Abstract
This study compares five planetary boundary-layer (PBL) parametrizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical model for a single day from the Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study (CASES-99) field program. The five schemes include two first-order closure schemes—the Yonsei University (YSU) PBL and Asymmetric Convective Model version 2 (ACM2), and three turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) closure schemes—the Mellor–Yamada–Janjić (MYJ), quasi-normal scale elimination (QNSE), and Bougeault–Lacarrére (BouLac) PBL. The comparison results reveal that discrepancies among thermodynamic surface variables from different schemes are large at daytime, while the variables converge at nighttime with large deviations from those observed. On the other hand, wind components are more divergent at nighttime with significant biases. Regarding PBL structures, a non-local scheme with the entrainment flux proportional to the surface flux is favourable in unstable conditions. In stable conditions, the local TKE closure schemes show better performance. The sensitivity of simulated variables to surface-layer parametrizations is also investigated to assess relative contributions of the surface-layer parametrizations to typical features of each PBL scheme. In the surface layer, temperature and moisture are more strongly influenced by surface-layer formulations than by PBL mixing algorithms in both convective and stable regimes, while wind speed depends on vertical diffusion formulations in the convective regime. Regarding PBL structures, surface-layer formulations only contribute to near-surface variability and then PBL mean properties, whereas shapes of the profiles are determined by PBL mixing algorithms.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Banta RM, Newsom RK, Lundquist JK, Pichugina YL, Coulter RL, Mahrt L (2002) Nocturnal low-level jet characteristics over Kansas during CASES-99. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 105: 221–252
Bougeault P, Lacarrére P (1989) Parameterization of orography-induced turbulence in a mesobeta-scale model. Mon Weather Rev 117: 1872–1890
Braun SA, Tao W-K (2000) Sensitivity of high-resolution simulations of hurricane Bob (1991) to planetary boundary layer parameterizations. Mon Weather Rev 128: 3941–3961
Chen F, Dudhia J (2001) Coupling an advanced land-surface/hydrology model with the Penn State/NCAR MM5 modeling system. Part I: model description and implementation. Mon Weather Rev 129: 569–585
Chou M-D, Suarez MJ (1999) A solar radiation parameterization for atmospheric studies. Technical report series on Global modeling and data assimilation 104606, vol 15, 38 pp
Cuxart J, Holtslag AAM, Beare RJ, Bazile E, Beljaars A, Cheng A, Conangla L, Ek M, Freedman F, Hamdi R, Kerstein A, Kitagawa H, Lenderink G, Lewellen D, Mailhot J, Mauritsen T, Perov V, Schayes G, Steeneveld G-J, Svensson G, Taylor P, Weng W, Wunsch S, Xu K-M (2006) Single-column model intercomparison for a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 118: 273–303
Ek MB, Mitchell KE, Lin Y, Rogers E, Grunmann P, Koren V, Gayno G, Tarpley JD (2003) Implementation of Noah land surface model advances in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction operational mesoscale Eta model. J Geophys Res 108: D22. doi:10.1029/2002JD003296
Galperin B, Sukoriansky S (2010) Progress in turbulence parameterization for geophysical flows. In: The 3rd international workshop on Next-generation NWP models: bridging parameterization, explicit clouds, and large eddies. Seoul, Korea, 5.4. http://nml.yonsei.ac.kr/20100829/content/agenda.html
Holt T, Raman S (1988) A review and comparative evaluation of multilevel boundary layer parameterizations for first-order and turbulent kinetic energy closure models. Rev Geophys 26: 761–780
Holtslag AAM, Boville BA (1993) Local versus nonlocal boundary-layer diffusion in a global climate model. J Clim 6: 1825–1842
Hong S-Y (2010) A new stable boundary-layer mixing scheme and its impact on the simulated East Asian summer monsoon. Q J Roy Meteorol Soc 136: 1481–1496
Hong S-Y, Pan H-L (1996) Nonlocal boundary layer vertical diffusion in a medium-range forecast model. Mon Weather Rev 124: 2322–2339
Hong S-Y, Noh Y, Dudhia J (2006) A new vertical diffusion package with an explicit treatment of entrainment processes. Mon Weather Rev 134: 2318–2341
