scholarly journals Assessment of Wind Pattern Accuracy from the QuikSCAT Satellite and the WRF Model along the Galician Coast (Northwest Iberian Peninsula)

2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (2) ◽  
pp. 742-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Sousa ◽  
I. Alvarez ◽  
N. Vaz ◽  
M. Gomez-Gesteira ◽  
J. M. Dias
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Wind Pattern ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Galician Coast ◽  
Key Factor

Abstract Surface wind along the Galician coast is a key factor allowing the analysis of important oceanographic features that are related to the great primary production in this area, as upwelling events. A comparative analysis between surface winds obtained from the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, and in situ observations from buoys along the Galician coast is carried out from November 2008 to October 2009. This comparison evaluates the accuracy of satellite and modeled data. The results show that the wind speeds derived from QuikSCAT and the WRF Model are similar along the coast, with errors ranging from 1.5 to 2 m s−1. However, QuikSCAT tends to overestimate wind speeds when compared to the buoys measurements. Regarding the wind direction, the RMSE values are about 35° for the stations under analysis. The bias presents a similar pattern between satellite and modeled data, with positive values at the western coast and negative values at the middle and northern coasts, the satellite data always being lower in absolute value than the modeled data. A spatial comparison between QuikSCAT and WRF data is also performed over the whole Galician coast to evaluate the differences between the two datasets. This comparison shows that the modeled wind speed tends to be lower than satellite winds over the entire domain, with the highest RMSE and bias values found for the wind speed and direction observed near the shoreline.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of Near-Surface Wind during a Severe Wind Event in a Complex Terrain by Multisource Data Assimilation and Dynamic Downscaling

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
De Zhang ◽  
Luyuan Chen ◽  
Feimin Zhang ◽  
Juan Tan ◽  
Chenghai Wang
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Dynamic Downscaling ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Event ◽  
Weak Wind

Accurate forecast and simulation of near-surface wind is a great challenge for numerical weather prediction models due to the significant transient and intermittent nature of near-surface wind. Based on the analyses of the impact of assimilating in situ and Advanced Tiros Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) satellite radiance data on the simulation of near-surface wind during a severe wind event, using the new generation mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and its three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system, the dynamic downscaling of near-surface wind is further investigated by coupling the microscale California Meteorological (CALMET) model with the WRF and its 3DVAR system. Results indicate that assimilating in situ and ATOVS radiance observations strengthens the airflow across the Alataw valley and triggers the downward transport of momentum from the upper atmosphere in the downstream area of the valley in the initial conditions, thus improving near-surface wind simulations. Further investigations indicate that the CALMET model provides more refined microtopographic structures than the WRF model in the vicinity of the wind towers. Although using the CALMET model achieves the best simulation of near-surface wind through dynamic downscaling of the output from the WRF and its 3DVAR assimilation, the simulation improvements of near-surface wind speed are mainly within 1 m s−1. Specifically, the mean improvement proportions of near-surface wind speed are 64.8% for the whole simulation period, 58.7% for the severe wind period, 68.3% for the severe wind decay period, and 75.4% for the weak wind period. The observed near-surface wind directions in the weak wind conditions are better simulated in the coupled model with CALMET downscaling than in the WRF and its 3DVAR system. It is concluded that the simulation improvements of CALMET downscaling are distinct when near-surface winds are weak, and the downscaling effects are mainly manifested in the simulation of near-surface wind directions.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Global Reanalysis Land Surface Wind Speed Trends to Support Wind Energy Development Using In Situ Observations

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-50
Author(s):  
Wenxin Fan ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Adrian Chappell ◽  
Li Dong ◽  
Rongrong Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Global Reanalysis

AbstractGlobal reanalysis products are important tools across disciplines to study past meteorological changes and are especially useful for wind energy resource evaluations. Studies of observed wind speed show that land surface wind speed declined globally since the 1960s (known as global terrestrial stilling) but reversed with a turning point around 2010. Whether the declining trend and the turning point have been captured by reanalysis products remains unknown so far. To fill this research gap, a systematic assessment of climatological winds and trends in five reanalysis products (ERA5, ERA-Interim, MERRA-2, JRA-55, and CFSv2) was conducted by comparing gridcell time series of 10-m wind speed with observational data from 1439 in situ meteorological stations for the period 1989–2018. Overall, ERA5 is the closest to the observations according to the evaluation of climatological winds. However, substantial discrepancies were found between observations and simulated wind speeds. No reanalysis product showed similar change to that of the global observations, although some showed regional agreement. This discrepancy between observed and reanalysis land surface wind speed indicates the need for prudence when using reanalysis products for the evaluation and prediction of winds. The possible reasons for the inconsistent wind speed trends between reanalysis products and observations are analyzed. The results show that wind energy production should select different products for different regions to minimize the discrepancy with observations.

