Alternative Formulations for Incorporating Lateral Boundary Data into Limited-Area Models

Abstract

Limited-area models (LAMs) use higher resolutions and more advanced parameterizations of physical processes than global numerical weather prediction models, but suffer from one additional source of error?the lateral boundary condition (LBC). The large-scale model passes the information on its fields to the LAM only over the narrow coupling zone at discrete times separated by a coupling interval of several hours. The LBC temporal resolution can be lower than the time necessary for a particular meteorological feature to cross the boundary. A LAM user who depends on LBC data acquired from an independent prior analysis or parent model run can find that usual schemes for temporal interpolation of large-scale data provide LBC data of inadequate quality. The problem of a quickly moving depression that is not recognized by the operationally used gridpoint coupling scheme is examined using a simple one-dimensional model. A spectral method for nesting a LAM in a larger-scale model is implemented and tested. Results for a traditional flow-relaxation scheme combined with temporal interpolation in spectral space are also presented.