Dynamical and Statistical Regional Climate Modeling Downscaling

17 PowerPoint slides Convener: Darko Koracin, DRI Session 5: Climate Modeling Abstract: -Provide improved regional climate models to get accurate climate trends in Nevada (inputs to hydrological models; parameterization of land atmosphere land-interactions; aerosol contribution to climate; feedback interactions among atmosphere, hydrology, and ecological processes; linking physical and economic models) -Assess future resources, variability, uncertainties, and socio-economic impact. Focus on water demand and supply in rural and urban Nevada. Select critical areas model for prediction applications. -Assess impact of climate change on air quality and urbanization -Provide an integrated GIS system (Geoinformatics) for water, energy and energy, economic parameters -Collaborate with partner EPSCoR states: Exchange of information, modeling applications, and workforce developmen

Assessment of wind energy for Nevada using towers and mesoscale modeling

This inaugural event is dedicated to showcasing the renewable/sustainable energy projects of UNLV faculty, staff, students, and collaborators, as well as other external projects underway statewide and nationally. The development and utilization of new technologies to protect the environment, achieve energy independence, and strengthen the economy will be explored. Speakers and poster-session presenters will provide further insight to many ongoing projects and innovative research ideas. Organized by UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs, the event offers participants the opportunity to learn about energy projects and will encourage networking and collaboration. This symposium is intended for researchers, educators, students, policy makers, public and private-sector energy and environmental professionals, and citizens

Climate modeling: From global climate models to regional climate applications

- Establish a sustainable Global/Regional Climate Modeling team that is capable of simulating regional climate and predicting future hydrological resources - Develop a necessary computer facility for regional climate modeling and links to model and measurements data bases - Educate future scientists in this area of climate researc

Research poster: Climate prediction downscaling of temperature and precipitation in the Great Basin region

Research poste

Coastal Perturbations of Marine-Layer Winds, Wind Stress, and Wind Stress Curl along California and Baja California in June 1999

Month-long simulations using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) with a horizontal resolution of 9 km have been used to investigate perturbations of topographically forced wind stress and wind stress curl during upwelling-favorable winds along the California and Baja California coasts during June 1999. The dominant spatial inhomogeneity of the wind stress and wind stress curl is near the coast. Wind and wind stress maxima are found in the lees of major capes near the coastline. Positive wind stress curl occurs in a narrow band near the coast, while the region farther offshore is characterized by a broad band of weak negative curl. Curvature of the coastline, such as along the Southern California Bight, forces the northerly flow toward the east and generates positive wind stress curl even if the magnitude of the stress is constant. The largest wind stress curl is simulated in the lees of Point Conception and the Santa Barbara Channel. The Baja California wind stress is upwelling favorable. Although the winds and wind stress exhibit great spatial variability in response to synoptic forcing, the wind stress curl has relatively small variation. The narrow band of positive wind stress curl along the coast adds about 5% to the coastal upwelling generated by adjustment to the coastal boundary condition. The larger area of positive wind stress curl in the lee of Point Conception may be of first-order importance to circulation in the Santa Barbara Channel and the Southern California Bight

North Pacific Mesoscale Coupled Air-Ocean Simulations Compared with Observations

Executive summary The main objective of the study was to investigate atmospheric and ocean interaction processes in the western Pacific and, in particular, effects of significant ocean heat loss in the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension regions on the lower and upper atmosphere. It is yet to be determined how significant are these processes are on climate scales. The understanding of these processes led us also to development of the methodology of coupling the Weather and Research Forecasting model with the Parallel Ocean Program model for western Pacific regional weather and climate simulations. We tested NCAR-developed research software Coupler 7 for coupling of the WRF and POP models and assessed its usability for regional-scale applications. We completed test simulations using the Coupler 7 framework, but implemented a standard WRF model code with options for both one- and two-way mode coupling. This type of coupling will allow us to seamlessly incorporate new WRF updates and versions in the future. We also performed a long-term WRF simulation (15 years) covering the entire North Pacific as well as high-resolution simulations of a case study which included extreme ocean heat losses in the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension regions. Since the extreme ocean heat loss occurs during winter cold air outbreaks (CAO), we simulated and analyzed a case study of a severe CAO event in January 2000 in detail. We found that the ocean heat loss induced by CAOs is amplified by additional advection from mesocyclones forming on the southern part of the Japan Sea. Large scale synoptic patterns with anomalously strong anticyclone over Siberia and Mongolia, deep Aleutian Low, and the Pacific subtropical ridge are a crucial setup for the CAO. It was found that the onset of the CAO is related to the breaking of atmospheric Rossby waves and vertical transport of vorticity that facilitates meridional advection. The study also indicates that intrinsic parameterization of the surface fluxes within the WRF model needs more evaluation and analysis

