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Impact of four WRF modifications upon eight nor’easter simulations
Descriptive
TitleInfo
Title
Impact of four WRF modifications upon eight nor’easter simulations
Name
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Nicholls
NamePart
(type = given)
Stephen Davi
NamePart
(type = date)
1984-
DisplayForm
Stephen Nicholls
Role
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(authority = RULIB)
author
Name
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Decker
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(type = given)
Steven G.
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Steven G. Decker
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
Role
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chair
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(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Haidvogel
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Dale B.
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Dale B. Haidvogel
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Advisory Committee
Role
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(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Name
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Miller
NamePart
(type = given)
Mark
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Mark Miller
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
Role
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(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Name
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Mohr
NamePart
(type = given)
Karen I.
DisplayForm
Karen I. Mohr
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
outside member
Name
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NamePart
Rutgers University
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
degree grantor
Name
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NamePart
Graduate School - New Brunswick
Role
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(authority = RULIB)
school
TypeOfResource
Text
Genre
(authority = marcgt)
theses
OriginInfo
DateCreated
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2012
DateOther
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(type = degree)
2012-10
Place
PlaceTerm
(type = code)
xx
Language
LanguageTerm
(authority = ISO639-2b);
(type = code)
eng
Abstract
(type = abstract)
This dissertation investigated the impact of four modifications to the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) model during eight nor’easter simulations. Specifically these modification include: 1) Different WRF model versions, 2) Usage of different bulk microphysics schemes created between 1983-2011, 3) Assimilation of radio occultation data, and 4) Fully coupling WRF to a dynamic ocean model. Model simulations were conducted for 180 hours, starting roughly 72 hours prior to the first precipitation impacts in the highly populated Mid-Atlantic US and associated cyclogenesis. Simulation accuracy was assessed by comparing each simulation to Global Forecasting System model analysis. Despite various updates, errors in both storm track and simulated storm intensity were highest in the newest WRF version and were strongly associated with mid-tropospheric heat release. Error analysis of WRF-version simulations revealed the newest WRF model version (WRF 3.3) had worst overall simulation accuracy due to errors in simulated winds, mid-tropospheric latent heat release and similar dynamical fields, whereas WRF 3.2 was best. Comparison of simulations using different microphysics parameterization revealed both storm tracks and maximum cyclone intensity revealed little to no variation between schemes due to their common programming heritage. Error analysis of the local storm environment revealed simulations little impact from the inclusion of graupel, however the newer microphysics parameterization tended to be more accurate. In contrast, for the entire environment (nor’easter and background) the newest BMPS scheme only performed on-par with the oldest BMPS within the inner most model domains. Improvements to both storm track and overall nor’easter simulation accuracy were typically inversely proportional to the data assimilation period length and was strongly sensitive to cyclone-to-sounding distance and stratospheric data assimilation errors. Simulation accuracy however was not proportional to the total number of assimilated observations. Assimilation of radio occultation data and radiosonde data were found to lead to further decreases in model simulation errors. Finally, coupling WRF to an ocean model produced no notable changes in storm track, slightly improved simulations of cyclone intensity, and marginally better simulations of the local storm environment (54.3% of periods). Impacts from ocean-atmosphere model coupling were limited to below 500 hPa.
Subject
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Topic
Atmospheric Science
RelatedItem
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TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier
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ETD
Identifier
ETD_4376
PhysicalDescription
Form
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electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
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text/xml
Extent
xviii, 191 p. : ill.
Note
(type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note
(type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note
(type = statement of responsibility)
by Stephen David Nicholls
Subject
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Northeast storms--Forecasting
Subject
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Weather forecasting--United States
Identifier
(type = hdl)
http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10001600001.ETD.000066927
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TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
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Identifier
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doi:10.7282/T3BZ64TJ
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
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Rights
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
RightsHolder
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Name
FamilyName
Nicholls
GivenName
Stephen
Role
Copyright Holder
RightsEvent
Type
Permission or license
DateTime
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(qualifier = exact);
(point = start)
2012-10-03 23:11:33
AssociatedEntity
Name
Stephen Nicholls
Role
Copyright holder
Affiliation
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
AssociatedObject
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
RightsEvent
DateTime
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2012-10-31
DateTime
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2013-05-02
Type
Embargo
Detail
Access to this PDF has been restricted at the author's request. It will be publicly available after May 2nd, 2013.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
Reason
Permission or license
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