Mooney, P. A. and Mulligan, F.J. and Bruyère, C.L. and Parker, C L and Gill, D. O.
(2019)
Investigating the performance of coupled WRF-ROMS simulations of Hurricane Irene (2011) in a regional climate modeling framework.
Atmospheric Research, 215.
pp. 57-74.
ISSN 0169-8095
Abstract
Hurricane Irene (2011) was a category 3 tropical storm that resulted in severe flooding, causing at least 40
deaths and more than $15 billion in damaged property along the US northeastern seaboard (Avila and
Cangialosi, 2011). This work analyzes the sensitivity of numerical simulations of this devastating storm to the
physical parameterizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and a coupled modeling
framework (WRF and the Regional Ocean Modeling System). Simulations were conducted in two 16-member
physics ensembles, each included two radiation schemes, two cumulus schemes, two microphysics schemes, and
two planetary boundary layer schemes. The simulations were evaluated primarily on the accuracy of the simulated
track and the intensity of the storm compared to observations over a period of 5 days centered on the
storm's maximum intensity. Cumulus and planetary boundary layer parameterizations were the most influential
physics schemes with radiation and microphysics having much smaller effects. The simulated track, intensity,
translational speed, and rainfall rate were particularly sensitive to cumulus schemes given the differences in
representation of shallow convection. Tracks and rainfall rates also showed sensitivity to the inclusion or exclusion
of local effects in the parameterization of planetary boundary layer processes. Using a grid spacing of
12 km, coupling an ocean model to WRF affected the storm track (with increased sensitivity to the cumulus
scheme selected) and translational speed, but had very little effect on the rainfall rate or intensity of the storm. In
terms of track accuracy, the optimal combination of physics parameterizations for WRF is not necessarily optimal
for the coupled WRF-ROMS system.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
Tropical Cyclone;
Hurricane;
Irene;
Atmosphere-ocean model coupling;
Weather research and forecasting; WRF; model;
Regional ocean modeling system; ROMS; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering > Experimental Physics |
| Item ID: |
14158 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2018.08.017 |
| Depositing User: |
Dr. Frank Mulligan
|
| Date Deposited: |
11 Mar 2021 10:18 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Atmospheric Research |
| Publisher: |
Elsevier |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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