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- Author or Editor: George Zittis x
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ABSTRACT
A stepwise evaluation method and a comprehensive scoring approach are proposed and implemented to select a model setup and physics parameterizations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model for high-resolution precipitation simulations. The ERA5 reanalysis data were dynamically downscaled to 1-km resolution for the topographically complex domain of the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The performance of the simulations was examined for three domain configurations, two model initialization approaches and 18 combinations of atmospheric physics parameterizations. Two continuous and two categorical scores were used for the evaluation. A new extreme event score, which combines hits and frequency bias, was introduced as a complementary evaluator of extremes. A composite scaled score was used to identify the overall best performing parameterizations. The least errors in mean daily and monthly precipitation amounts and daily extremes were found for the domain configuration with the largest extent and three nested domains. A 5-day initialization frequency did not improve precipitation, relative to 30-day continuous simulations. The parameterization type with the largest impact on precipitation was microphysics. The cumulus parameterization was also found to have an impact on the 1-km nested domain, despite that it was only activated in the coarser “parent” domains. Comparison of simulations with 12-, 4-, and 1-km resolution revealed the better skill of the model at 1 km. The impact of the various model configurations in the small-sized domain was different from the impact in larger model domains; this could be further explored for other atmospheric variables.
ABSTRACT
A stepwise evaluation method and a comprehensive scoring approach are proposed and implemented to select a model setup and physics parameterizations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model for high-resolution precipitation simulations. The ERA5 reanalysis data were dynamically downscaled to 1-km resolution for the topographically complex domain of the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The performance of the simulations was examined for three domain configurations, two model initialization approaches and 18 combinations of atmospheric physics parameterizations. Two continuous and two categorical scores were used for the evaluation. A new extreme event score, which combines hits and frequency bias, was introduced as a complementary evaluator of extremes. A composite scaled score was used to identify the overall best performing parameterizations. The least errors in mean daily and monthly precipitation amounts and daily extremes were found for the domain configuration with the largest extent and three nested domains. A 5-day initialization frequency did not improve precipitation, relative to 30-day continuous simulations. The parameterization type with the largest impact on precipitation was microphysics. The cumulus parameterization was also found to have an impact on the 1-km nested domain, despite that it was only activated in the coarser “parent” domains. Comparison of simulations with 12-, 4-, and 1-km resolution revealed the better skill of the model at 1 km. The impact of the various model configurations in the small-sized domain was different from the impact in larger model domains; this could be further explored for other atmospheric variables.
Abstract
We assess the sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model to the use of different planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations focusing on air temperature and extreme heat conditions. This work aims to evaluate the performance of the WRF Model in simulating temperatures across the Middle East–North Africa (MENA) domain, explain the model biases resulting from the choice of different PBL schemes, and identify the best-performing configuration for the MENA region. Three different PBL schemes are used to downscale the ECMWF ERA-Interim climate over the MENA region at a horizontal resolution of 24 km, for the period 2000–10. These are the Mellor–Yamada–Janjić (MYJ), Yonsei University (YSU), and the asymmetric convective model, version 2 (ACM2). For the evaluation of the WRF runs, we used related meteorological variables from the ERA5 reanalysis, including summer maximum and minimum 2-m air temperature and heat extreme indices. Our results indicate that simulations tend to overestimate maximum temperatures and underestimate minimum temperatures, and we find that model errors are very dependent on the geographic location. The possible physical causes of model biases are investigated through the analysis of additional variables (such as boundary layer height, moisture, and heat fluxes). It is shown that differences among the PBL schemes are associated with differences in vertical mixing strength, which alters the magnitude of the entrainment of free-tropospheric air into the PBL. The YSU is found to be the best-performing scheme, and it is recommended in WRF climate simulations for the MENA region.
Abstract
We assess the sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model to the use of different planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations focusing on air temperature and extreme heat conditions. This work aims to evaluate the performance of the WRF Model in simulating temperatures across the Middle East–North Africa (MENA) domain, explain the model biases resulting from the choice of different PBL schemes, and identify the best-performing configuration for the MENA region. Three different PBL schemes are used to downscale the ECMWF ERA-Interim climate over the MENA region at a horizontal resolution of 24 km, for the period 2000–10. These are the Mellor–Yamada–Janjić (MYJ), Yonsei University (YSU), and the asymmetric convective model, version 2 (ACM2). For the evaluation of the WRF runs, we used related meteorological variables from the ERA5 reanalysis, including summer maximum and minimum 2-m air temperature and heat extreme indices. Our results indicate that simulations tend to overestimate maximum temperatures and underestimate minimum temperatures, and we find that model errors are very dependent on the geographic location. The possible physical causes of model biases are investigated through the analysis of additional variables (such as boundary layer height, moisture, and heat fluxes). It is shown that differences among the PBL schemes are associated with differences in vertical mixing strength, which alters the magnitude of the entrainment of free-tropospheric air into the PBL. The YSU is found to be the best-performing scheme, and it is recommended in WRF climate simulations for the MENA region.
