Extreme precipitation in WRF during the Newcastle East Coast Low of 2007

In the context of regional downscaling, we study the representation of extreme precipitation in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, focusing on a major event that occurred on the 8^th of June 2007 along the coast of eastern Australia (abbreviated “Newy”). This was one of the strongest extra-tropical low-pressure systems off eastern Australia in the last 30 years and was one of several storms comprising a test bed for the WRF ensemble that underpins the regional climate change projections for eastern Australia (New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory Regional Climate Modelling Project, NARCliM). Newy provides an informative case study for examining precipitation extremes as simulated by WRF set up for regional downscaling. Here, simulations from the NARCliM physics ensemble of Newy available at ～10 km grid spacing are used. Extremes and spatio-temporal characteristics are examined using land-based daily and hourly precipitation totals, with a particular focus on hourly accumulations. Of the different physics schemes assessed, the cumulus and the boundary layer schemes cause the largest differences. Although the Betts-Miller-Janjic cumulus scheme produces better rainfall totals over the entire storm, the Kain-Fritsch cumulus scheme promotes higher and more realistic hourly extreme precipitation totals. Analysis indicates the Kain-Fritsch runs are correlated with larger resolved grid-scale vertical moisture fluxes, which are produced through the influence of parameterized convection on the larger-scale circulation and the subsequent convergence and ascent of moisture. Results show that WRF qualitatively reproduces spatial precipitation patterns during the storm, albeit with some errors in timing. This case study indicates that whilst regional climate simulations of an extreme event such as Newy in WRF may be well represented at daily scales irrespective of the physics scheme used, the representation at hourly scales is likely to be physics scheme dependent.     

Evaluation of a WRF dynamical downscaling simulation over California

This paper presents results from a 40 year Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) based dynamical downscaling experiment performed at 12 km horizontal grid spacing, centered on the state of California, and forced by a 1° × 1.25° finite-volume current-climate Community Climate System Model ver. 3 (CCSM3) simulation. In-depth comparisons between modeled and observed regional-average precipitation, 2 m temperature, and snowpack are performed. The regional model reproduces the spatial distribution of precipitation quite well, but substantially overestimates rainfall along windward slopes. This is due to strong overprediction of precipitation intensity; precipitation frequency is actually underpredicted by the model. Moisture fluxes impinging on the coast seem to be well-represented over California, implying that precipitation bias is caused by processes internal to WRF. Positive-definite moisture advection and use of the Grell cumulus parameterization result in some decrease in precipitation bias, but other sources are needed to explain the full bias magnitude. Surface temperature is well simulated in all seasons except summer, when overly-dry soil moisture results in a several degree warm bias in both CCSM3 and WRF. Additionally, coastal temperatures appear to be too warm due to a coastal sea surface temperature bias inherited from CCSM3. Modeled snowfall/snowmelt agrees quite well with observations, but snow water equivalent is found to be much too low due to monthly reinitialization of all regional model fields from CCSM3 values.     

青藏高原和热带印度洋5月热力异常与新疆夏季降水的关系

基于1979-2017年美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)提供的海表温度资料和美国国家环境预测中心(NCEP)/美国国家大气研究中心(NCAR)提供的大气环流再分析资料以及青藏高原地区149个站点观测资料计算的地表感热通量和新疆气象信息中心提供的全疆81站逐月降水资料等,研究了5月青藏高原和热带印度洋加热对新疆夏季降...     

青藏高原一次强对流过程对水汽垂直输送的数值模拟

本文采用中尺度天气研究预测模式(WRF)模拟了青藏高原那曲地区的一次强对流过程,分析了强对流对水汽的垂直输送量及对模式不同云微物理参数化方案的敏感性.通过与实测资料的比较,发现此次模拟在对流发生时间、地点、降水时间等方面均与实际接近.敏感性试验表明:当对流发生时,对流区域向上的水汽通量随海拔高度呈先增大后减小的趋势,该...     

WRF模式物理参数化方案对一次局地大暴雨预报的影响研究

基于WRF(Weather Research and Forecasting)模式及其3Dvar(3-Dimentional Variational)资料同化系统,采用36、12、4 km嵌套网格进行快速更新循环同化和不同的微物理及积云对流参数化方案对比试验,对2011年5月8日鲁中一次局地大暴雨过程进行了研究。结果表明,快速更新循环同化地面观测资料是影响模式降水落区预报准确性的关键因素,不同的微物理和积云对流参数化方案主要影响降水强度预报。采用不同的微物理参数化方案和积云对流参数化方案进行降水预报对比试验表明,LIN方案和WSM6(WRF Single-Moment 6-class)微物理参数化方案对降水预报均较好,LIN方案降水预报较WSM6方案略强。4 km网格预报使用K-F (Kain-Fritsch)积云对流参数化方案或不使用积云对流参数化方案,预报的降水均较好。4 km网格使用旧的K-F积云对流参数化方案,预报的近地层大气风场偏弱,导致大气动力抬升作用偏弱,从而造成模式降水预报偏弱。     

