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At least 487 records · Page 27

Can mesoscale models capture the effect from cluster wakes offshore?

Long wakes from offshore wind turbine clusters can extend tens of kilometers downstream, affecting the wind resource of a large area. Given the ability of mesoscale numerical weather prediction models to capture important atmospheric phenomena and mechanisms relevant to wake evolution, they are often used to simulate wakes behind large wind turbine clusters and their impact over a wider region. Yet, uncertainty persists regarding the accuracy of representing cluster wakes via mesoscale models and their wind turbine parameterizations. Here, we evaluate the accuracy of the Fitch wind farm parameterization in the Weather Research and Forecasting model in capturing cluster-wake effects using two different options to represent turbulent mixing in the planetary boundary layer. To this end, we compare operational data from an offshore wind farm in the North Sea that is fully or partially waked by an upstream array against high-resolution mesoscale simulations. In general, we find that mesoscale models accurately represent the effect of cluster wakes on front-row turbines of a downstream wind farm. However, the same models may not accurately capture cluster-wake effects on an entire downstream wind farm, due to misrepresenting internal-wake effects.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS): First Year On-Orbit

The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is a new satellite microwave sounding sensor designed to provide operational weather agencies with atmospheric temperature and moisture profile information for global weather forecasting and climate applications. A TMS will continue the microwave sounding capabilities first provided by its predecessors, the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU). The first flight unit was launched a year ago in October, 2011 aboard the Suomi-National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, part of the new Joint Polar-Orbiting Satellite System (JPSS). Microwave soundings by themselves are the highest-impact input data used by Numerical Weather Prediction models; and A TMS, when combined with the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), forms the Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS). The microwave soundings help meet sounding requirements under cloudy sky conditions and provide key profile information near the surface. ATMS was designed & built by Aerojet Corporation in Azusa, California, (now Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems). It has 22 channels spanning 23-183 GHz, closely following the channel set of the MSU, AMSU-AI/2, AMSU-B, Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS), and Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB). It continues their cross-track scanning geometry, but for the first time, provides Nyquist sample spacing. All this is accomplished with approximately V. the volume, Y, the mass, and Y, the power of the three AMSUs. A description will be given of its performance from its first year of operation as determined by post-launch calibration activities. These activities include radiometric calibration using the on-board warm targets and cold space views, and geolocation determination. Example imagery and zooms of specific weather events will be shown. The second ATMS flight model is currently under construction and planned for launch on the "Jl" satellite of the JPSS program in approximately 2016. Additional units are expected on the J2 and 13 satellites, as well as potentially on future European METOP satellites.

Kim, Edward J.↗

Use of Remotely-Sensed Rainfall Data in Global Modeling and Data Assimilation

Precipitation observations derived from microwave sensors available from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the proposed Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) can provide crucial information needed for improving global modeling, data assimilation, and numerical weather prediction. New methodologies are being developed at NASA to make effective use of this new data type in these applications. Currently, global analyses contain significant errors in primary hydrological fields such as precipitation and evaporation, especially in the tropics. We show that assimilating 6-h averaged TRMM rainfall retrievals improves not only the hydrological cycle but also key climate parameters such as clouds, radiation, and the upper tropospheric moisture in the analysis produced by the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation System. The improved analysis also leads to improved short-range forecasts in the tropics. The above results were obtained using a variational assimilation procedure that uses rainfall observations to derive moisture and temperature tendency corrections every 6 hours to compensate for errors arising from imperfect initial conditions and deficiencies in the model physics. We will describe a developmental path towards using space-borne rainfall data to empirically estimate and correct for state-dependent systematic errors in parameterized model physics. The study provides a demonstration of the potential of using remote-sensed rainfall data from microwave instruments to improve the 4-dimensional global datasets for climate analysis and numerical weather prediction.

