1. Case Study: August 2005 moving precipitation system over West Africa
Benjamin Lamptey NCAR (RAL)
July 6, 2005

2. Motivation
Meso-scale (1000 – 100,000km2) – most disciplines and models can be integrated in AMMA
Complies with both hydrologic and atmospheric model capabilities
Scale of MCS and many surface-atmosphere interactions
Scale to expected to directly benefit from EOP/SOP observations

3. Objective
Compare atmospheric and hydrologic simulations between them and with observations
First step in science integration – will prepare further studies based on SOP observations
Need to validate MSAM outputs and ensure outputs comply with forcing of MSHM and vice-versa.

4. Model WRF version 2.1.2 Grid resolution is 12 km, 4km
Grid size: 251x201, 216x196, 31 levels
BC and IC: NCEP and ECMWF
Period of simulation Aug. 27:00UTC to August 30:00UTC

5. Simulation domain

6. Satellite Evidence

7. Animation 1
BMJ
WSM6
ECMWF

8. Animation 2 KF
Lin et al.
ECMWF

9. Animation 3 KF
Thompson
ECMWF

10. Animation summary Animation 1 BMJ WSM6 ECMWF
Reasonable timing, wrong orientation
Animation 2 KF
Lin et al.
4 hour delay, reasonable orientation
Animation 3
Thompson
5 hour delay, reasonable orientation

11. 24-hour rain 6h-6h Aug 27 KF
WSM6
ECMWF
CPC
WRF

12. 24-hour rain 6h-6h Aug 28 KF
WSM6
ECMWF
WRF
CPC

13. Summary
WRF has the potential to simulate the moving rainfall system if an optimal model configuration for West Africa is obtained
There is a qualitative agreement between WRF and CPC data for the 24 hour rainfall

14. To do list
Compare results with observations (making use of more variables)
Evaluation of analysis used to initialize the model –includes comparing simulation to analyses
To run WRF in an operational mode over Africa (any help with funding?): Technology Transfer?
WRFCM, CLM