Low-Level Wind Forecast over the La Plata River Region with a Mesoscale Boundary-Layer Model Forced by Regional Operational Forecasts

A mesoscale boundary-layer model (BLM) is used for running 12-h low-level wind forecasts for the La Plata River region. Several experiments are performed with different boundary conditions that include operational forecasts of the Eta/CPTEC model, local observations, as well as a combination of both. The BLM wind forecasts are compared to the surface wind observations of five weather stations during the period November 2003–April 2004. Two accuracy measures are used: the hit rate or percentage of cases with agreement in the wind direction sector, and the root-mean-squared error (RMSE) of the horizontal wind components. The BLM surface wind forecasts are always more accurate, since its averaged hit rate is three times greater and its averaged RMSE is one half smaller than the Eta forecasts. Despite the large errors in the surface winds displayed by the Eta forecasts, its 850 hPa winds and surface temperature forecasts are able to drive the BLM model to obtain surface winds forecasts with smaller errors than the Eta model. An additional experiment demonstrates that the advantage of using the BLM model for forecasting low-level winds over the La Plata River region is the result of a more appropriate definition of the land–river surface temperature contrast. The particular formulation that the BLM model has for the geometry of the river coasts is fundamental for resolving the smaller scale details of the low-level local circulation. The main conclusion of the study is that operational low-level wind forecasts for the La Plata River region can be improved by running the BLM model forced by the Eta operational forecasts. L. Sraibman and G. J. Berri—Members of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) of Argentina. An erratum to this article can be found at     

中尺度模式对冬季兰州市低空风场和温度场的数值模拟

利用美国NCAR新一代中尺度模式MM5V3，对山谷城市兰州冬季风场和温度场进行了数值模拟研究。模拟结果与现有理论及观测事实基本一致。表明MM5V3中尺度模式可用于研究山谷城市的大气边界层情况，模式能够较好地模拟山谷城市冬季边界层的风场和温度场特征，模拟结果分析表明，位于河谷盆地内的兰州，冬季近地面风场是山谷风环流和城市热岛环流共同作用的结果，冬季夜间地面流场辐合明显，低空盛行东风，夜间距地300m左右，风向转变为偏西风，白天风向转变高度高于夜间，大约在500m以上；冬季温度场逆温特征明显。     

Initializing a Mesoscale Boundary-Layer Model with Radiosonde Observations

A mesoscale boundary-layer model is used to simulate low-level regional wind fields over the La Plata River of South America, a region characterized by a strong daily cycle of land–river surface-temperature contrast and low-level circulations of sea–land breeze type. The initial and boundary conditions are defined from a limited number of local observations and the upper boundary condition is taken from the only radiosonde observations available in the region. The study considers 14 different upper boundary conditions defined from the radiosonde data at standard levels, significant levels, level of the inversion base and interpolated levels at fixed heights, all of them within the first 1500 m. The period of analysis is 1994–2008 during which eight daily observations from 13 weather stations of the region are used to validate the 24-h surface-wind forecast. The model errors are defined as the root-mean-square of relative error in wind-direction frequency distribution and mean wind speed per wind sector. Wind-direction errors are greater than wind-speed errors and show significant dispersion among the different upper boundary conditions, not present in wind speed, revealing a sensitivity to the initialization method. The wind-direction errors show a well-defined daily cycle, not evident in wind speed, with the minimum at noon and the maximum at dusk, but no systematic deterioration with time. The errors grow with the height of the upper boundary condition level, in particular wind direction, and double the errors obtained when the upper boundary condition is defined from the lower levels. The conclusion is that defining the model upper boundary condition from radiosonde data closer to the ground minimizes the low-level wind-field errors throughout the region.     

An Iterative Method for Calculation of Wind Profiles at the Mesoscale and Microscale

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Space–time correlations are fundamental to statistical theories and turbulence modelling. However, experimental studies of space–time correlations are often...     