Hou, Arthur↗

Assessment of the 60 Km Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) with Near Real-Time Aircraft Reports

NASA is developing the Center-TBACON Advisory System (CTAS), a set of Air Traffic Management (ATM) Decision Support Tools (DST) to enable controllers to increase airspace capacity and flight efficiency. A crucial component of the CTAS, or any ATM DST, is the computation of the time-of-flight of aircraft along flight path segments which requires accurate knowledge of the wind through which the aircraft are flying. CTAS currently uses wind information from the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC), a numerical prediction model run operationally by the National Weather Service (NWS) National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). There exists near real-time wind observations from commercial aircraft that can be used to increase the accuracy of the RUC wind forecasts via the FAA Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Terminal Winds (TW) algorithm. This report presents a study based on the application of the ITWS TW algorithm as an improvement to the baseline RUC product. Terminal Winds generally does not support the full Center airspace; the domain of the prototype MIT/LLITWS TW system was increased to cover the Denver Center airspace to support this study. This study has three goals: 1) determine the errors in the baseline 60-kilometer resolution RUC forecast wind fields relative to the needs of en route DSTs such as CTAS; 2) determine the benefit of using the TW algorithm to refine the RUC forecast wind fields with near real-tlme Meteorological Data Collection and Reporting System (MDCRS) aircraft reports, and 3) identify factors that influence wind field errors in order to improve accuracy and estimate errors in real time. The data for this study were collected over a one-year period for the Denver Center airspace and over one miIlion verification observations were used. This study is part of a larger effort funded by NASA which includes the NOAA/FSL.

Cole, R. E.↗

Recent Observing System Simulation Experiments at the NASA DAO

Since the advent of meteorological satellites in the 1960's, numerous experiments have been conducted in order t o evaluate the impact of these and other data on atmospheric analysis and prediction. Such studies have included both OSE'S (Observing System Experiments) and OSSE's (Observing System Simulation Experiments). The OSE's were conducted to evaluate the impact of specific observations or classes of observations on analyses and forecasts. Such experiments have been performed for selected types of conventional data and for various satellite data sets as they became avail- able. (See for example the 1989 ECMWF/EUMETSAT workshop proceedings on "The use of satellite data in operational numerical weather prediction" and the references contained therein.) The OSSE's were con- ducted to evaluate the potential for future observing systems to improve Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and to plan for the Global Weather Experiment and more recently for EOS. In addition, OSSE's have been run t o evaluate trade-offs in the design of observing systems and observing net-works, and to test new methodology for data assimilation.

Atlas, Robert↗

GEO/SAMS - The Geostationary Synthetic Aperture Microwave Sounder

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has for many years operated two weather satellite systems, the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite system (POES), using low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellites, and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system (GOES), using geostationary earth orbiting (GEO) satellites. (Similar systems are also operated by other nations.) The POES satellites have been equipped with both infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) atmospheric sounders, which makes it possible to determine the vertical distribution of temperature and humidity in the troposphere even under cloudy conditions. Such satellite observations have had a significant impact on weather forecasting accuracy, especially in regions where in situ observations are sparse. In contrast, the GOES satellites have only been equipped with IR sounders, since it has not been feasible to build a large enough antenna to achieve sufficient spatial resolution for a MW sounder in GEO. As a result, GOES soundings can only be obtained in cloud free areas and in the less important upper atmosphere, above the cloud tops. This has hindered the effective use of GOES data in numerical weather prediction. Full sounding capabilities with the GOES system is highly desirable because of the advantageous spatial and temporal coverage that is possible from GEO. While POES satellites provide coverage in relatively narrow swaths, and with a revisit time of 12-24 hours or more, GOES satellites can provide continuous hemispheric coverage, making it possible to monitor highly dynamic phenomena such as hurricanes.

