1. MESOSCALE MODEL APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE
PREDICTIONS IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA
L.M. FARFÁN
• Significant weather events in the gulf during the warm season
• Network of routine observations in northwestern Mexico
• Detection of gulf surge and operational model representation
• CICESE’s contribution to NAME in 2004:
1) Mesoscale model simulations (research mode)
2) Study oceanic processes on SST evolution (field experiment)

3. NORA, 1997
JULIETTE, 2001
IGNACIO, 2003
MARTY, 2003

4. Surface station reports: 29 August – 01 September, 2002
• surface airways
• synoptic sites
• ships and bouys

5. Network of surface and upper-air stations
200 km
Surface airways (12)
Automatic sites (13)
Upper-air soundings (2)
1,100 km

6. Upper-air and surface, automatic stations (EMAS)
Comisión Nacional del Agua / Servicio Meteorológico Nacional

9. Eta model, vertical cross section of horizontal winds
Sierra Madre
Pacific
Baja California
gulf

12. 3.3-km spatial resolution grid (94x88)
La Paz (CNA/SMN)
Desert 
Water 
City
Forests
Cd. Constitución
(automatic)
CIBNOR/SDSU
La Paz (MMLP)
San José (MMSD)
Cabo San Lucas
(automatic)

13. 12am

14. 3pm

17. Proposed oceanographic cruises during NAME (Douglas, M. et al. 2003)
1) Improved understanding of SST spatial and temporal distribution
2) Observed evolution of marine boundary layer in significant events
3) Better initialization and assimilation of model fields at low-levels

19. L.M. Farfán (farfan@cicese.mx)
MESOSCALE MODEL APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE PREDICTIONS IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA
L.M. Farfán
SUMMARY
• Continental MCSs and tropical cyclones are significant sources of events
• Surface and upper-air network provide data along coastal areas
• CICESE’s contribution to NAME:
a) mesoscale modeling studies for relevant case studies
b) study of the oceanic processes on SST evolution
• Expected results include:
1) Improved distribution of SST in time and space
2) Observed evolution of marine boundary layer in significant events
3) Better initialization and assimilation of model fields at low-levels