Simulation of urban climate with high-resolution WRF model: A case study in Nanjing, China

In this study, urban climate in Nanjing of eastern China is simulated using 1-km resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a single-layer Urban Canopy Model. Based on the 10-summer simulation results from 2000 to 2009 we find that the WRF model is capable of capturing the high-resolution features of urban climate over Nanjing area. Although WRF underestimates the total precipitation amount, the model performs well in simulating the surface air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation frequency and inter-annual variability. We find that extremely hot events occur most frequently in urban area, with daily maximum (minimum) temperature exceeding 36°C (28°C) in around 40% (32%) of days. Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect at surface is more evident during nighttime than daytime, with 20% of cases the UHI intensity above 2.5°C at night. However, The UHI affects the vertical structure of Planet Boundary Layer (PBL) more deeply during daytime than nighttime. Net gain for latent heat and net radiation is larger over urban than rural surface during daytime. Correspondingly, net loss of sensible heat and ground heat are larger over urban surface resulting from warmer urban skin. Because of different diurnal characteristics of urban-rural differences in the latent heat, ground heat and other energy fluxes, the near surface UHI intensity exhibits a very complex diurnal feature. UHI effect is stronger in days with less cloud or lower wind speed. Model results reveal a larger precipitation frequency over urban area, mainly contributed by the light rain events (< 10 mm d^?1). Consistent with satellite dataset, around 10?C20% more precipitation occurs in urban than rural area at afternoon induced by more unstable urban PBL, which induces a strong vertical atmospheric mixing and upward moisture transport. A significant enhancement of precipitation is found in the downwind region of urban in our simulations in the afternoon.     

Dynamical downscaling of ERA-40 in complex terrain using the WRF regional climate model

Results from a first-time employment of the WRF regional climate model to climatological simulations in Europe are presented. The ERA-40 reanalysis (resolution 1°) has been downscaled to a horizontal resolution of 30 and 10?km for the period of 1961?C1990. This model setup includes the whole North Atlantic in the 30?km domain and spectral nudging is used to keep the large scales consistent with the driving ERA-40 reanalysis. The model results are compared against an extensive observational network of surface variables in complex terrain in Norway. The comparison shows that the WRF model is able to add significant detail to the representation of precipitation and 2-m temperature of the ERA-40 reanalysis. Especially the geographical distribution, wet day frequency and extreme values of precipitation are highly improved due to the better representation of the orography. Refining the resolution from 30 to 10?km further increases the skill of the model, especially in case of precipitation. Our results indicate that the use of 10-km resolution is advantageous for producing regional future climate projections. Use of a large domain and spectral nudging seems to be useful in reproducing the extreme precipitation events due to the better resolved synoptic scale features over the North Atlantic, and also helps to reduce the large regional temperature biases over Norway. This study presents a high-resolution, high-quality climatological data set useful for reference climate impact studies.     

Storm track sensitivity to sea surface temperature resolution in a regional atmosphere model

A high resolution regional atmosphere model is used to investigate the sensitivity of the North Atlantic storm track to the spatial and temporal resolution of the sea surface temperature (SST) data used as a lower boundary condition. The model is run over an unusually large domain covering all of the North Atlantic and Europe, and is shown to produce a very good simulation of the observed storm track structure. The model is forced at the lateral boundaries with 15–20 years of data from the ERA-40 reanalysis, and at the lower boundary by SST data of differing resolution. The impacts of increasing spatial and temporal resolution are assessed separately, and in both cases increasing the resolution leads to subtle, but significant changes in the storm track. In some, but not all cases these changes act to reduce the small storm track biases seen in the model when it is forced with low-resolution SSTs. In addition there are several clear mesoscale responses to increased spatial SST resolution, with surface heat fluxes and convective precipitation increasing by 10–20% along the Gulf Stream SST gradient.     

