[Wrf-users] Choosing the best physics scheme

[Thomas Kloetzke]

Dear Mariana,

from my personal point of view it is important to know what are you going to simulate, e.g. whether it's a squall line, tropical cyclone, or any non-convective event.
The next step is to figure out which schemes might have the most influence on the outcome of the simulation.

In my case, I tried to reproduce a tropical cyclone and I mainly focused on cumulus schemes, microphysics, and planetary boundary layer parameterisations (including surface schemes). Cumulus schemes largely determine where the clouds are forming, so they will influence the track. Microphysics will impact the type, shape and amount of hydrometeors in the cloud, which is directly related to rainfall processes and further tropical cyclone intensity. Finally, PBL (and surface) schemes incorporate the moisture, heat, and momentum fluxes between surface and atmosphere - in other words the schemes determine how much energy is derived from the tropical cyclone, which is a function of intensity again.

With that said, I know which schemes might have the most impact on the tropical cyclone. Of course, other schemes will influence the simulation as well.
The sensitivity runs I conducted gave myself a good overview that this kind of stepping through the processes was reasonable. Fortunately, I was able to find literature where exactly these schemes were changed also.

Overall, I think there is no right and wrong. Try to focus on what you would like to simulate and which schemes might have the most influence on the simulation. 

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask more as I think we all benefit from these discussions.

Regards,
Thomas 

-----Original Message-----
From: wrf-users-bounces at ucar.edu [mailto:wrf-users-bounces at ucar.edu] On Behalf Of Mariana O. Scott
Sent: Thursday, 21 July 2016 12:24 AM
To: wrf-users at ucar.edu
Subject: [Wrf-users] Choosing the best physics scheme

All,
I am attempting to increase model performance in my domain by testing different physics schemes. When I chose my current physics schemes, I did so based on the model performance for a single case study. I want to improve this by trying out a number of schemes over some length of time instead.

With that said, would anyone want to share what are the best practices in choosing physics schemes?

Thanks,
Mariana

--
Mariana Scott
Atmospheric Scientist, Defense Applications Branch Federal Services Division (FSD)
CFD Research Corporation                Phone: (256) 726-4825
701 McMillian Way NW, Suite D           Fax:   (256) 726-4806
Huntsville, AL 35806                    http://www.cfdrc.com


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