[Wrf-users] What is the difference between Temperature at 2 meter and Surface Skin temperature

[Eric Altshuler]

Kamal,

You should use 2 meter temperature to compare with station observations, since "surface" air temperature observations are taken at 2 m above ground. Skin temperature in the model is the ground surface temperature (or SST over water) which can be quite different from the 2-m air temperature. Over land, skin temperature is calculated from the surface energy balance.

Best regards,

Eric L. Altshuler
Assistant Research Scientist
Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies
4041 Powder Mill Road, Suite 302
Calverton, MD 20705-3106
USA

E-mail: ela at cola.iges.org
Phone: (301) 902-1257
Fax: (301) 595-9793

----- Original Message -----
From: mmkamal at uwaterloo.ca
To: wrf-users at ucar.edu, wrfhelp at ucar.edu
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 3:13:27 PM
Subject: [Wrf-users] What is the difference between Temperature at 2 meter and Surface Skin temperature

Hi,

I am a bit confused about the difference between Temperature at 2  
meter height and Surface Skin temperature. I would like to compare  
meteorological station temperature measurement then whom I should  
compare with?


Thanks in advance
Kamal




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