns thermal superiority over the open spaces around it, even if they are lying at similar or at lower altitudes. The towns heat surplus, which is mainly due to the various building materials (with specific heat and heat conductibility or permeability highly differing from the ones of the open spaces with vegetation cover lying outside the town-area), to the towns prophile (largely increasing the absorbtion-emission surface of radiation flows) and to the sewerage system (that rapidly evacuates the rainfall water, thus greatly diminishing evaporation), gets more evident during the warm season, even when comparing the Braov-town data to those obtained from the lower areas of the Braov Depression, including to those recorded at Ghimbav, which, as it has been previously mentioned, are fairly higher than those in the Braov town-area. Although episodic, the respective measurements indicate the fact that, in the area of interest, the influence of the urban active surface is stronger than that due to altitude, that is simply overcompensates it, and therefore, the air-temperatures recorded in the Townhall Square lying in the heart of the Braov city, on clear and calm weather, in summer, are constantly higher than those obtained at Ghimbav, despite that the latter weather station lies at a 75 m lower altitude (Table 1). However, most measurements have generally been made on calm and clear weather, in anticyclonic pressure-field conditions, in order to obtain the highest differences in the periods when the annual maximum air-temperatures are most likely to occur. This is, in fact, what it actually happened in July, 5th, 2000, when the Ghimbav weather station recorded the highest air-temperature value from that specific year (37.30C) and the absolute maximum airtemperature value of the 1912-2000 period. The data resulted from the measurements that have been made at the observation point in Braovs Townhall Square, during the
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same day, over a practically impermeable active surface (street pavement), surrounded by compact fronts of several storey-high buildings, are more than relevant for the role of the town area as a modifying factor of climatic (thermal) conditions specific of the region the town lies in (Table 1).
Table 1. Air-Temperature (0C) Evolution at Braov and Ghimbav (July, 5th, 2000)
Observation point Observation hour Ghimbav Braov Townhall Square Difference Observation point Observation hour Ghimbav Braov Townhall Square Difference 05 23.6 25.4 + 1.8 14 34.9 35.2 + 0.3 06 25.0 26.5 + 1.5 15 34.9 35.4 + 0.5 07 28.5 29.8 + 1.3 16 34.9 35.5 + 0.6 08 29.4 30.4 + 1.0 17 33.8 35.5 + 1.2 09 31.5 32.3 + 0.8 18 32.6 34.2 + 1.6 10 33.1 33.7 + 0.6 19 30.6 32.7 + 2.1 11 34.0 34.6 + 0.6 20 27.2 29.6 + 2.4 12 36.3 36.8 + 0.5 21 25.6 28.8 + 3.2 13 35.8 36.2 + 0.4 22 21.8 24.5 + 2.7

These values are constantly higher than those recorded inside the shelter on the standard meteorological platform of the Ghimbav weather station. The highest differences are characteristic of the interval of daily maximum air-temperatures occurrence, that is between 1200 and 1500 hrs., when they are low (ranging between 0.30C and 0.50C), and in the evening , between 2000 and 2200 hrs. (when they range between 2.40C and 3.20C). The most important role in this apparently paradoxical daily evolution of the air-temperature differences between the inner and the outer parts of the Braov town-area falls to the massive heat accumulations of the compact buildings in the Townhall Square during the day, as well as to the crossed emissions of heat radiations that have greatly diminished the cooling processes in the evening. On the contrary, in the outer parts of the town-area, the active surface loses the heat accumulated during the daytime more rapidly, consequently emitting upwards the infrared (heat) radiations, without receiving any other kind of radiations, except the atmospheres radiation, which gets almost insignificant during the clear nights. In their annual evolution, the highest differences between the inner and the outer parts of the town-area appear in winter, on anticyclonic weather conditions. They may sometimes reach 70C -80C, mainly because of the artificial heating of the ground, due to the combined action of more factors that transform the town-area into a heat island, and because of specific synoptic situations that place the Ghimbav weather station below the upper levels of thermal inversions (often accompanied by fog) and the Braov-town station, above them, thus receiving important heat flows from direct sunlight. In such cases, the effect of the thermal inversions juxtaposes over the artificial heating effect, so that the air-temperatures differences greatly increase in the built-in areas.

