Mooney, P.A.,
F.J. Mulligan, R. Fealy, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Ireland
The
Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is employed as a
regional climate model for the European WCRP CORDEX Region 4 (http://copes.ipsl.jussieu.fr/SF_RCD_CORDEX.html) over the period
1989-1995. ERA Interim reanalysis
data is used to provide the initial conditions, lateral boundary information
and SSTs at 6 hourly intervals in accordance with CORDEX hindcasting
guidelines. A grid spacing of
0.44¡×0.44¡ is used in order to economize on the computational effort
involved over the relatively large domain.
We present the results of 12 different physical
parameterizations with a view to identifying the optimal choice of these
parameters for climate modeling studies over Europe. Two microphysics schemes, two longwave radiation schemes,
two land surface models and two planetary boundary layer schemes have been
investigated while the shortwave radiation, and cumulus physics schemes have
been held fixed. Modeled surface
air temperature at 2 m and precipitation levels have been compared with EOBS
observational data in their spatial distribution and temporal pattern. To assist our investigation, the large
domain has been subdivided into sub-regions that represent very different
regional climates. Bias analysis and
probability density functions of the combinations of these physics schemes show
that some regions in the domain are more sensitive to WRF physics than others.