WRF模式对青藏高原南坡夏季降水的模拟分析

利用中尺度数值模式WRF研究积云对流参数化方案、网格嵌套技术和模式分辨率对陡峭的青藏高原南坡夏季降水模拟的影响。对2006年7月青藏高原南坡地区降水的模拟分析表明:降水对积云对流参数化方案的选择很敏感,不同方案模拟的结果差异显著,采用Grell-Devenyi质量通量方案时的模拟效果优于其他方案。在此基础上,通过5种试验方案比较发现,使用积云对流参数化方案、提高模式分辨率和应用网格嵌套技术能改善降水强度和空间分布的模拟,组合使用时模拟的降水与观测资料更接近。它们均能改进风场,使得水汽的输送和辐合过程的模拟更加准确;还能影响大气的垂直加热状态,导致不同的对流发生,使垂直速度的分布趋于合理。未使用积云对流参数化方案时,大气湿度偏小,而模式分辨率和网格嵌套技术对大气湿度的影响不大。      

Sensitivity of tropical cyclone intensity and structure to vertical resolution in WRF

In this paper the impacts of vertical resolution on the simulations of Typhoon Talim (2005) are examined using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, with cumulus parameterization scheme representing the cumulus convection implicitly. It is shown that the tropical cyclone (TC) track has little sensitivity to vertical resolution, whereas the TC intensity and structure are highly sensitive to vertical resolution. It is partly determined by the sensitivity of the planetary boundary layer (and the surface layer) and the cumulus convection processes to vertical resolution. Increasing vertical resolution in the lower layer could strengthen the TC effectively. Increasing vertical resolution in the upper layer is also beneficial for the storm intensification, but to a lesser degree. In contrast, improving the midlevel resolution may cause the convergence of environmental air, which inhibits the TC intensification. The results also show that the impacts of vertical resolution on features of the TC structure, such as the tangential winds, secondary circulations and the evolution of the warm-core structure, are consistent with the impacts on the TC intensity. It is suggested that in the simulations of TCs, the vertical levels should be distributed properly rather than the more the better, with higher vertical resolution being expected both in the lower and upper layer, while the middle layer should not hold too many levels.     

The atmospheric component of the Mediterranean Sea water budget in a WRF multi-physics ensemble and observations

The use of high resolution atmosphere–ocean coupled regional climate models to study possible future climate changes in the Mediterranean Sea requires an accurate simulation of the atmospheric component of the water budget (i.e., evaporation, precipitation and runoff). A specific configuration of the version 3.1 of the weather research and forecasting (WRF) regional climate model was shown to systematically overestimate the Mediterranean Sea water budget mainly due to an excess of evaporation (~1,450 mm yr^?1) compared with observed estimations (~1,150 mm yr^?1). In this article, a 70-member multi-physics ensemble is used to try to understand the relative importance of various sub-grid scale processes in the Mediterranean Sea water budget and to evaluate its representation by comparing simulated results with observed-based estimates. The physics ensemble was constructed by performing 70 1-year long simulations using version 3.3 of the WRF model by combining six cumulus, four surface/planetary boundary layer and three radiation schemes. Results show that evaporation variability across the multi-physics ensemble (～10 % of the mean evaporation) is dominated by the choice of the surface layer scheme that explains more than ～70 % of the total variance and that the overestimation of evaporation in WRF simulations is generally related with an overestimation of surface exchange coefficients due to too large values of the surface roughness parameter and/or the simulation of too unstable surface conditions. Although the influence of radiation schemes on evaporation variability is small (～13 % of the total variance), radiation schemes strongly influence exchange coefficients and vertical humidity gradients near the surface due to modifications of temperature lapse rates. The precipitation variability across the physics ensemble (～35 % of the mean precipitation) is dominated by the choice of both cumulus (～55 % of the total variance) and planetary boundary layer (～32 % of the total variance) schemes with a strong regional dependence. Most members of the ensemble underestimate total precipitation amounts with biases as large as 250 mm yr^?1 over the whole Mediterranean Sea compared with ERA Interim reanalysis mainly due to an underestimation of the number of wet days. The larger number of dry days in simulations is associated with a deficit in the activation of cumulus schemes. Both radiation and planetary boundary layer schemes influence precipitation through modifications on the available water vapor in the boundary layer generally tied with changes in evaporation.     

Simulation of heavy precipitation episode over eastern Peninsular Malaysia using MM5: sensitivity to cumulus parameterization schemes

A comparative study has been conducted to investigate the skill of four convection parameterization schemes, namely the Anthes–Kuo (AK), the Betts–Miller (BM), the Kain–Fritsch (KF), and the Grell (GR) schemes in the numerical simulation of an extreme precipitation episode over eastern Peninsular Malaysia using the Pennsylvania State University—National Center for Atmospheric Research Center (PSU-NCAR) Fifth Generation Mesoscale Model (MM5). The event is a commonly occurring westward propagating tropical depression weather system during a boreal winter resulting from an interaction between a cold surge and the quasi-stationary Borneo vortex. The model setup and other physical parameterizations are identical in all experiments and hence any difference in the simulation performance could be associated with the cumulus parameterization scheme used. From the predicted rainfall and structure of the storm, it is clear that the BM scheme has an edge over the other schemes. The rainfall intensity and spatial distribution were reasonably well simulated compared to observations. The BM scheme was also better in resolving the horizontal and vertical structures of the storm. Most of the rainfall simulated by the BM simulation was of the convective type. The failure of other schemes (AK, GR and KF) in simulating the event may be attributed to the trigger function, closure assumption, and precipitation scheme. On the other hand, the appropriateness of the BM scheme for this episode may not be generalized for other episodes or convective environments.     