scholarly journals Investigation of the Effects of Different Land Use and Land Cover Patterns on Mesoscale Meteorological Simulations in the Taiwan Area

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 570-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang-Yi Cheng ◽  
Yu-Ching Hsu ◽  
Pay-Liam Lin ◽  
Tang-Huang Lin
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Roughness Length ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Sea Breezes ◽  
Modis Data ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

AbstractThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) land use (LU) data employed in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model classify most LU types in Taiwan as mixtures of irrigated cropland and forest, which is not an accurate representation of current conditions. The WRF model released after version 3.1 provides an alternative LU dataset retrieved from 2001 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite products. The MODIS data correctly identify most LU-type distributions, except that they represent western Taiwan as being extremely urbanized. A new LU dataset, obtained using 2007 Système Probatoire d’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) satellite imagery [from the National Central University of Taiwan (NCU)], accurately shows the major metropolitan cities as well as other land types. Three WRF simulations were performed, each with a different LU dataset. Owing to the overestimation of urban area in the MODIS data, WRF-MODIS overpredicts daytime temperatures in western Taiwan. Conversely, WRF-USGS underpredicts daytime temperatures. The temperature variation estimated by WRF-NCU falls between those estimated by the other two simulations. Over the ocean, WRF-MODIS predicts the strongest onshore sea breezes, owing to the enhanced temperature gradient between land and sea, while WRF-USGS predicts the weakest onshore flow. The intensity of the onshore breeze predicted by WRF-NCU is between those predicted by WRF-MODIS and WRF-USGS. Over Taiwan, roughness length is the key parameter influencing wind speed. WRF-USGS significantly overpredicts the surface wind speed owing to the shorter roughness length of its elements, while the surface wind speeds estimated by WRF-NCU and WRF-MODIS are in better agreement with the observed data.

scholarly journals Evaluation of WRF Model Resolution on Simulated Mesoscale Winds and Surface Fluxes near Greenland

2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 941-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice K. DuVivier ◽  
John J. Cassano
Keyword(s):  
Wrf Model ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
Flow Distortion ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Region Model ◽  
Wind Events

Abstract Southern Greenland has short-lived but frequently occurring strong mesoscale barrier winds and tip jets that form when synoptic-scale atmospheric features interact with the topography of Greenland. The influence of these mesoscale atmospheric events on the ocean, particularly deep ocean convection, is not yet well understood. Because obtaining observations is difficult in this region, model simulations are essential for understanding the interaction between the atmosphere and ocean during these wind events. This paper presents results from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulations run at four different resolutions (100, 50, 25, and 10 km) and forced with the ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERA-Interim) product. Case study comparisons between WRF output at different resolutions, observations from the Greenland Flow Distortion Experiment (GFDex), which provides valuable in situ observations of mesoscale winds, and Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) satellite data highlight the importance of high-resolution simulations for properly capturing the structure and high wind speeds associated with mesoscale wind events and surface fluxes of latent and sensible heat. In addition, the longer-term impact of mesoscale winds on the ocean is investigated by comparison of surface fluxes and winds between model resolutions over a two-month period.

scholarly journals Topographic Speed-Up Effects and Observed Roof Damage on Bermuda following Hurricane Fabian (2003)

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Miller ◽  
Michael Gibbons ◽  
Kyle Beatty ◽  
Auguste Boissonnade
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Research Division ◽  
Hurricane Wind ◽  
Layer Flow ◽  
Observed Damage

Abstract In this study the impacts of the topography of Bermuda on the damage patterns observed following the passage of Hurricane Fabian over the island on 5 September 2003 are considered. Using a linearized model of atmospheric boundary layer flow over low-slope topography that also incorporates a model for changes of surface roughness, sets of directionally dependent wind speed adjustment factors were calculated for the island of Bermuda. These factors were then used in combination with a time-stepping model for the open water wind field of Hurricane Fabian derived from the Hurricane Research Division Real-Time Hurricane Wind Analysis System (H*Wind) surface wind analyses to calculate the maximum 1-min mean wind speed at locations across the island for the following conditions: open water, roughness changes only, and topography and roughness changes combined. Comparison of the modeled 1-min mean wind speeds and directions with observations from a site on the southeast coast of Bermuda showed good agreement between the two sets of values. Maximum open water wind speeds across the entire island showed very little variation and were of category 2 strength on the Saffir–Simpson scale. While the effects of surface roughness changes on the modeled wind speeds showed very little correlation with the observed damage, the effect of the underlying topography led to maximum modeled wind speeds of category 4 strength being reached in highly localized areas on the island. Furthermore, the observed damage was found to be very well correlated with these regions of topographically enhanced wind speeds, with a very clear trend of increasing damage with increasing wind speeds.