海南岛附近区域热带气旋低层风场的变化特征

利用1979~2015年JTWC(Joint Typhoon Warning Center)最佳路径资料(2001~2015年资料用于台风风圈结构分析)及ERA-interim(0.5°×0.5°)再分析数据,统计分析我国海南岛附近区域(15.5°N~23.5°N,106°E~116°E)热带气旋(Tropical Cyclone,简称TC)低层风场的变化特征。结果表明:(1)年均5.5个TC于4~12月主要以西偏北路径进入该区域,其中海南岛东南侧海域TC出现频率最高且强TC比例最多,而岛西北区域出现频率最低,强TC比例最少。(2)TC中心位于海南岛不同方位时,其外围低层风场分布具有不同的非对称特征,且大风出现比率也各有差异;TC中心位于海南岛上时出现大风比率最高,位于岛南侧时次之,位于岛北侧时最小。(3)该区域TC平均最大风速半径(RMW)为58.3 km;TC位于岛上时RMW最大,而位于岛西南侧最小。(4)TC近中心最大风速由海上向陆地急剧减小,其高值中心主要位于雷州半岛东侧及西侧海域。(5)研究区域内TC的34节风圈半径在TC环流的东侧大而西侧小,强TC大而弱TC小。(6)不同区域TC变形程度有所差异。平均而言,位于岛西南侧TC变形最大而位于岛东南侧时变形最小。     

Effects of Mesoscale Surface Thermal Heterogeneity on Low-Level Horizontal Wind Speeds

Using large-eddy simulation, we investigate characteristics of horizontal wind speed at 100 m above the ground, with surface heat-flux variations that are sinusoidal with amplitudes of 0, 50, and 200 W m⁻² and wavelengths of 16, 32, and 128 km, and no background flow. When the amplitude is 200 W m⁻², wind speeds induced by the surface-flux variations on scales of 16 and/or 32 km have multiple temporal oscillations from 0600 to 1800 local standard time. The positive peaks first appear before noon. In contrast, for wind speeds induced by the 128-km surface heterogeneity, a single oscillation occurs in the late afternoon, which is much larger than those generated by the 16- and 32-km surface heterogeneity. In addition, at the oscillation onset the kurtosis of the velocity increment over a distance of 1 km significantly increases, which implies intermittency in the generation of 1-km scale eddies. The spatially intermittent energy cascade generated by surface heterogeneity scaled down to 1-km eddies is analogous to the well-known intermittent energy cascade in the inertial subrange. The kurtosis of the 1-km eddies is much larger with the 128-km surface heterogeneity than with the 16- and 32-km heterogeneities. Thus we conclude that localized rapid changes of low-level horizontal wind speed may be caused by significant local surface heterogeneity on scales between a few tens and a few hundreds of kilometres.     

中尺度模式风电场风速短期预报能力研究

本文利用内蒙古乌兰察布风电场2009 年观测记录和WRF 数值模式预报,研究了中尺度数值天气模式对风电场风速的短期预报能力。研究表明:不同数值模式参数化方案的预报能力没有实质性的区别,对于不同时效的风场预报各种方案的预报能力不尽相同。在天气演变较为剧烈时,模式预报技巧相对较差。风电场周边主要天气系统对预报准确度有很大影响。就乌兰察布风电场而言,WRF 模式2009 年日平均预报相对误差仅为11.78%,且误差大于20%的日数占研究总天数不超过15%,具有较高的预报技巧。当蒙古气旋、东北气旋剧烈发展或风速迅速减小时风速的预报误差较大。     

新疆地区一次对流性降水的三维中尺度风场研究

利用2004年外场试验获得的乌鲁木齐和五家渠C波段双多普勒雷达资料, 分析了双多普勒雷达风场反演方法和资料的可靠性, 研究了2004年8月8日发生在乌鲁木齐和五家渠的一次强对流性降水的回波和风场中尺度结构及演变过程。结果表明:这两部雷达观测的回波强度相关很好, 雷达基线上的径向速度基本一致, 资料可靠, 适合进行双多普勒雷达观测; Cressman插值的影响半径的变化对风场的中尺度结构基本没有影响, 径向速度误差引起的风场反演误差与该点所处的位置有关, 1 m/s径向速度误差也不会改变风场的中尺度结构。该过程为对流单体发展为对流带状回波的过程, 在对流单体的左侧生成新的对流单体, 逐步发展为长度约90 km范围的带状对流系统, 该系统恰与较强的东北风和较弱的西风形成的辐合相对应, 上升气流与强对流回波相对应, 不同对流单体有各自相独立的风场结构。用双多普勒雷达观测得到对流系统的内部风场有利于了解对流系统的内部动力过程, 从而探讨降水的形成和演变机理。     

