Objective synoptic classification combined with high resolution meteorological models for wind mesoscale studies

Summary A methodology developed for automatic classification of Objective Synoptic Processes (OSP) and its application to the study of the mesoscale atmospheric circulatory patterns associated with them is described. The classification was based on the analysis of the evolution of surface pressure and geopotencial height at 500 hPa during three days. An iterative procedure results in an objective grouping of the main configurations describing different large-scale situations. This routine has been applied over an appropriate domain covering the Iberian Peninsula to obtain OSPs in the region for the two month period July–August, using daily synoptic maps for years 1990 to 1999 (a total of 7304 surface and 500 hPa synoptic maps have been used in the analysis). Finally, for a characteristic day for two of the OSPs obtained, a mesoscale meteorological model (TAPM) has been run at high resolution for the region of Catalonia, Northeastern Spain, in order to describe the local atmospheric circulatory patterns associated with a given large-scale situation. Results show that the complex orography modifies the large-scale forcings resulting in wind fields with a very important horizontal variability, significant daily cycle, and specific local features related to orographic elements, which the model was able to incorporate due to the highly-resolved orography used.