Lambrigtsen, Bjorn H.↗

Evaluating GXS Impact in the Context of International Coordination

The proposed NOAA/NASA Geostationary eXtended Observations (GeoXO) program plans to include a hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounder on its central satellite. Expected to launch in the mid-2030s, the GeoXO Sounder (GXS) will join international counterparts in a geostationary orbit. Ahead of launch, the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) assessed the potential effectiveness of GXS both as a single GEO IR sounder and as part of a global ring of such instruments, including those already being built by international agencies. Using an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) framework, GXS was assessed from a global numerical weather prediction (NWP) perspective. The ability of GXS, both alone and as part of a global ring of GEO sounders, to improve weather prediction of thermodynamic variables was evaluated globally and regionally. Compared to a control, GXS dominated regional analysis and forecast improvements, and contributed significantly to global increases in forecast skill. However, more sustained global improvements on the order of 4 days rely on international partnerships. Using the FSOI metric over CONUS, the GXS observations provide the strongest radiance impact on the moist energy error norm reduction. Additionally, GXS shows the capability to improve hurricane forecast track errors, resulting in improved forecast warnings. Overall, the persistent atmospheric profile information from GXS over much of the western hemisphere provide an opportunity to improve the representation of weather systems and their forecasts.

Erica McGrath-Spangler↗

Evaluating GXS Impact in the Context of International Coordination

The proposed NOAA/NASA Geostationary eXtended Observations (GeoXO) program plans to include a hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounder on its central satellite. Expected to launch in the mid-2030s, the GeoXO Sounder (GXS) will join international counterparts in a geostationary orbit. Ahead of launch, the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) assessed the potential effectiveness of GXS both as a single GEO IR sounder and as part of a global ring of such instruments, including those already being built by international agencies. Using an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) framework, GXS was assessed from a global numerical weather prediction (NWP) perspective. The ability of GXS, both alone and as part of a global ring of GEO sounders, to improve weather prediction of thermodynamic variables was evaluated globally and regionally. Compared to a control, GXS dominated regional analysis and forecast improvements, and contributed significantly to global increases in forecast skill. However, more sustained global improvements on the order of 4 days rely on international partnerships. Using the FSOI metric over CONUS, the GXS observations provide the strongest radiance impact on the moist energy error norm reduction. Additionally, GXS shows the capability to improve hurricane forecast track errors, resulting in improved forecast warnings. Overall, the persistent atmospheric profile information from GXS over much of the western hemisphere provide an opportunity to improve the representation of weather systems and their forecasts.

Erica McGrath-Spangler↗

Simulations of Winter Arctic Clouds and Associated Radiation Fluxes Using Different Cloud Microphysics Schemes in the Polar WRF: Comparisons With CloudSat, CALIPSO, and CERES

Clouds are important for the Arctic climate, but simulating such clouds with numerical models is still challenging. The accuracy of model clouds has not been sufficiently examined due to the harsh Arctic environment obstructing cloud observations, especially during Arctic winters experiencing polar nights. This study compares the Arctic winter clouds simulated by a weather forecast model to cloud observations from active (lidar and radar) satellite instruments. The model successfully produced cloud patterns similar to the satellite observations. However, the choice of the cloud physics module in the model can modify the amount of cloud water significantly enough to affect the simulated surface climate.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Learning Forecasts of Rare Stratospheric Transitions from Short Simulations

Abstract Rare events arising in nonlinear atmospheric dynamics remain hard to predict and attribute. We address the problem of forecasting rare events in a prototypical example, sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Approximately once every other winter, the boreal stratospheric polar vortex rapidly breaks down, shifting midlatitude surface weather patterns for months. We focus on two key quantities of interest: the probability of an SSW occurring, and the expected lead time if it does occur, as functions of initial condition. These optimal forecasts concretely measure the event’s progress. Direct numerical simulation can estimate them in principle but is prohibitively expensive in practice: each rare event requires a long integration to observe, and the cost of each integration grows with model complexity. We describe an alternative approach using integrations that are short compared to the time scale of the warming event. We compute the probability and lead time efficiently by solving equations involving the transition operator, which encodes all information about the dynamics. We relate these optimal forecasts to a small number of interpretable physical variables, suggesting optimal measurements for forecasting. We illustrate the methodology on a prototype SSW model developed by Holton and Mass and modified by stochastic forcing. While highly idealized, this model captures the essential nonlinear dynamics of SSWs and exhibits the key forecasting challenge: the dramatic separation in time scales between a single event and the return time between successive events. Our methodology is designed to fully exploit high-dimensional data from models and observations, and has the potential to identify detailed predictors of many complex rare events in meteorology.

