Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa
Recent advances in supercomputing have made feasible the numerical integration of high-resolution cloud-resolving models (CRMs). CRMs are being used increasingly for high-resolution operational numerical weather prediction and for research purposes. We report on the development of a new CRM in South...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2014-09-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/3966 |
| _version_ | 1818470328971558912 |
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| author | Mary-Jane M. Bopape Francois A. Engelbrecht David A. Randall Willem A. Landman |
| author_facet | Mary-Jane M. Bopape Francois A. Engelbrecht David A. Randall Willem A. Landman |
| author_sort | Mary-Jane M. Bopape |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent advances in supercomputing have made feasible the numerical integration of high-resolution cloud-resolving models (CRMs). CRMs are being used increasingly for high-resolution operational numerical weather prediction and for research purposes. We report on the development of a new CRM in South Africa. Two bulk microphysics parameterisation schemes were introduced to a dynamical core of a two-dimensional Non-hydrostatic σ-coordinate Model (NSM) developed in South Africa. The resulting CRM was used to simulate two 12-day periods and an 8-day period observed during the Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment. The response of the NSM to the large-scale forcing which occurred over the three periods, and which included both suppressed and active convection, was examined. The NSM is shown to be able to capture the differences in the three experiments and responds correctly to the large-scale forcing (i.e. it is able to distinguish between suppressed and active regimes). However, the model simulations are cooler and drier than the observations. We demonstrate progress made in the development of a CRM in South Africa, which can be used to study the attributes of convective rainfall over the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:35:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-26380d2a630f45738a849cb80e8e7314 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:35:54Z |
| publishDate | 2014-09-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-26380d2a630f45738a849cb80e8e73142022-12-22T02:28:57ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892014-09-011109/10121210.1590/sajs.2014/201301333966Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South AfricaMary-Jane M. Bopape0Francois A. Engelbrecht1David A. Randall2Willem A. Landman31 Natural Resources and the Environment, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa 2 Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa1 Natural Resources and the Environment, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa 2 Department of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaDepartment of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA1 Natural Resources and the Environment, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa 2 Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaRecent advances in supercomputing have made feasible the numerical integration of high-resolution cloud-resolving models (CRMs). CRMs are being used increasingly for high-resolution operational numerical weather prediction and for research purposes. We report on the development of a new CRM in South Africa. Two bulk microphysics parameterisation schemes were introduced to a dynamical core of a two-dimensional Non-hydrostatic σ-coordinate Model (NSM) developed in South Africa. The resulting CRM was used to simulate two 12-day periods and an 8-day period observed during the Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment. The response of the NSM to the large-scale forcing which occurred over the three periods, and which included both suppressed and active convection, was examined. The NSM is shown to be able to capture the differences in the three experiments and responds correctly to the large-scale forcing (i.e. it is able to distinguish between suppressed and active regimes). However, the model simulations are cooler and drier than the observations. We demonstrate progress made in the development of a CRM in South Africa, which can be used to study the attributes of convective rainfall over the region.https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/3966atmospheric modellingthunderstormsTOGA COAREmicrophysics schemes |
| spellingShingle | Mary-Jane M. Bopape Francois A. Engelbrecht David A. Randall Willem A. Landman Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa South African Journal of Science atmospheric modelling thunderstorms TOGA COARE microphysics schemes |
| title | Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa |
| title_full | Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa |
| title_short | Advances towards the development of a cloud-resolving model in South Africa |
| title_sort | advances towards the development of a cloud resolving model in south africa |
| topic | atmospheric modelling thunderstorms TOGA COARE microphysics schemes |
| url | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/3966 |
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