The impact of resolution on meteorological, chemical and aerosol properties in regional simulations with WRF-Chem
The impact of resolution on meteorological, chemical and aerosol properties in regional simulations with WRF-Chem
复制标题
DOI：
10.5194/acp-17-1511-2017
复制
发表时间：
2017-01
影响因子：
6.3
通讯作者：
P. Crippa;R. Sullivan;A. Thota;S. Pryor
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
P. Crippa;R. Sullivan;A. Thota;S. Pryor
抽象。在特定的感兴趣区域以高分辨率应用有限区域（区域）模型，一般预期会更准确地捕捉关键气象和气候参数的时空变异性。然而，性能的提高并不是不可避免的，仍然需要优化数值资源的使用，并量化分辨率提高对模拟保真度的影响。由于缺乏量化对水平空间分辨率敏感性的研究和驱动模拟的物理-动力-化学方案，目前区域模式在气候强迫评估中的应用受到限制。在这里，我们探讨模型技巧，在模拟气象，化学和气溶胶特性的空间分辨率的函数，通过应用天气研究和预报模型与耦合化学（WRF化学）在北美东部在不同的分辨率。使用布赖尔技能分数和其他统计指标，它表明，提高分辨率（从60至12公里），提高了模型的性能，所有的气象参数和气相浓度的考虑，除了平均和极端气溶胶光学厚度（AOD）在三个波长的可见光相对于卫星观测，主要是通过增加潜在的技能。气溶胶光学厚度模型性能的提高似乎是由于对气象条件和关键气溶胶前体气体（例如，SO2和NH3）。除其他原因外，干燥的偏差，在边界层中的特定湿度和大大低估的总月降水量在60公里的模拟被确定为更好的性能WRF-化学模拟在12公里的原因。
Abstract. Limited area (regional) models applied at high resolution over specific regions of interest are generally expected to more accurately capture the spatiotemporal variability of key meteorological and climate parameters. However, improved performance is not inevitable, and there remains a need to optimize use of numerical resources and to quantify the impact on simulation fidelity that derives from increased resolution. The application of regional models for climate forcing assessment is currently limited by the lack of studies quantifying the sensitivity to horizontal spatial resolution and the physical–dynamical–chemical schemes driving the simulations. Here we investigate model skill in simulating meteorological, chemical and aerosol properties as a function of spatial resolution, by applying the Weather Research and Forecasting model with coupled Chemistry (WRF-Chem) over eastern North America at different resolutions. Using Brier skill scores and other statistical metrics it is shown that enhanced resolution (from 60 to 12 km) improves model performance for all of the meteorological parameters and gas-phase concentrations considered, in addition to both mean and extreme aerosol optical depth (AOD) in three wavelengths in the visible relative to satellite observations, principally via increase of potential skill. Some of the enhanced model performance for AOD appears to be attributable to improved simulation of meteorological conditions and the concentration of key aerosol precursor gases (e.g., SO2 and NH3). Among other reasons, a dry bias in the specific humidity in the boundary layer and a substantial underestimation of total monthly precipitation in the 60 km simulations are identified as causes for the better performance of WRF-Chem simulations at 12 km.