Model performance and sensitivity to model physics options are studied with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (version 3.1.1) over Delhi region in India for surface and upper air meteorological parameters in summer and winter seasons. A case study with the model has been performed with different configurations, and the best physics options suited for this region have been, determined. Comparison between estimated and observed data was carried out through standard statistical measures. Generally, the combination of Pleim-Xiu land surface model, Pleim surface layer scheme, and Asymmetric Convective Model has been found to produce better estimates of temperature and relative humidity for Delhi region. Wind speed and direction estimations were observed best for MM5 similarity surface layer along with Yonsei University boundary layer scheme. Nested domains with higher resolutions were not helpful in improving the simulation results as per the current availability of the data. Overall, the present case study shows that the model has performed reasonably well over the subtropical region of Delhi. 1. Introduction Numerical weather prediction models have different sets of physical parameterization configuration options. As the model becomes more sophisticated, greater number of physical processes can be incorporated into it, and there is a range of physical schemes which can be used to simulate them. Thus, one of the essential steps in numerical weather simulation is to choose the best set of physics options for the region and time period under consideration. Numerous sensitivity studies for one or more physics options of WRF model have been undertaken in different parts of the world such as Spain [1], Japan and Korea [2], Alaska [3], South America [4], western United States [5], southern United States [6], West Africa [7], and others. In India, some sensitivity studies for WRF have been undertaken which mainly focus on extreme events like thunderstorm [8], tropical cyclone [9], and heavy precipitation [10–12]. The present work is a case study in which an attempt is made to apply several physics options of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF v 3.1.1) to a subtropical region, namely, Delhi in India, for examining model sensitivity and evaluating the model’s performance as suited to this region. 2. Model and Configurations 2.1. WRF Modeling System The Weather Research and Forecasting model is developed for mesoscale modeling and is a supported “community model”, that is, a free and shared resource with distributed development and centralized
References
[1]
R. Borge, V. Alexandrov, J. José del Vas, J. Lumbreras, and E. Rodríguez, “A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the WRF model for air quality applications over the Iberian Peninsula,” Atmospheric Environment, vol. 42, no. 37, pp. 8560–8574, 2008.
[2]
J. H. Kwun, Y. K. Kim, J. W. Seo, J. H. Jeong, and S. H. You, “Sensitivity of MM5 and WRF mesoscale model predictions of surface winds in a typhoon to planetary boundary layer parameterizations,” Natural Hazards, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 63–77, 2009.
[3]
J. R. Krieger, J. Zhang, D. E. Atkinson, X. Zhang, and M. D. Shulski, “Sensitivity of WRF model forecasts to different physical parameterizations in the Beaufort sea region,” in Proceedings of the 8th Conference on Coastal Atmospheric and Oceanic Prediction and Processes Phoenix, Ariz, USA, 2009.
[4]
J. J. Ruiz, C. Saulo, and J. Nogués-Paegle, “WRF model sensitivity to choice of parameterization over South America: validation against surface variables,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 138, no. 8, pp. 3342–3355, 2010.
[5]
J. Jin, N. L. Miller, and N. Schlegel, “Sensitivity study of four land surface schemes in the WRF model,” Advances in Meteorology, vol. 2010, Article ID 167436, 11 pages, 2010.
[6]
C. Misenis, X. Hu, S. Krishnan, and Y. Zhang, “Sensitivity of WRF/CHEM predictions to meteorological schemes,” in Proceedings of the 14th Joint Conference on the Applications of Air Pollution Meteorology with the Air and Waste Management Association, Atlanta, Ga, USA, 2006.
[7]
E. Flaounas, S. Bastin, and S. Janicot, “Regional climate modelling of the 2006 West African monsoon: sensitivity to convection and planetary boundary layer parameterisation using WRF,” Climate Dynamics, pp. 1–23, 2010.
[8]
M. Rajeevan, A. Kesarkar, S. B. Thampi, T. N. Rao, B. Radhakrishna, and M. Rajasekhar, “Sensitivity of WRF cloud microphysics to simulations of a severe thunderstorm event over Southeast India,” Annales Geophysicae, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 603–619, 2010.
[9]
S. Pattanayak and U. C. Mohanty, “A comparative study on performance of MM5 and WRF models in simulation of tropical cyclones over Indian seas,” Current Science, vol. 95, no. 7, pp. 923–936, 2008.
[10]
S. K. Deb, T. P. Srivastava, and C. M. Kishtawal, “The WRF model performance for the simulation of heavy precipitating events over Ahmedabad during August 2006,” Journal of Earth System Science, vol. 117, no. 5, pp. 589–602, 2008.
[11]
A. Kumar, J. Dudhia, R. Rotunno, D. Niyogi, and U. C. Mohanty, “Analysis of the 26 July 2005 heavy rain event over Mumbai, India using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)model,” Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, vol. 134, no. 636, pp. 1897–1910, 2008.
[12]
Y. V. Rama Rao, H. R. Hatwar, A. K. Salah, and Y. Sudhakar, “An experiment using the high resolution Eta and WRF models to forecast heavy precipitation over India,” Pure and Applied Geophysics, vol. 164, no. 8-9, pp. 1593–1615, 2007.
[13]
J. Dudhia, “WRF Modeling System Overview,” 2010, http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/wrf/users/tutorial/201001/WRF_Overview_Dudhia.pdf.