利用双多普勒雷达资料对一次台风流场结构的分析

应用Qiu等提出的两步变分反演法,由厦门、长乐两部雷达观测资料反演0604号台风"碧利斯"登陆福建霞浦前的风场,并利用反演的水平风场检验几种常用的台风涡旋模型对此次台风的合理性,以期对雷达资料应用于台风过程分析和模拟有更进一步的认识。结果表明,两步变分法可以较好地反演出台风的水平、垂直风场特征,水平风场呈现不对称性且有明显的偏心结构,流场随高度表现出漏斗形特征,垂直风速与水平流场对应较好,台风中心有下沉气流,外围有上升气流。通过对台风物理量的分析发现,此次台风过程存在以最大风速半径随高度向外倾斜的主环流圈和低层向中心流入,高层向外流出的次环流圈。利用反演的水平风场对常用的对称风场涡旋模型进行了验证,发现在最大风速圈内取Rankine模式,最大风速圈外取Chen3模式对此次台风过程拟合较好。     

卫星云迹风资料对中尺度数值模式初始风场改进试验

应用GMS-5静止气象卫星云图导出的风场产品-云迹风资料对中尺度η坐标有限区域数值模式(REM)的初始风场进行改进处理．模拟了2001年7月27-28日、28-29日的降水过程，并且与没有云迹风改进的数值模拟的降水结果进行对比分析。研究结果表明．卫星云图导出的云迹风场资料同化到数值模式．从而改善因测站稀疏造成的中小尺度系统漏报的不足．提高降水的预报精度．     

Large-Eddy Simulation of Thermally Stratified Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Flow Using a Minimum Dissipation Model

A generalized form of a recently developed minimum dissipation model for subfilter turbulent fluxes is proposed and implemented in the simulation of thermally stratified atmospheric boundary-layer flows. Compared with the original model, the generalized model includes the contribution of buoyant forces, in addition to shear, to the production or suppression of turbulence, with a number of desirable practical and theoretical properties. Specifically, the model has a low computational complexity, appropriately switches off in laminar and transitional flows, does not require any ad hoc shear and stability corrections, and is consistent with theoretical subfilter turbulent fluxes. The simulation results show remarkable agreement with well-established empirical correlations, theoretical predictions, and field observations in the atmosphere. In addition, the results show very little sensitivity to the grid resolution, demonstrating the robustness of the model in the simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer, even with relatively coarse resolutions.     

利用中尺度数值模式产品建立暴雨落区潜势预报

统计2005—2006年AREM模式输出相关物理量与暴雨的关系,采用模糊逻辑方法建立暴雨潜势预报多参数组合方程,然后分别代入AREM模式预报场相关物理量24 h平均值和最大值,进行暴雨落区潜势预报。对比分析2007—2009年潜势预报情况和暴雨Ts评分,结果表明:最大值方法潜势预报强中心偏多,暴雨空报较多;平均值方法能够较好反映24 h内整体降水分布情况,其Ts评分较高,虽然对强降水中心落区预报仍有偏差,但其总体预报效果要优于最大值方法。     

新疆区域模式MM5和GRAPES预报能力对比检验

对新疆气象局运行的MM5、Grapes模式2008年4-9月的温度、降水预报能力进行了对比检验,得到以下结果：(1)MM5降水预报能力均优于Grapes,08点初始场降水预报能力略优于20点初始场;(2)降水预报北疆西部、天山山区最好,北疆北部、北疆沿天山次之,南疆最次;(3) MM5对西西伯利亚低槽和中亚低值系统相结合的降水过程预报能力最好,中亚低值系统次之,西西伯利亚低槽最次;(4) MM5温度预报能力均优于Grapes,白天的预报效果优于夜间,预报较实况总体偏低;(5) MM5气温预报准确率北疆优于南疆,偏东优于偏西,平均误差的分布则体现出偏西以负值为主,偏东以正值为主。Grapes的预报准确率南北疆没有明显差异,平均误差的分布也体现出偏西以负值为主,偏东以正值为主。     