Analysis of Idealized Tropical Cyclone Simulations Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model: Sensitivity to Turbulence Parameterization and Grid Spacing

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 745-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin A. Hill ◽  
Gary M. Lackmann
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
Maximum Intensity ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
Grid Spacing ◽  
Exchange Coefficient ◽  
Model Sensitivity ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Horizontal Grid ◽  
Weather Research

Abstract The Weather Research and Forecasting Advanced Research Model (WRF-ARW) was used to perform idealized tropical cyclone (TC) simulations, with domains of 36-, 12-, and 4-km horizontal grid spacing. Tests were conducted to determine the sensitivity of TC intensity to the available surface layer (SL) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations, including the Yonsei University (YSU) and Mellor–Yamada–Janjic (MYJ) schemes, and to horizontal grid spacing. Simulations were run until a quasi-steady TC intensity was attained. Differences in minimum central pressure (Pmin) of up to 35 hPa and maximum 10-m wind (V10max) differences of up to 30 m s−1 were present between a convection-resolving nested domain with 4-km grid spacing and a parent domain with cumulus parameterization and 36-km grid spacing. Simulations using 4-km grid spacing are the most intense, with the maximum intensity falling close to empirical estimates of maximum TC intensity. Sensitivity to SL and PBL parameterization also exists, most notably in simulations with 4-km grid spacing, where the maximum intensity varied by up to ∼10 m s−1 (V10max) or ∼13 hPa (Pmin). Values of surface latent heat flux (LHFLX) are larger in MYJ than in YSU at the same wind speeds, and the differences increase with wind speed, approaching 1000 W m−2 at wind speeds in excess of 55 m s−1. This difference was traced to a larger exchange coefficient for moisture, CQ, in the MYJ scheme. The exchange coefficients for sensible heat (Cθ) and momentum (CD) varied by <7% between the SL schemes at the same wind speeds. The ratio Cθ/CD varied by <5% between the schemes, whereas CQ/CD was up to 100% larger in MYJ, and the latter is theorized to contribute to the differences in simulated maximum intensity. Differences in PBL scheme mixing also likely played a role in the model sensitivity. Observations of the exchange coefficients, published elsewhere and limited to wind speeds <30 m s−1, suggest that CQ is too large in the MYJ SL scheme, whereas YSU incorporates values more consistent with observations. The exchange coefficient for momentum increases linearly with wind speed in both schemes, whereas observations suggest that the value of CD becomes quasi-steady beyond some critical wind speed (∼30 m s−1).

scholarly journals A Study of the Interaction between Typhoon Francisco (2013) and a Cold-Core Eddy. Part I: Rapid Weakening

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 355-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhanhong Ma
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Atmospheric Environment ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
Eye Size ◽  
Convective Bursts ◽  
Cold Core

Abstract Typhoon Francisco (2013) experienced unusually rapid weakening (RW) with its maximum surface wind decreasing by 45 kt (1 kt ≈ 0.51 m s−1) over 24 h as measured from the satellite-derived advanced Dvorak technique (ADT) dataset, which is more than twice the weakening rate defined as RW by DeMaria. The mechanisms leading to the extreme RW event of Francisco are examined based on observational analysis and simulations by coupling the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, version 3.7, with the Stony Brook Parallel Ocean Model (sbPOM). The RW of Francisco took place in a relatively favorable atmospheric environment while passing over detrimental oceanic conditions, dominated by the presence of a cold-core eddy. The passages of two prior typhoons apparently intensified the cold-core eddy, contributing to a major role of eddy feedback on RW for Francisco. The structural changes in Francisco accompanying eddy interaction are characterized by a substantially enlarged eye size, which evolved from ~20 to ~100 km in diameter, as indicated from satellite images. Numerical simulations suggest that the eddy is prominent in weakening the intensity of Francisco during the storm–eddy interaction, with its role less significant but still comparable to that of the cold wake. Both the cooler water and stronger upward motion in the eddy lead to a larger sea surface temperature decrease induced by Francisco, which results in a nearly 50% decrease of surface enthalpy flux, suppressed convective bursts, and a 50% reduction in latent heat release. These results underscore the potential importance of open-ocean, cold-core eddies in contributing to the RW of tropical cyclones.

scholarly journals A Wind Speed Retrieval Model for Sentinel-1A EW Mode Cross-Polarization Images