Finkel, Justin↗

An Improved Bulk Microphysical Scheme for Studying Precipitation Processes: Comparisons with Other Schemes

Cloud microphysical processes play an important role in non-hydrostatic high-resolution simulations. Over the past decade both research and operational numerical weather prediction models have started using more complex cloud microphysical schemes that were originally developed for high-resolution cloud-resolving models. An improved bulk microphysical parameterization (adopted from the Goddard microphysics schemes) has recently implemented into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. This bulk microphysical scheme has three different options --- 2ICE (cloud ice & snow), 3ICE-graupel (cloud ice, snow & graupel) and 3ICE-hail (cloud ice, snow & hail). High-resolution model simulations are conducted to examine the impact of microphysical schemes on two different weather events (a midlatitude linear convective system and an Atlantic hurricane). In addition, this bulk microphysical parameterization is compared with WIRF's three other bulk microphysical schemes.

Tao, W. K.↗

Slow Wake Recovery and Low Turbulence Behind Wind Farms Parameterized in Mesoscale Simulations

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate models equipped with wind-farm parameterizations (WFPs) can simulate cluster wake effects affecting downstream wind farms in both onshore and offshore environments. This study evaluates wake recovery behind a wind farm represented by the NWP-WFP approach in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model using either the Fitch et al. (2012) or Ma et al. (2022a, b) WFPs. Results are benchmarked against large-eddy simulations (LES) of an idealized offshore wind farm with aligned and staggered layouts under neutral atmospheric stability. Near-farm wake recovery is underestimated in NWP-WFP simulations due to its representation on a coarse mesoscale grid. This limitation leads to slow wake recovery through two interconnected mechanisms: (i) spatial gradients in the wind velocity field are weaker compared to LES and (ii) turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) remains low not because of excessive dissipation but due to insufficient shear production caused by these weakened gradients. For the scenario considered here, a wind-speed bias develops in the near-farm wake and persists into the far wake. Differences between the NWP-WFP simulations and LES emerge within a short distance downstream of the farm exit, where the mesoscale simulations recover too slowly. This reduced recovery contributes approximately 0.15-0.50 m s-1 to the near-farm wind-speed bias. The bias established in this region is not subsequently compensated for downstream but instead propagates into the far wake, where wind-speed differences of approximately 0.4-0.6 m s-1 remain up to 50 km downstream. Higher-resolution mesoscale simulations partially reduce this bias. Increasing turbine-added TKE or including subgrid wake effects provides additional improvement, but neither fully addresses the underlying cause. The slow wake recovery is not caused by limitations of the WFPs themselves, as it also occurs outside their region of influence, and adding subgrid wake effects does not significantly impact recovery. Rather, the slow wake recovery is a consequence of mesoscale flow representation. This behavior is not limited to regions downstream of the wind farm but is less visible within the farm, where wake recovery occurs simultaneously with turbine-induced momentum extraction. These results highlight the need for improved representations of wake recovery both within and downstream of wind farms. While enhanced subgrid modeling, shear-driven TKE production, and refined WFP formulations may improve intra-farm dynamics, accurately capturing near-farm wake recovery downstream remains challenging, as WFPs do not act in this region.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

An analysis of the Seasat Satellite Data Distribution System

A computerized data distribution network for remote accessing of Seasat generated data is described. The service is intended as an experiment to determine user needs and operational abilities for utilizing on-line satellite generated oceanographic data. Synoptic weather observations are input to the U.S. Fleet Numerical Oceanographic Central for preparation and transfer to a PDP 11/60 central computer, from which all access trunks originate. The data available includes meteorological and sea-state information in the form of analyses and forecasts, and users are being monitored for reactions to the system design, data products, system operation, and performance evaluation. The system provides data on sea level and upper atmospheric pressure, sea surface temperature, wind magnitude and direction, significant wave heights, direction, and periods, and spectral wave data. Transmissions have a maximum rate of 1.1 kbit/sec over the telephone line.

