P92  Adapting the ARW to Trade Wind Cumulus Studies

Jones, Alexandra L., Larry Di Girolamo, Brian Jewett, and Robert Rauber, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Since large eddy simulations (LES) resolve cumulus dynamical processes, they provide an excellent environment for testing hypotheses that increase understanding of trade wind cumulus (TWCu) response to a given forcing, which may lead to better parameterizations for global climate models. The Advanced Research WRF (ARW)Ős publicly available source code, myriad physics package extensions, and large user community make it desirable for this use.  Before using the ARW to test TWCu sensitivities, it must be benchmarked against observations and LES intercomparison results. The Global Water and Energy Experiment (GEWEX) Global Atmospheric System Studies (GASS) panel has been conducting LES intercomparison studies, however the ARW has not been included.

Modifications to the ARW LES initialization and dynamical-core modules were required to specify the Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological EXperiment (BOMEX) intercomparison initial conditions and large scale forcings, such as surface moisture flux, friction velocity, and tendencies in potential temperature, moisture, and momentum due to subsidence, radiative cooling, advection, and large scale pressure gradients. A summary of the changes made to the ARW and analysis of the ARW results in the context of the intercomparison results will be presented. Future work includes analysis of the Rain In Cumulus over Ocean (RICO) intercomparison case.