North Pacific Mesoscale Coupled Air-Ocean Simulations Compared with Observations

Executive summary The main objective of the study was to investigate atmospheric and ocean interaction processes in the western Pacific and, in particular, effects of significant ocean heat loss in the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension regions on the lower and upper atmosphere. It is yet to be determined how significant are these processes are on climate scales. The understanding of these processes led us also to development of the methodology of coupling the Weather and Research Forecasting model with the Parallel Ocean Program model for western Pacific regional weather and climate simulations. We tested NCAR-developed research software Coupler 7 for coupling of the WRF and POP models and assessed its usability for regional-scale applications. We completed test simulations using the Coupler 7 framework, but implemented a standard WRF model code with options for both one- and two-way mode coupling. This type of coupling will allow us to seamlessly incorporate new WRF updates and versions in the future. We also performed a long-term WRF simulation (15 years) covering the entire North Pacific as well as high-resolution simulations of a case study which included extreme ocean heat losses in the Kuroshio and Kuroshio Extension regions. Since the extreme ocean heat loss occurs during winter cold air outbreaks (CAO), we simulated and analyzed a case study of a severe CAO event in January 2000 in detail. We found that the ocean heat loss induced by CAOs is amplified by additional advection from mesocyclones forming on the southern part of the Japan Sea. Large scale synoptic patterns with anomalously strong anticyclone over Siberia and Mongolia, deep Aleutian Low, and the Pacific subtropical ridge are a crucial setup for the CAO. It was found that the onset of the CAO is related to the breaking of atmospheric Rossby waves and vertical transport of vorticity that facilitates meridional advection. The study also indicates that intrinsic parameterization of the surface fluxes within the WRF model needs more evaluation and analysis

Wind Energy Assessment Study for Nevada -- Tall Tower Deployment (Stone Cabin)

The objective of this work effort was to characterize wind shear and turbulence for representative wind-developable areas in Nevada

DRI-wind energy assessment and forecasting

The second annual Nevada Renewable Energy Consortium meeting took place at UNLV on August 20. The meeting focused on the current three NVREC program areas: Solar, Biomass and Geothermal. Presentations were made by participating entities and a poster session followed

What determines the spatial pattern in summer upwelling trends on the U.S. West Coast?

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): C08012, doi:10.1029/2012JC008016.Analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) from coastal buoys suggests that the summertime over-shelf water temperature off the U.S. West Coast has been declining during the past 30 years at an average rate of −0.19°C decade−1. This cooling trend manifests itself more strongly off south-central California than off Oregon and northern California. The variability and trend in the upwelling north of off San Francisco are positively correlated with those of the equatorward wind, indicating a role of offshore Ekman transport in the north. In contrast, Ekman pumping associated with wind stress curls better explains the stronger and statistically more significant cooling trend in the south. While the coast-wide variability and trend in SST are strongly correlated with those of large-scale modes of climate variability, they in general fail to explain the southward intensification of the trend in SST and wind stress curl. This result suggests that the local wind stress curl, often topographically forced, may have played a role in the upwelling trend pattern.H.S. acknowledges the WHOI supports from the Coastal Research Fund in Support of Scientific Staff, the Penzance Endowed Fund in Support of Assistant Scientists, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowed Fund for Innovative Research. K.B. and C.E. acknowledge support by the National Science Foundation through grants OCE-1059632 and OCE 1061434.2013-03-0