Abstract
This study evaluates the Weather Research and Forecasting model’s ability to simulate major weather phenomena [dry conditions, tropical cyclones (TCs) and monsoonal flow] over East and Southeast Asia. Sensitivity tests comprising different cumulus (Kain–Fritsch and Betts–Miller–Janjic) and microphysics (Purdue Lin, WSM3, WSM6 and Thompson) are used together with different placement of lateral boundaries to understand and identify suitable model configuration for weather and climate simulations over the Asia region. All simulations are driven with reanalysis data and use a nominal grid spacing of 36 km, with 51 levels in the vertical. The dry season showed little sensitivity to any configuration choices, while the TC case shows high sensitivity to the cumulus scheme and low sensitivity to the microphysical scheme. Monsoon simulations displayed significant sensitivity to the placement of the lateral boundaries.
Highlights
Tropical cyclones (TCs) are responsible for exchanging energy between oceans and the atmosphere and between the low and high latitudes, releasing enormous amounts of latent heat
This study evaluates the Weather Research and Forecasting model’s ability to simulate major weather phenomena [dry conditions, tropical cyclones (TCs) and monsoonal flow] over East and Southeast Asia
Due to the large impact TCs and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) have on the East and Southeast Asia region, it is important to study their potential changes under future climate change projections in order to understand the possible impact these changes will impose in terms of precipitation, especially heavy precipitation and flood events
Summary
Tropical cyclones (TCs) are responsible for exchanging energy between oceans and the atmosphere and between the low and high latitudes, releasing enormous amounts of latent heat. In 2004, Typhoon Chantu, a Pacific storm with a westward track made landfall in Vietnam, and caused deadly flooding in Vietnam, Laos and Thailand and caused substantial changes in river levels (Wangwongchai et al 2010) These westward tracking storms are recognized as causing high impacts in East and Southeast Asia (Harr and Elsberry 1991; Guo et al 2012). Due to the large impact TCs and the EASM have on the East and Southeast Asia region, it is important to study their potential changes under future climate change projections in order to understand the possible impact these changes will impose in terms of precipitation, especially heavy precipitation and flood events.
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