[14]
National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), ARW Version 3 Modeling System’s User’s Guide, NCAR, Boulder, Colo, USA, 2010.
[15]
National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), “A description of the advanced research WRF Version 3,” NCAR Technical Note NCAR/TN-475+STR, NCAR, Boulder, Colo, USA, 2008.
[16]
S. H. Chen and W. Y. Sun, “A one-dimensional time dependent cloud model,” Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, vol. 80, no. 1, pp. 99–118, 2002.
[17]
S. Y. Hong, J. O. J. Lim, and J. Dudhia, “The WRF single-moment 6-class microphysics scheme (WSM6),” Journal of the Korean Meteorological Society, vol. 42, pp. 129–151, 2004.
[18]
E. Rogers, T. Black, B. Ferrier, Y. Lin, D. Parrish, and G. Di Mego, “Changes to the NCEP Meso Eta Analysis and Forecast System: increase in resolution, new cloud microphyics, modified precipitation assimilation, modified 3DVAR analysis,” NWS Technical Procedures Bulletin, 2001.
[19]
J. S. Kain and J. Kain, “The Kain - Fritsch convective parameterization: an update,” Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 170–181, 2004.
[20]
W. C. Skamarock, J. B. Klemp, J. Dudhia, et al., “A description of the advanced research WRF version,” Technical Note TN-468+STR, NCAR, Boulder, Colo, USA, 2005.
[21]
Z. I. Janjic, “Nonsingular Implementation of the Mellor—Yamada Level 2.5 Scheme in the NCEP Mesomodel,” NCEP Office Note 437, 2002.
[22]
R. C. Gilliam and J. E. Pleim, “Performance assessment of new land surface and planetary boundary layer physics in the WRF-ARW,” Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 760–774, 2010.
[23]
S. Y. Hong, Y. Noh, and J. Dudhia, “A new vertical diffusion package with an explicit treatment of entrainment processes,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 134, no. 9, pp. 2318–2341, 2006.
[24]
F. Chen and J. Dudhia, “Coupling and advanced land surface-hydrology model with the Penn State-NCAR MM5 modeling system—part I: model implementation and sensitivity,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 129, no. 4, pp. 569–585, 2001.
[25]
M. B. Ek, K. E. Mitchell, Y. Lin et al., “Implementation of Noah land surface model advances in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction operational mesoscale Eta model,” Journal of Geophysical Research D, vol. 108, no. 22, pp. 1–16, 2003.
[26]
E. J. Mlawer, S. J. Taubman, P. D. Brown, M. J. Iacono, and S. A. Clough, “Radiative transfer for inhomogeneous atmospheres: RRTM, a validated correlated-k model for the longwave,” Journal of Geophysical Research D, vol. 102, no. 14, pp. 663–682, 1997.
[27]
J. Dudhia, “Numerical study of convection observed during the Winter Monsoon Experiment using a mesoscale two-dimensional model,” Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, vol. 46, no. 20, pp. 3077–3107, 1989.
[28]
GIS Development Geospatial Resource Portal, “Earthquakes in Delhi,” 2009, http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/natural_hazards/earthquakes/nheq0007.htm.
WMO Guide to Meteorological Instruments and Methods of Observation, http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/publications/CIMO-Guide/CIMO_Guide-7th_Edition-2008.html.
[31]
J. J. Cassano and M. E. Higgins, “Development of a regional arctic climate system model: performance of WRF for regional pan-Arctic atmospheric simulations,” in Proceedings of the 11th WRF Users' Workshop National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo, USA, 2010.
[32]
T. Prabha and G. Hoogenboom, “Evaluation of the Weather Research and Forecasting model for two frost events,” Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 234–247, 2008.
[33]
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/igra/.
[34]
V. S. Challa, J. Indrcanti, J. M. Baham et al., “Sensitivity of atmospheric dispersion simulations by HYSPLIT to the meteorological predictions from a meso-scale model,” Environmental Fluid Mechanics, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 367–387, 2008.
[35]
S. Mayer, A. Sandvik, M. O. Jonassen, and J. Reuder, “Atmospheric profiling with the UAS SUMO: a new perspective for the evaluation of fine-scale atmospheric models,” Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, 2010.
[36]
S. R. Hanna, B. Reen, E. Hendrick et al., “Comparison of observed, MM5 and WRF-NMM model-simulated, and HPAC-assumed boundary-layer meteorological variables for 3 days during the IHOP field experiment,” Boundary-Layer Meteorology, vol. 134, no. 2, pp. 285–306, 2010.
[37]
S. Das, R. Ashrit, G. R. Iyengar et al., “Skills of different mesoscale models over Indian region during monsoon season: forecast errors,” Journal of Earth System Science, vol. 117, no. 5, pp. 603–620, 2008.
[38]
J. W. Nielsen-Gammon, X.-M. Hu, F. Zhang, and J. E. Pleim, “Evaluation of planetary boundary layer scheme sensitivities for the purpose of parameter estimation,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 138, no. 9, pp. 3400–3417, 2010.
[39]
X.-M. Hu, J. W. Nielsen-Gammon, and F. Zhang, “Evaluation of three planetary boundary layer schemes in the WRF model,” Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, vol. 49, no. 9, pp. 1831–1844, 2010.
