Initialization Procedures

Abstract

In this chapter we describe two of the most commonly used initialization procedures. These are the dynamic normal mode initialization and the physical initialization methods. Historically, initialization for primitive equation models started from a hierarchy of static initialization methods. These include balancing the mass and the wind fields using a linear or nonlinear balance equation (Charney 1955; Phillips 1960), variational techniques for such adjustments satisfying the constraints of the model equations (Sasaki 1958), and dynamic initialization involving forward and backward integration of the model over a number of cycles to suppress high frequency gravity oscillations before the start of the integration (Miyakoda and Moyer 1968; Nitta and Hovermale 1969; Temperton 1976). A description of these classical methods can be found in textbooks such as Haltiner and Williams (1980). Basically, these methods invoke a balanced relationship between the mass and motion fields. However, it was soon realized that significant departures from the balance laws do occur over the tropics and the upperlevel jet stream region. It was also noted that such departures can be functions of the heat sources and sinks and dynamic instabilities of the atmosphere. The procedure called nonlinear normal mode initialization with physics overcomes some of these difficulties. Physical initialization is a powerful method that permits the incorporation of realistic rainfall distribution in the model’s initial state. This is an elegant and successful initialization procedure based on selective damping of the normal modes of the atmosphere, where the high-frequency gravity modes are suppressed while the slow-moving Rossby modes are left untouched. Williamson (1976) used the normal modes of a shallow water model for initialization by setting the initial amplitudes of the high frequency gravity modes equal to zero. Machenhauer (1977) and Baer (1977) developed the procedure for nonlinear normal mode initialization (NMI), which takes into account the nonlinearities in the model equations. Kitade (1983) incorporated the effect of physical processes in this initialization procedure. We describe here the normal mode initialization procedure. Essentially following Kasahara and Puri (1981), we first derive the equations for vertical and horizontal modes of the linearized form of the model equations.