Mesoscale Modeling and Applications Group

The group is currently focused on a number of projects with the goal of improving operational numerical weather prediction in high latitudes, using the Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Modeling System (MM5) and NCAR's Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF).

Current Efforts:

Real-time Alaska MM5 Weather Forecasts
MMS Beaufort Sea Mesoscale Meteorology Study
Experimental Arctic Reanalysis in SEARCH
Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in Alaskan Coastal Communities

Previous Efforts:

Alaska Weather Observations
Real-time Forecast Verification
Development of the Real-time Arctic Assimilation Forecast System
Assimilation of MODIS Products in an Arctic MM5/3DVAR System

Improve soil moisture initialization via incorporation of satellite-derived heating rates (pdf)
Development of an inflight icing algorithm for use in Alaska
Evaluation of Nudging and Intermittent Data Assimilation Methodologies with MM5 in High Latitudes (pdf)

Experimental Alaska Near-Real-Time MM5 Forecasts
Near real time verification of 2000 AFWA MM5 runs over Alaska
AFWA MM5 Model Domains and Configuration

Forecast Verification
Icing Diagnostics

Information on the Workshop on Short-to-Medium Range Regional NWP in the Arctic and Antarctic, October 8-10, 2003

Group Publications and Conference Preprints

Personnel:

Dr. Jing Zhang, Research Associate
Dr. Xingang Fan, Research Associate
Jeremy Krieger, Analyst/Programmer

Partners:

Minerals Management Service, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior
Arctic Region Supercomputing Center
Alaska Climate Research Center
Don Morton & Anna Klene at the University of Montana
Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)
Alaska Region of the National Weather Service

Other Links of Interest:

PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Modeling System (MM5)
Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF)
Anchorage NWS Forecast Office
Fairbanks NWS Forecast Office
Current opportunities at UAF/GI

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