Ferrari, A. J.↗

Large-scale analysis and forecast experiments with wind data from the Seasat A scatterometer

A series of data assimilation experiments is performed to assess the impact of Seasat A satellite scatterometer (SASS) wind data on Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences (GLAS) model forecasts. The SASS data are dealiased as part of an objective analysis system utilizing a three-pass procedure. The impact of the SASS data is evaluated with and without temperature soundings from the NOAA 4 Vertical Temperature Profile Radiometer (VTPR) instrument in order to study possible redundancy between surface wind data and upper air temperature data. In the northern hemisphere the SASS data are generally found to have a negligible effect on the forecasts. In the southern hemisphere the forecast impact from SASS data is somewhat larger and primarily beneficial in the absence of VTPR data. However, the inclusion of VTPR data effectively eliminates the positive impact over Australia and South America. This indicates that SASS data can be beneficial for numerical weather prediction in regions with large data gaps, but in the presence of satellite soundings the usefulness of SASS data is significantly reduced.

Baker, W. E.↗

Efficacy of the Cell Perturbation Method in Large-Eddy Simulations of Boundary Layer Flow over Complex Terrain

A challenge to simulating turbulent flow in multiscale atmospheric applications is the efficient generation of resolved turbulence motions over an area of interest. One approach is to apply small perturbations to flow variables near the inflow planes of turbulence-resolving simulation domains nested within larger mesoscale domains. While this approach has been examined in numerous idealized and simple terrain cases, its efficacy in complex terrain environments has not yet been fully explored. Here, we examine the benefits of the stochastic cell perturbation method (CPM) over real complex terrain using data from the 2017 Perdigão field campaign, conducted in an approximately 2-km wide valley situated between two nearly parallel ridges. Following a typical configuration for multiscale simulation using nested domains within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to downscale from the mesoscale to a large-eddy simulation (LES), we apply the CPM on a domain with horizontal grid spacing of 150 m. At this resolution, spurious coherent structures are often observed under unstable atmospheric conditions with moderate mean wind speeds. Results from such an intermediate resolution grid are often nested down for finer, more detailed LES, where these spurious structures adversely affect the development of turbulence on the subsequent finer grid nest. We therefore examine the impacts of the CPM on the representation of turbulence within the nested LES domain under moderate mean flow conditions in three different stability regimes: weakly convective, strongly convective, and weakly stable. In addition, two different resolutions of the underlying terrain are used to explore the role of the complex topography itself in generating turbulent structures. We demonstrate that the CPM improves the representation of turbulence within the LES domain, relative to the use of high-resolution complex terrain alone. During the convective conditions, the CPM improves the rate at which smaller-scales of turbulence form, while also accelerating the attenuation of the spurious numerically generated roll structures near the inflow boundary. During stable conditions, the coarse mesh spacing of the intermediate LES domain used herein was insufficient to maintain resolved turbulence using CPM as the flow develops downstream, highlighting the need for yet higher resolution under even weakly stable conditions, and the importance of accurate representation of flow on intermediate LES grids.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Wave and Offshore Wind Resource in the U.S. Pacific Ocean Minor Outlying Islands

Coastal environments such as islands have unique opportunities for renewable energy resources. This work explores the wave and offshore wind energy potential for the U.S. Pacific Ocean Minor Outlying Islands, including Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island. A numerical wave model based on WAVEWATCH III and SWAN (both are NWS / NOAA models) was developed, validated, and executed to generate a 32-year hindcast dataset suitable for resource characterization for each island. A complementary offshore wind resource characterization is provided for the same time period based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis v5 (ERA5). Each island has five netcdf files: 1. wave_[island]_annual_J_map.nc: the data used to generate the map of annual averaged omnidirectional wave power (J [kW/m]) 2. wave_[island]_100m_IEC: six IEC parameters at 100m isobath from 1979/01/01 to 2020/12/31, output hourly 3. wave_[island]_5km_IEC: six IEC parameters at 5km from the shoreline 1979/01/01 to 2020/12/31, output hourly 4. wind_island_100mASL_windspeed_timeseries.nc: wind speed timeseries from ERA5 at 100 m above sea level within a 60 km radius of the island (m/s) 1979/01/01 to 2010/12/31, output hourly 5. wind_island_100mASL_winddirection_timeseries.nc: wind direction timeseries from ERA5 at 100 m above sea level within a 60 km radius of the island (degrees) 1979/01/01 to 2010/12/31, output hourly