一种集成风向风速的风场空间检验方法

基于概率分布特征定义全新风速阈值选取方案,不受地域及季节性影响,并综合风向信息建立兼顾风向风速的风场分类列表,采用邻域空间检验技术构建可集成风向风速的矢量风场检验方法。基于2018年4月1—30日GRAPES_Meso模式不同分辨率（10 km及3 km）逐小时预报产品,利用所开发的矢量风场检验方法分析表明:模式风向预报的随机性随着风速的增大而减小,即弱风的风向难以成功预报。通过矢量风场综合分析发现高分辨率预报效果在170 km空间尺度上24 h预报最大评分优势可达0.24,各邻域空间尺度上评分分布趋势保持一致。通过敏感性分析发现,所获取的综合指标可用于反映风场预报性能。同时,不同矢量风场分类方法将对评估结果产生影响,高分类方法评分稳定性更好,低分类方法受限于单一分类权重过大而影响评估一致性。因此,在计算能力允许的条件下,选择较高分类方式将有助于获得更为稳定的检验效果。     

利用神经网络计算方法建立太平洋副高活动的预报模型

基于赤道附近海温和副热带高压相关性的观测和研究事实, 利用人工神经网络的BP模型及其优化算法建立了近赤道海温同西太平洋副热带高压面积指数之间的预报模型.该模型可根据月平均的近赤道海温和副高面积指数的前期分布, 预报出其后3个月副高面积指数的基本走向和变化趋势.该模型具有较高的拟合精度, 其预报效果和预报时效具有一定的实用意义.     

Large-Eddy Simulation of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Flow Over Fluvial-Like Landscapes Using a Dynamic Roughness Model

A recently developed dynamic surface roughness model (Anderson and Meneveau, J Fluid Mech 679:288–314, 2011) for large-eddy simulation (LES) of atmospheric boundary-layer flow over multi-scale topographies is applied to boundary-layer flow over several types of fluvial-like landscapes. The landscapes are generated numerically with simulation of a modified Kardar–Parisi–Zhang equation (Passalacqua et al., Water Resour Res 42:WOD611, 2006). These surfaces possess the fractal-like channel network and anisotropic features often found in real terrains. The dynamic model is shown to lead to accurate flow predictions when the surface-height distributions exhibit power-law scaling (scale invariance) in the prevalent mean flow direction. In those cases, the LES provide accurate predictions (invariant to resolution) of mean velocity profiles. Conversely, some resolution dependence is found for applications in which the landscape’s streamwise spectra do not exhibit pure power-law scaling near wavenumbers corresponding to the LES grid resolution.     

Simulation of Meteorological Fields Within and Above Urban and Rural Canopies with a Mesoscale Model

Accurate simulation of air quality at neighbourhood scales (on order of 1-km horizontal grid spacing) requires detailed meteorological fields inside the roughness sub-layer (RSL). Since the assumptions of the roughness approach, used by most of the mesoscale models, are unsatisfactory at this scale, a detailed urban and rural canopy parameterisation, called DA-SM2-U, is developed inside the Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) to simulate the meteorological fields within and above the urban and rural canopies. DA-SM2-U uses the drag-force approach to represent the dynamic and turbulent effects of the buildings and vegetation, and a modified version of the soil model SM2-U, called SM2-U(3D), to represent the thermodynamic effects of the canopy elements. The turbulence length scale is also modified inside the canopies. SM2-U(3D) assesses the sensible and latent heat fluxes from rural and urban surfaces in each of the computational layers inside the canopies by considering the shadowing effect, the radiative trapping by the street canyons, and the storage heat flux by the artificial surfaces. DA-SM2-U is tested during one simulated day above the city of Philadelphia, U.S.A. It is shown that DA-SM2-U is capable of simulating the important features observed in the urban and rural RSL, as seen in the vertical profiles of the shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy budget components, eddy diffusivity, potential air temperature, and specific humidity. Within the canopies, DA-SM2-U simulates the decrease of the wind speed inside the dense canopies, the skirting of the flow around the canopy blocks, warmer air inside the vegetation canopy than above open areas during the night and conversely during the day, and constantly warmer air inside the urban canopy. The comparison with measurements shows that the surface air temperature above rural and urban areas is better simulated by DA-SM2-U than by the `standard version' of MM5.