Janjić ZA (1990) The step-mountain coordinate: physics package. Mon Weather Rev 118: 1429–1443
Kim Y-J, Hong S-Y (2009) Interaction between the orography-induced gravity wave drag and boundary layer processes in a global atmospheric model. Geophys Res Lett 36: L12809. doi:10.1029/2008GR037146
Li X, Pu Z (2008) Sensitivity of numerical simulation of early rapid intensification of hurricane Emily (2005) to cloud microphysical and planetary boundary layer parameterizations. Mon Weather Rev 136: 4819–4838
Mlawer EJ, Taubman SJ, Brown PD, Iacono MJ, Clough SA (1997) Radiative transfer for inhomogeneous atmosphere: RRTM, a validated correlated-k model for the long-wave. J Geophys Res 120: 16663–16682
Musson-Genon L (1995) Comparison of different simple turbulence closures with a one-dimensional boundary layer model. Mon Weather Rev 123: 163–180
Noh Y, Cheon W-G, Hong S-Y (2003) Improvement of the K-profile model for the planetary boundary layer based on large eddy simulation data. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 107: 401–427
Nolan DS, Zhang JA, Stern DP (2009) Evaluation of planetary boundary layer parameterizations in tropical cyclones by comparison of in situ observations and high-resolution simulations of hurricane Isabel (2003). Part I: initialization, maximum winds, and the outer-core boundary layer. Mon Weather Rev 137: 3651–3674
Pleim JE (2006) A simple, efficient solution of flux–profile relationships in the atmospheric surface layer. J Appl Meteorol Clim 45: 341–347
Pleim JE (2007a) A combined local and nonlocal closure model for the atmospheric boundary layer. Part I: model description and testing. J Appl Meteorol Clim 46: 1383–1395
Pleim JE (2007b) A combined local and nonlocal closure model for the atmospheric boundary layer. Part II: application and evaluation in a mesoscale meteorological model. J Appl Meteorol Clim 46: 1396–1409
Poulos GS, Blumen W, Fritts DC, Lundquist JK, Sun J, Burns SP, Nappo C, Banta R, Newsom R, Cuxart J, Terradellas E, Balsley B, Jensen M (2002) CASES-99: a comprehensive investigation of the stable nocturnal boundary layer. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 83: 555–581
Sharan M, Gopalakrishnan SG (1997) Comparative evaluation of eddy exchange coefficients for strong and weak wind stable boundary layer modeling. J Appl Meteorol 36: 545–559
Skamarock WC, Klemp JB, Dudhia J, Gill DO, Barker DM, Duda MG, Huang X-Y, Wang W, Powers JG (2008) A description of the advanced research WRF version 3. NCAR TECHNICAL NOTE, NCAR/TN-475+STR, 113 pp
Steeneveld GJ, Mauritsen T, DeBruijn EIF, DeArellano JV-G, Svensson G, Holtslag AAM (2008) Evaluation of limited-area models for the representation of the diurnal cycle and contrasting nights in CASES-99. J Appl Meteorol Clim 47: 869–887
Storm B, Dudhia J, Basu S, Swift A, Giammanco I (2009) Evaluation of the Weather Research and Forecasting model on forecasting low-level jets: implication for wind energy. Wind Energy 12: 81–90
Stull RB (1988) An introduction to boundary layer meteorology. Kluwer, The Netherlands
Sukoriansky S, Galperin B, Perov V (2005) Application of a new spectral theory of stable stratified turbulence to the atmospheric boundary layer over sea ice. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 117: 231–257
Svensson G, Holtslag AAM (2006) Single column modeling of the diurnal cycle based on CASES99 data-GABLS second intercomparison project. In: 17th symposium on Boundary layers and turbulence. American Meteorological Society, San Diego, CA, Paper 8.1
van de Wiel BJH, Moene AF, Hartogensis OK, de Bruin HAR, Holtslag AAM (2003) Intermittent turbulence in the stable boundary layer over land. Part III: a classification for observations during CASES-99. J Atmos Sci 60: 2509–2522
Zhang D, Anthes RA (1982) A high-resolution model of the planetary boundary layer—sensitivity tests and comparison with SESAME-79 data. J Appl Meteorol 21: 1594–1609
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shin, H.H., Hong, SY. Intercomparison of Planetary Boundary-Layer Parametrizations in the WRF Model for a Single Day from CASES-99. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 139, 261–281 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-010-9583-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-010-9583-z