A high-resolution urban CO 2 transport model with anthropogenic and biogenic fluxes
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: . We develop PALM-CO2, a high-resolution urban carbon dioxide transport model with anthropogenic and biogenic carbon emissions. The model is based on an open-source urban flow large eddy simulation (LES) model, PALM, where we implemented a biogenic carbon emission module (Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model, VPRM) and customised output modules for carbon fluxes. PALM-CO2 is validated through a case study in London, comprising an 8 by 8 km2 domain covering the borough of Camden at a resolution of 10 m. Simulations are driven by reanalysis meteorological forcing and background CO2 concentrations, while the hourly anthropogenic emissions at 10-m resolution are explicitly derived in this study. Validation against eddy-covariance flux measurements inside the study region confirms that the model captures the diurnal variation of the turbulent transport and anthropogenic emissions. Additional validation against monthly biogenic flux diurnal profiles at a deciduous forest site in Czech Republic further confirms the biogenic flux module. The simulations reveal strong spatial heterogeneity in near-surface CO2 concentrations driven by building-induced turbulence, diurnal boundary layer evolution, and emission patterns. PALM-CO2 provides a high-resolution framework for investigating CO2 transport processes in complex urban and vegetated environments, providing improved quantification of urban emission sources.
Source: Geoscientific model development
Authors: Linfeng Li, Jie Zheng, Fangxin Fang
Institution: Imperial College London
Language: English
Topic: Wind and Air Flow Studies
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,725
OpenAlex ID: W7169556348