Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluation Of Wrf Scm Simulations Of Stratocumulus-Topped Marine And Coastal Boundary Layers And Improvements To Turbulence And Entrainment Parameterizations, Mohamed S. Ghonima, Handa Yang, Chang Ki Kim, Thijs Heus, Jan Kleissl

Physics Faculty Publications

© 2017. The Authors. Stratocumulus-topped boundary layers (STBLs) are notoriously difficult to parameterize in single-column models due to the strong inversion layer across which entrainment mixing plays an important role in modulating the boundary layer mass, energy, and moisture balances. We compare three different WRF planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes (Yonsei University, YSU; Asymmetric Convective Model version 2, ACM2; Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino, MYNN) against large eddy simulations (LES) to find out that they underestimate entrainment flux in stratocumulus over both ocean and coastal land. Hence, the PBL schemes produce a cooler, moister STBL with higher liquid water content. In order to improve …