Regional atmospheric dynamic downscaling over the subpolar North Atlantic

Zhang, Ying (2010) Regional atmospheric dynamic downscaling over the subpolar North Atlantic. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study will present results from model simulations of high-resolution atmospheric seasonal and interannual variability in the subpolar North Atlantic from 1980 to 2005. A regional atmospheric model, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, is used in this study to downscale the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis for the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean. The WRF simulations represent realistically small-scale patterns in the surface water and heat fluxes in the central Labrador Sea and atmospheric variability related to the so-called Greenland tip jets. -- In the second part of this study the WRF model simulations are used to force an ocean coupled sea-ice model. The ocean model results are compared with the ocean simulation forced with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. It is shown that the winter deep convection and ocean subpolar circulation are improved in the simulations forced with the WRF atmospheric fields. In particular, the results show that severe winter events related to Greenland tip jets force intense winter convection in the Irminger Sea. The deep convection in the Labrador Sea and the Labrador Sea Water Mass properties are also more realistic in the ocean simulation force with the WRF results than in the simulation forced with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis.

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