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Changlong Guan ◽  
Jian Sun ◽  
Lian Xie
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Incidence Angle ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Cross Polarization ◽  
Retrieval Model ◽  
Sar Images ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Sea Surface Wind

In contrast to co-polarization (VV or HH) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, cross-polarization (CP for VH or HV) SAR images can be used to retrieve sea surface wind speeds larger than 20 m/s without knowing the wind directions. In this paper, a new wind speed retrieval model is proposed for European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-1A (S-1A) Extra-Wide swath (EW) mode VH-polarized images. Nineteen S-1A images under tropical cyclone condition observed in the 2016 hurricane season and the matching data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radiometer are collected and divided into two datasets. The relationships between normalized radar cross-section (NRCS), sea surface wind speed, wind direction and radar incidence angle are analyzed for each sub-band, and an empirical retrieval model is presented. To correct the large biases at the center and at the boundaries of each sub-band, a corrected model with an incidence angle factor is proposed. The new model is validated by comparing the wind speeds retrieved from S-1A images with the wind speeds measured by SMAP. The results suggest that the proposed model can be used to retrieve wind speeds up to 35 m/s for sub-bands 1 to 4 and 25 m/s for sub-band 5.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of the Aeroelastic Response of Wind Turbines in Typhoons Based on the Mesoscale WRF Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Long Wang ◽  
Cheng Chen ◽  
Tongguang Wang ◽  
Weibin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Direction ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Average Wind Speed ◽  
Aeroelastic Response ◽  
Response Characteristics ◽  
Wind Speeds

A new simulation method for the aeroelastic response of wind turbines under typhoons is proposed. The mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to simulate a typhoon’s average wind speed field. The measured power spectrum and inverse Fourier transform method were coupled to simulate the pulsating wind speed field. Based on the modal method and beam theory, the wind turbine model was constructed, and the GH-BLADED commercial software package was used to calculate the aerodynamic load and aeroelastic response. The proposed method was applied to assess aeroelastic response characteristics of a commercial 6 MW offshore wind turbine under different wind speeds and direction variation patterns for the case study of typhoon Hagupit (2008), with a maximal wind speed of 230 km/h. The simulation results show that the typhoon’s average wind speed field and turbulence characteristics simulated by the proposed method are in good agreement with the measured values: Their difference in the main flow direction is only 1.7%. The scope of the wind turbine blade in the typhoon is significantly larger than under normal wind, while that under normal operation is higher than that under shutdown, even at low wind speeds. In addition, an abrupt change in wind direction has a significant impact on wind turbine response characteristics. Under normal operation, a sharp variation of the wind direction by 90 degrees in 6 s increases the wind turbine (WT) vibration scope by 27.9% in comparison with the case of permanent wind direction. In particular, the maximum deflection of the wind tower tip in the incoming flow direction reaches 28.4 m, which significantly exceeds the design standard safety threshold.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Ocean Surface Wind Speed Change following the Super Typhoon from Space-Borne GNSS-Reflectometry

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongsu Liu ◽  
Shuanggen Jin ◽  
Qingyun Yan
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Mean Error ◽  
Super Typhoon ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Ocean Surface Wind

Ocean surface wind speed is an essential parameter for typhoon monitoring and forecasting. However, traditional satellite and buoy observations are difficult to monitor the typhoon due to high cost and low temporal-spatial resolution. With the development of spaceborne GNSS-R technology, the cyclone global navigation satellite system (CYGNSS) with eight satellites in low-earth orbit provides an opportunity to measure the ocean surface wind speed of typhoons. Though observations are made at the extremely efficient spatial and temporal resolution, its accuracy and reliability are unclear in an actual super typhoon case. In this study, the wind speed variations over the life cycle of the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut from CYGNSS observations were evaluated and compared with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis-5 (ERA-5). The results show that the overall root-mean-square error (RMSE) of CYGNSS versus ECMWF was 4.12 m/s, the mean error was 1.36 m/s, and the correlation coefficient was 0.96. For wind speeds lower and greater than 15 m/s, the RMSE of CYGNSS versus ECMWF were 1.02 and 4.36 m/s, the mean errors were 0.05 and 1.61 m/s, the correlation coefficients were 0.91 and 0.90, and the average relative errors were 9.8% and 11.6%, respectively. When the typhoon reached a strong typhoon or super typhoon, the RMSE of CYGNSS with respect to ERA-5 from ECMWF was 5.07 m/s; the mean error was 3.57 m/s; the correlation coefficient was 0.52 and the average relative error was 11.0%. The CYGNSS estimation had higher precision for wind speeds below 15 m/s, but degraded when the wind speed was above 15 m/s.

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