Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study
The advances in satellite technology in recent years have made feasible the acquisition of high-resolution information on the Earth's surface. Examples of such information include elevation and land use, which have become more detailed. Including this information in numerical atmospheric models...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-08-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/14/2009/2014/nhess-14-2009-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811259844881022976 |
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| author | J. C. Teixeira A. C. Carvalho M. J. Carvalho T. Luna A. Rocha |
| author_facet | J. C. Teixeira A. C. Carvalho M. J. Carvalho T. Luna A. Rocha |
| author_sort | J. C. Teixeira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The advances in satellite
technology in recent years have made feasible the acquisition of
high-resolution information on the Earth's surface. Examples of such
information include elevation and land use, which have become more detailed.
Including this information in numerical atmospheric models can improve their
results in simulating lower boundary forced events, by providing detailed
information on their characteristics. Consequently, this work aims to study
the sensitivity of the weather research and forecast (WRF) model to different
topography as well as land-use simulations in an extreme precipitation event.
The test case focused on a topographically driven precipitation event over
the island of Madeira, which triggered flash floods and mudslides in the
southern parts of the island. Difference fields between simulations were
computed, showing that the change in the data sets produced statistically
significant changes to the flow, the planetary boundary layer structure and
precipitation patterns. Moreover, model results show an improvement in model
skill in the windward region for precipitation and in the leeward region for
wind, in spite of the non-significant enhancement in the overall results with
higher-resolution data sets of topography and land use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:37:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-435479daffdb4b2a99a45d3531b63647 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:37:43Z |
| publishDate | 2014-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-435479daffdb4b2a99a45d3531b636472022-12-22T03:20:52ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812014-08-011482009202510.5194/nhess-14-2009-2014Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case studyJ. C. Teixeira0A. C. Carvalho1M. J. Carvalho2T. Luna3A. Rocha4Department of Physics, CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalCENSE, Departament of Science Environmental Engineering, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, PortugalDepartment of Physics, CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalIDAD The Institute for Environment and Development, Campus Universitario de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalDepartment of Physics, CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalThe advances in satellite technology in recent years have made feasible the acquisition of high-resolution information on the Earth's surface. Examples of such information include elevation and land use, which have become more detailed. Including this information in numerical atmospheric models can improve their results in simulating lower boundary forced events, by providing detailed information on their characteristics. Consequently, this work aims to study the sensitivity of the weather research and forecast (WRF) model to different topography as well as land-use simulations in an extreme precipitation event. The test case focused on a topographically driven precipitation event over the island of Madeira, which triggered flash floods and mudslides in the southern parts of the island. Difference fields between simulations were computed, showing that the change in the data sets produced statistically significant changes to the flow, the planetary boundary layer structure and precipitation patterns. Moreover, model results show an improvement in model skill in the windward region for precipitation and in the leeward region for wind, in spite of the non-significant enhancement in the overall results with higher-resolution data sets of topography and land use.http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/14/2009/2014/nhess-14-2009-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. C. Teixeira A. C. Carvalho M. J. Carvalho T. Luna A. Rocha Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study |
| title_full | Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study |
| title_fullStr | Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study |
| title_short | Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event – Madeira island case study |
| title_sort | sensitivity of the wrf model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event ndash madeira island case study |
| url | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/14/2009/2014/nhess-14-2009-2014.pdf |
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