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By lacking special instrumental observations in the Townhall Square area, all over the years months, we just couldnt adequately evidence the yearly evolution of the air-temperature differences describing the specific urban topoclimate of the Braov city. However, we could identify and delimit the main topoclimatic areas of the Braov city mainly by analyzing the various types of active surfaces inside the townarea, on account of the episodic measurements that have been made on clear and calm weather, during summertime, especially in July and August. Unlike the plain towns, the area of Braov city is highly heterogenous from the point of view of the density and the particular characteristics of the various buildings, as well as of landforms. That is why the range of potential microclimates is highly diversified and their spatial distribution is extremely complicated. Nevertheless, we could group them into 5 distinct types of microclimates (Fig. 2), with relatively stable and consistent instrumental and sensing differences. 1. The microclimate of the compact, mediaeval Braov town-area with impermeable active surface layers, both at the upper level of the tile-roofs and at the lower level of the narrow streets, with compact buildings and close inner courtyards, with practically almost no plant-cover. 2. The microclimate of the old, residential Braov town-area, with less high houses (groundfloor or groundfloor plus one floor), closely aligning along both streetsides, but with backyards full of vegetation and (fruit)-trees. 3. The microclimate of the new, residential Braov town-area, with 4-10 storey-high blocks of appartments, separated by narrow green spaces. 4. The microclimate of the industrial Braov town-area, with large production halls, warehouses, stacks releasing important amounts of heat energy and pollutants and access roads actively interacting with the air-environment. 5. The microclimate of the green-spaced Braov town-area, represented by all the parks, gardens and woodland remains stretching over the slopes of the surrounding hills and mountains. The thermometrical determinations that have been simultaneously performed in five characteristic points of the five relatively homogenous, yet distinct, types of active surface areas, are presented in Table 2. Despite the given conditions of high atmospheric stability in which the measurements have been made, the values show clear differences of air heating processes, mostly due to the different interaction patterns between solar radiation and the active surface layer. The analysis of the respective data confirms the major influence of the fully artificialized active surface in the Townhall Square area, which records airtemperatures that are constantly higher than any of those recorded in the five distinct types of microclimatic areas inside the Braov town. The air-temperatures measured in the industrial areas of the Braov city (13 December Street, separating the two big industrial units: Tractorul (Tractor) and Rulmentul (Bearing) Works), were very
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similar to those recorded in the Townhall Square area, mostly due to the same factors and processes of influence, but the temperature values recorded in the Nicolae Titulescu Park area (lying in the northern part of the compact, mediaeval Braov townarea) were much lower.

Figure 2. The Specific Microclimates of the Braov Town Area 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The microclimate of the compact, mediaeval Braov town-area The microclimate of the old, residential Braov town-area The microclimate of the new, residential Braov town-area The microclimate of the industrial Braov town-area The microclimate of the green-spaced Braov town-area Limit of microclimates

Intermediary values have been recorded in the Latin Street, namely on the crossroads area with Cpt. Ilie Birt Street, from the Schei District, as well as in the
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Independena Street, lying in the center of the Tractorul block-of-flats district. The green gardens at the back of the Schei houses and the green strips among the blocks of flats have largely diminished, through active evaporation and improved air-ventilation, the temperature values, as compared to those in the Townhall area. Air-temperature distribution in the Braov town-area, as resulting from the data presented in Table 2, is, nevertheless, more complicated, due to the influence of the complex relief-forms within the settlement area, the varying altitudes, the sheltering effects of the buildings, the local thermal circulations etc., which greatly alter the interaction pattern with the active surface layers.
Table 2. Air-Temperature (0C) Evolution at Braov, on different types of active surface layers (July, 5th, 2000)
Microclimate Type 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Microclimate Type 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Observation Point Observation Hour Townhall Square Latin Street Independena Street 13 December Street N. Titulescu Park Observation Point Observation Hour Townhall Square Latin Street Independena Street 13 December Street N. Titulescu Park 06 25.5 25.6 -0.9 25.2 25.3 26.1 14 35.2 34.9 -1.3 34.9 35.0 34.1 07 29.8 28.9 -0.9 28.4 28.5 29.3 15 35.4 34.9 -0.7 34.6 35.0 34.2 08 30.4 29.6 -0.8 29.2 29.3 29.9 16 35.4 34.6 -0.9 34.7 34.0 34.0 09 32.3 31.7 -0.6 31.4 31.7 31.7 17 35.0 34.0 -1.0 34.0 34.2 33.6 10 33.7 33.1 -0.6 33.0 33.2 32.9 18 34.2 33.0 -1.2 33.2 33.8 31.6 11 34.6 34.1 -0.5 34.0 34.3 33.8 19 32.7 31.2 -1.5 31.4 31.7 31.3 12 36.8 36.3 -1.5 36.1 36.5 35.9 20 29.6 28.0 -1.6 28.4 28.7 28.2 13 36.2 35.8 -0.4 35.7 35.9 35.2 21 28.8 27.0 -1.8 27.5 27.9 27.0

References Huber Viorela - (2001) Cercetri asupra regimului meteo-climatic al spaiului montan (n Carpaii de la Curbur), Tez de doctorat, Universitatea din Bucureti. Mihai Elena (1975) - Depresiunea Braov. Studiu climatic., Editura Academiei Romne, Bucureti. Neaca O. i colab. (1972) Studiul climatologic al oraului Braov i al zonei sale preoreneti, Culegere de lucrri ale Institutului Metorologic, Bucureti.

Lucrrile Seminarului Geografic D. Cantemir nr. 26, 2006