Title: A Case Study of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model Applied to the Joint Urban 2003 Tracer Field Experiment. Part III: Boundary-Layer Parametrizations

Abstract

Numerical weather prediction is often used to supply the mean wind and turbulence fields for atmospheric transport and dispersion plume models as they provide dense geographic coverage in comparison to typically sparse monitoring networks. Here, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model 4.0 was run over the month-long period of the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign conducted in Oklahoma City. We compare three different simulations in their ability to reproduce the observations, each using a different boundary-layer parametrization. Specifically, we examine the Mellor–Yamada–Janjic (MYJ), Yonsei University (YSU), and Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) boundary-layer parametrizations. All three predict the wind speed well during the day but overpredict it at night. The MYNN parametrization is better than MYJ at predicting the daytime turbulence in the surface layer, but both underpredict the nocturnal turbulence. Additionally, the MYJ parametrization is best at predicting the reciprocal Obukhov length, while MYNN and YSU both significantly overpredict thermal stability. Reconstructing the reciprocal Obukhov length from other simulated parameters produces more accurate values for both parametrizations. All three models overpredict the boundary-layer height, particularly under convective conditions. The MYJ parametrization overestimates boundary-layer height the most, while YSU and MYNN have comparable performance with MYNN having an advantage in predicting themore » stable boundary-layer height. Several days were found where the WRF simulations predict significant deviations from the prevailing diurnal pattern in wind direction, which are not found in the observations.« less

Authors:

Nelson, Matthew Aaron  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-6883-5512"

Conry, Patrick Tomas  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Conry, Patrick Tomas"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6813-9602"

Brown, Michael John  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Brown, Michael John"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8069-0835"

Costigan, Keeley Rochelle  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Costigan, Keeley Rochelle"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-1872-0247"

Meech, Scott ^[2]; Zajic, Dragan ^[3]; Bieringer, Paul E. ^[4]; Annunzio, Andrew ^[4]; Bieberbach, George ^[4]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO (United States)
3. US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), Dugway Proving Ground, Dugway, UT (United States)
4. Aeris, LLC, Louisville, CO (United States)

Publication Date:

Thu Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2022

Research Org.:

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1862806

Report Number(s):

LA-UR-20-27802
Journal ID: ISSN 0006-8314

Grant/Contract Number:  

89233218CNA000001

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Boundary-Layer Meteorology

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 183; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0006-8314

Publisher:

Springer

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Atmospheric surface layer; boundary layer; turbulence; weather research and forecasting