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

A multi‐variable framework for selecting WRF physics configurations at convection‐permitting scales: An Amazon wet‐season case study

Tropical convection over rainforests modulates atmospheric circulation and the energy and hydrological cycles across multiple scales. However, the scarcity of observations still limits our understanding of these processes. Although numerical models are utilized to investigate atmospheric physical processes, their performance depends on the choice of parameterizations and grid resolution. Here, in this work, we introduce and apply a multi‐variable, multi‐physics framework to evaluate and rank the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF–ARW) configurations at 1‐km resolution over the central Amazon during the wet season. A 48‐member ensemble combines three land‐surface models (LSMs), four planetary boundary layer (PBL), and four microphysics (MP) schemes. Model performance for seven convection‐related near‐surface and boundary‐layer variables is assessed using Taylor diagrams and the Taylor skill score (TSS), analysis of variance (ANOVA)‐based sensitivity metrics, and non‐parametric rank tests. We then construct a combined, weighted TSS to identify configurations that are comparatively robust across variables. Results showed that most configurations reproduce near‐surface temperature, sensible and latent heat fluxes, and boundary‐layer height reasonably well, whereas humidity and rainfall remain challenging. LSM choice has the strongest impact on the surface fluxes and a secondary influence on near‐surface temperature and humidity, PBL schemes dominate boundary‐layer height, and MP schemes exert the largest control on rainfall. No single configuration is optimal for all variables, but the combination of Noah (LSM), Yonsei University (PBL), and Morrison (MP) emerges as the most robust configuration for this case, with the WRF single‐moment six‐class scheme (WSM6) providing a competitive, computationally cheaper MP alternative. The framework is general and can be applied to other regions, seasons, and convective regimes.

Amazon rainforest↗

High-Resolution Wind Resource Data Set of the Greater Puerto Rico Region

In February 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy and six national laboratories launched the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100). PR100 aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of possible pathways for Puerto Rico's energy future, with a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050. As a part of the renewable energy potential assessment in this project, we developed 20 years (2001-2020) of data using a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model for onshore and offshore wind resource assessment for the Puerto Rico. The research steps in developing the long-term wind resource data sets based on the NWP model were: 1. Model wind resource based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. 2. Develop WRF model configurations for Puerto Rico. 3. Test WRF with 11 different physics parameterizations for planetary boundary layer (PBL). 4. Assess WRF output from the different PBL schemes against observations. 5. Select a final model configuration which can produce the modeled wind speed with sufficient accuracy. 6. Produce 20 years wind resource data sets for Puerto Rico region. In the first stage of our framework for developing wind resource data, we developed a WRF model configuration using two nested domains (9 km and 3 km) to cover Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands and downscale the ERA5 reanalysis data (0.25 degrees x 0.25 degrees; hourly interval) to a 3-km domain. For the second stage, we implemented one-year simulations focused on using 11 different PBL physics parameterizations to find a combination of WRF physics parameterizations that could provide accurately modeled wind speed for Puerto Rico. We also analyzed the sensitivity of the modeled wind speed to PBL schemes for onshore and offshore locations. The WRF output resulting from the 11 WRF experiments using different PBL parameterizations were evaluated against observations obtained from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) as well as at hub height for a location for which measurements were available. A final model setup selected through the validation with observational data was used to produce 20 years of data with 3-km spatial and 5-minute temporal resolution. The WRF model output was post-processed to include wind profiles and basic atmospheric variables in a format that can be easily used for downstream modeling. The 20 years of wind resource data will be made available through NREL and support the estimation of wind energy development costs for the PR100 study.

17 WIND ENERGY↗