Title Multiscale Antarctic weather forecasting with unstructured grids
Author Bacon, D.P.; Ahmad, N.; Sarma, R.A.
Author Affil Bacon, D.P., Science Applications International Corporation, Center for Atmospheric Physics, McLean, VA
Source Miscellaneous Publication of the Byrd Polar Research Center, No.M-419, p.105-108, ; Antarctic weather forecasting workshop, Columbus, OH, May 17-19, 2000, edited by E.N. Cassano and L.R. Everett; U. S., National Science Foundation. Publisher: Ohio State University, Byrd Polar Research Center, Columbus, OH, United States
Publication Date 2000
Notes In English Ant. Acc. No: 84205. GeoRef Acc. No: 284821
Index Terms accuracy; climate; meteorology; forecasting; simulation; environment simulation; storms; terrain; Antarctica; high- resolution methods; hurricanes; numerical models; prediction; RADARSAT; technology; terrains
Abstract During the past eight years, an Operational Multiscale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA) was developed. This is a high fidelity, operational weather prediction system used to improve technology in numerical weather forecasting and hazardous dispersion. This non-hydrostatic multiscale prediction model has been used lately to predict extreme or severe meteorological events from global scale to local scale as well as point and large area dispersion phenomena. A figure shows the grid structure used by OMEGA to simulate multiscale weather. The OMEGA has flexible grid structure and it usefulness in modeling has been proven, although it is complicated by topographical and coastal circulations including hurricanes. A figure shows a comparison of the grid generated using the existing OMEGA elevation data, with digital elevation model (DEM) produced by the RADARSAT Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP) It is evident that from the incorporation of the RAMP data, additional surface information would be highly valuable for system forecasting in Antarctica. It has also been shown that it is able to simulate the multiscale interactions between the polar high circulation and baroclinic waves with the terrain. A grid was built for the Antarctic Peninsula as an example. Then, the authors made a 24-hr prediction using the Navy Operational Atmospheric Prediction System. A significant amount of blocking resulted in synoptic flow. This is an indication that proper terrain representation in numerical weather simulations for Antarctica is quite important.
Publication Type conference paper or compendium article
Record ID 62005137