Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Evaluation of and Suggested Improvements to the WSM6 Microphysics in WRF-ARW Using Synthetic and Observed GOES-13 Imagery

Lewis Grasso * Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

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Daniel T. Lindsey NOAA/Center for Satellite Applications and Research, and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

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Kyo-Sun Sunny Lim Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

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Adam Clark National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma

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Dan Bikos * Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

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Scott R. Dembek Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, Norman, Oklahoma

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Print Publication:
01 Oct 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-14-00005.1
Page(s):
3635–3650
Restricted access

Abstract

Synthetic satellite imagery can be employed to evaluate simulated cloud fields. Past studies have revealed that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) single-moment 6-class (WSM6) microphysics scheme in the Advanced Research WRF (WRF-ARW) produces less upper-level ice clouds within synthetic images compared to observations. Synthetic Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-13 (GOES-13) imagery at 10.7 μm of simulated cloud fields from the 4-km National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) WRF-ARW is compared to observed GOES-13 imagery. Histograms suggest that too few points contain upper-level simulated ice clouds. In particular, side-by-side examples are shown of synthetic and observed anvils. Such images illustrate the lack of anvil cloud associated with convection produced by the 4-km NSSL WRF-ARW. A vertical profile of simulated hydrometeors suggests that too much cloud water mass may be converted into graupel mass, effectively reducing the main source of ice mass in a simulated anvil. Further, excessive accretion of ice by snow removes ice from an anvil by precipitation settling. Idealized sensitivity tests reveal that a 50% reduction of the accretion rate of ice by snow results in a significant increase in anvil ice of a simulated storm. Such results provide guidance as to which conversions could be reformulated, in a more physical manner, to increase simulated ice mass in the upper troposphere.

Corresponding author address: Lewis Grasso, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1375. E-mail: lewis.grasso@colostate.edu

Abstract

Synthetic satellite imagery can be employed to evaluate simulated cloud fields. Past studies have revealed that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) single-moment 6-class (WSM6) microphysics scheme in the Advanced Research WRF (WRF-ARW) produces less upper-level ice clouds within synthetic images compared to observations. Synthetic Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-13 (GOES-13) imagery at 10.7 μm of simulated cloud fields from the 4-km National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) WRF-ARW is compared to observed GOES-13 imagery. Histograms suggest that too few points contain upper-level simulated ice clouds. In particular, side-by-side examples are shown of synthetic and observed anvils. Such images illustrate the lack of anvil cloud associated with convection produced by the 4-km NSSL WRF-ARW. A vertical profile of simulated hydrometeors suggests that too much cloud water mass may be converted into graupel mass, effectively reducing the main source of ice mass in a simulated anvil. Further, excessive accretion of ice by snow removes ice from an anvil by precipitation settling. Idealized sensitivity tests reveal that a 50% reduction of the accretion rate of ice by snow results in a significant increase in anvil ice of a simulated storm. Such results provide guidance as to which conversions could be reformulated, in a more physical manner, to increase simulated ice mass in the upper troposphere.

Corresponding author address: Lewis Grasso, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1375. E-mail: lewis.grasso@colostate.edu
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