Foreword
This User’s Guide describes the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) Version 3.4 modeling system, released in April 2012. As the ARW is developed further, this document will be continuously enhanced and updated. Please send feedback to wrfhelp@ucar.edu.
This document is complementary to the ARW Tech Note (http://www2.mmm.ucar.edu/wrf/users/docs/arw_v3.pdf), which describes the equations, numerics, boundary conditions, and nesting etc. in greater detail.
Highlights of updates to WRFV3.4 include:
· WRF model:
New
physics:
o Land surface physics:
§ Noah-MP (with MP standing for ‘multi-physics’; contributed by Niu et al. from U. of Texas)
§ SSiB (Simplified Simple Biosphere Model; contributed by Y.-K. Xue and F. de Sales of UCLA)
o Revised MM5 surface layer scheme (contributed by Jimenez of CIEMAT, Spain)
o Eddy-Diffusivity Mass-Flux for QNSE (contributed by Pergaud of Numtech of France)
o NSSL 2-moment microphysics (contributed by Mansell of NSSL)
o Fu-Liou-Gu long- and short-wave atmospheric radiation scheme (contributed by Gu of UCLA)
o Topographic correction for surface winds (contributed by Jimenez of CIEMAT, Spain)
Dynamics/Advection:
o Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory advection scheme for momentum and scalars (contributed by Mansell of NSSL)
· WRF-DA updates:
o WRFPLUS3 – parallel WRF TL/AD based on WRF V3.4
o Parallelization of 4D-VAR
o Precipitation data assimilation in 4D-VAR
o NOAA-19 AMSUA and MHS added
o Improved capability to generate forecast sensitivity to observations
· WRF-Chemistry
o Upper boundary condition that relaxes stratospheric chemistry to climatological values
o Coupled MOZART - MOSAIC with simplified SOA scheme
o AQCHEM aqueous chemistry and wet deposition schemes
o CO2 chemistry scheme
o A new Green House Gas scheme
o Dust emission algorithm from AFWA
o Option to couple volcanic ash and SO2 emissions with other chemistry and aerosol modules
o Improved volcanic ash routine
o Improved emissions preprocessor routine
For the latest version of this document, please visit the ARW Users’ Web site at http://www2.mmm.ucar.edu/wrf/users/.
Contributors to this guide:
Wei Wang, Cindy Bruyère, Michael Duda, Jimy Dudhia, Dave Gill, Michael Kavulich, Kelly Keene, Hui-Chuan Lin, John Michalakes, Syed Rizvi, and Xin Zhang.
Contributors to WRF-Fire chapter:
Jonathan D. Beezley, Janice L. Coen, and Jan Mandel
Contributors to UPP section:
Hui-Ya Chuang, Nicole McKee, Tricia Slovacek, and Jamie Wolff
Special Acknowledgment:
We gratefully acknowledge the late Dr. Thomas T. Warner for his years of research, development, instruction, leadership, and motivation in the field of NWP modeling.