Impact of surface observations on simulation of rainfall over NCR Delhi using regional background error statistics in WRF-3DVAR model

In this study, efforts are made to improve the simulation of heavy rainfall events over National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi during 2010 summer monsoon, using additional observations from automatic weather stations (AWS). Two case studies have been carried out to simulate the relative humidity, wind speed and precipitation over NCR Delhi in 48-h model integrations; one from 00UTC, August 20, 2010, and the other from 00UTC, September 12, 2010. Several AWS installed over NCR Delhi in the recent past provide valuable surface observations, which are assimilated into state-of-the-art weather research and forecasting (WRF) model using the three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR). The quality of background error statistics (BES) is a key component in successful 3DVAR data assimilation in a mesoscale model. In this study, the domain-dependent regional background error statistics (RBS) are estimated using National Meteorological Center method in the months of August and September 2010 and then compared with the global background error statistics (GBS) in the WRF model. The model simulations are analyzed and validated against AWS and radiosonde observations to quantify the impact of RBS. The root mean square differences in the spatial distributions of precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed at the surface showed significant differences between both the global and regional BES. Similar differences are also observed in the vertical distributions along the latitudinal cross section at 28.5°N. Model-simulated fields are analyzed at five different surface stations and one upper air station located in NCR Delhi. It is found that in 24-h model simulation, the RBS significantly improves the model simulations in case of precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed as compared to GBS.     

北太平洋东部风暴轴的时空演变特征

本文利用欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)逐日再分析资料(ERA-40),以500 hPa位势高度滤波方差为代表,对1957年12月～2001年11月期间44年528个月北太平洋区域(30°N～60°N,120°E～120°W)月平均风暴轴的多中心数目和最强中心位置进行了客观统计,在此基础上,对北太平洋区域进行了分区,通过对比各区域风暴轴的时间演变和结构变化,重点揭示了北太平洋东部地区风暴轴的时空演变特征.主要结论如下:(1)逐月来看,北太平洋风暴轴“多中心”现象普遍存在,概率高达94.7%,最典型的分布呈2～3个中心分布;从季节上来看,春季是“多中心”现象最容易出现的季节,秋季和冬季相对较少,而4个及以上的“多中心”现象则更容易出现在夏季.(2)若把最强中心出现在160°W以东地区的北太平洋风暴轴定义为东部型风暴轴,那么从月份上来看,7月相对最容易出现东部型风暴轴,1月和2月最难;从季节上来看,夏季相对最容易出现东部型风暴轴,冬季最难;总的来看,出现东部型风暴轴的频数大约占总频数的三分之一.(3)从垂直结构上看,在北太平洋160°W以东地区,风暴轴的强度可以最强,但与斜压性密切联系的涡动向极和向上热量通量的最大值却并不是最强.(4)经验正交函数分解(EOF)分析的结果表明,在不同季节、不同区域以及是否单独考虑东部型风暴轴的情况下,风暴轴的变化虽然表现出了一定的差异,但都反映出在北太平洋东部区域风暴轴的变化特征有其独特特点,如在该区域风暴轴的主要变化模态并不一定时时与其他区域的主要变化模态一一对应.北太平洋东部区域风暴轴变化的原因和机制值得进一步深入探讨.     

Evaluation of a climate simulation in Europe based on the WRF–NOAH model system: precipitation in Germany

The Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model with its land surface model NOAH was set up and applied as regional climate model over Europe. It was forced with the latest ERA-interim reanalysis data from 1989 to 2008 and operated with 0.33° and 0.11° resolution. This study focuses on the verification of monthly and seasonal mean precipitation over Germany, where a high quality precipitation dataset of the German Weather Service is available. In particular, the precipitation is studied in the orographic terrain of southwestern Germany and the dry lowlands of northeastern Germany. In both regions precipitation data is very important for end users such as hydrologists and farmers. Both WRF simulations show a systematic positive precipitation bias not apparent in ERA-interim and an overestimation of wet day frequency. The downscaling experiment improved the annual cycle of the precipitation intensity, which is underestimated by ERA-interim. Normalized Taylor diagrams, i.e., those discarding the systematic bias by normalizing the quantities, demonstrate that downscaling with WRF provides a better spatial distribution than the ERA interim precipitation analyses in southwestern Germany and most of the whole of Germany but degrades the results for northeastern Germany. At the applied model resolution of 0.11°, WRF shows typical systematic errors of RCMs in orographic terrain such as the windward–lee effect. A convection permitting case study set up for summer 2007 improved the precipitation simulations with respect to the location of precipitation maxima in the mountainous regions and the spatial correlation of precipitation. This result indicates the high value of regional climate simulations on the convection-permitting scale.     

Impacts of Cumulus Convective Parameterization Schemes on Summer Monsoon Precipitation Simulation over China

By using the Betts-Miller-Janjic, Grell-Devenyi, and Kain-Fritsch cumulus convective parameterization schemes in theWeather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, long time simulations from 2000 to 2009 are conducted to investigate the impacts of different cumulus convective parameterization schemes on summer monsoon precipitation simulation over China. The results show that all the schemes have the capability to reasonably reproduce the spatial and temporal distributions of summer monsoon precipitation and the corresponding background circulation. The observed north-south shift of monsoon rain belt is also well simulated by the three schemes. Detailed comparison indicates that the Grell-Devenyi scheme gives a better performance than the others. Deficiency in simulated water vapor transport is one possible reason for the precipitation simulation bias.     

A Quick Report on a Dynamical Downscaling Simulation over China Using the Nested Model

This paper describes a dynamical downscaling simulation over China using the nested model system, which consists of the modified Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) nested with the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). Results show that dynamical downscaling is of great value in improving the model simulation of regional climatic characteristics. WRF simulates regional detailed temperature features better than CAM. With the spatial correlation coefficient between the observation and the simulation increasing from 0.54 for CAM to 0.79 for WRF, the improvement in precipitation simulation is more perceptible with WRF. Furthermore, the WRF simulation corrects the spatial bias of the precipitation in the CAM simulation.     

Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature influences on failed consecutive rainy seasons over eastern Africa

Rainfall over eastern Africa (10°S–10°N; 35°E–50°E) is bimodal, with seasonal maxima during the "long rains" of March–April–May (MAM) and the "short rains" of October–November–December (OND). Below average precipitation during consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa can have devastating long-term impacts on water availability and agriculture. Here, we examine the forcing of drought during consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa by Indo-Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The forcing of eastern Africa precipitation and circulation by SSTs is tested using ten ensemble simulations of a global weather forecast model forced by 1950–2010 observed global SSTs. Since the 1980s, Indo-Pacific SSTs have forced more frequent droughts spanning consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa. The increased frequency of dry conditions is linked to warming SSTs over the Indo-west Pacific and to a lesser degree to Pacific Decadal Variability. During MAM, long-term warming of tropical west Pacific SSTs from 1950–2010 has forced statistically significant precipitation reductions over eastern Africa. The warming west Pacific SSTs have forced changes in the regional lower tropospheric circulation by weakening the Somali Jet, which has reduced moisture and rainfall over the Horn of Africa. During OND, reductions in precipitation over recent decades are oftentimes overshadowed by strong year-to-year precipitation variability forced by the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.     

区域气候模式不同积云对流参数化方案对新疆气候模拟的影响研究

使用NCEP-FNL全球分析资料作为WRF模式的初始场和边界场,利用该模式中7种积云对流参数化方案对新疆地区进行2006年10月1日至2008年3月1日的模拟积分试验,重点考察模式在水平分辨率为10 km下不同积云对流参数化方案对新疆地区气象要素模拟的敏感性。结果表明:1）采用7种积云对流参数化方案的模式都能较好地模拟出年、雨季总降水量、平均温度的空间分布及大气的垂直结构。2）对于不同区域来说,采用各种积云对流参数化方案的模式都能模拟出候降水及候平均温度随时间演变,模式候降水与观测的相关系数在0.20~0.85之间,而候平均温度与观测的相关系数在0.98以上。对于整个新疆地区来说,采用各方案模式模拟的低层偏干偏冷,大气层结较稳定导致降水较观测偏少,而其中天山地区模式模拟的低层较观测偏湿偏暖,大气层结偏向不稳定导致降水偏多。3）采用新的Grell和Kain-Fritsch（new Eta）方案模式模拟的效果综合来看较好。因此利用WRF模式开展新疆地区数值模拟研究时应该考虑不同积云对流参数化方案适用范围。