Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models
Abstract In numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, horizontal and vertical turbulent mixing is parameterized separately within the dynamic solver of a model and by a one-dimensional standalone module outside the dynamic core. This method becomes problematic as model resolution increases to the g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-01117-6 |
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| author | Ping Zhu Kwun Yip. Fung Xuejin Zhang Jun A. Zhang Jian-Wen Bao Chuan-Kai Wang Bin Liu Zhan Zhang Lucas Harris Kun Gao Fanglin Yang Jongil Han Weiguo Wang |
| author_facet | Ping Zhu Kwun Yip. Fung Xuejin Zhang Jun A. Zhang Jian-Wen Bao Chuan-Kai Wang Bin Liu Zhan Zhang Lucas Harris Kun Gao Fanglin Yang Jongil Han Weiguo Wang |
| author_sort | Ping Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, horizontal and vertical turbulent mixing is parameterized separately within the dynamic solver of a model and by a one-dimensional standalone module outside the dynamic core. This method becomes problematic as model resolution increases to the gray zone of turbulence parameterization where three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic turbulence tends to generate inter-connected horizontal and vertical mixing that cannot be artificially separated. To remediate the problem, a 3D scale-aware (SA) turbulence scheme based on a generalized turbulence closure applicable across scales has been developed and implemented in the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS). Simulations of 11 Atlantic basin storms of 2024 show that the new scheme substantially improves HAFS’s forecasting skill for storms with hurricane strength, suggesting that an appropriate account for 3D anisotropic turbulent transport is important for track and intensity forecast of tropical cyclones and provides a venue for realistically representing sub-grid-scale turbulence in NWP. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6db0d5ce9618414cb902afbbbb8e2e52 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2397-3722 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-6db0d5ce9618414cb902afbbbb8e2e522025-08-20T03:47:24ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222025-06-018111310.1038/s41612-025-01117-6Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction modelsPing Zhu0Kwun Yip. Fung1Xuejin Zhang2Jun A. Zhang3Jian-Wen Bao4Chuan-Kai Wang5Bin Liu6Zhan Zhang7Lucas Harris8Kun Gao9Fanglin Yang10Jongil Han11Weiguo Wang12Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University (FIU)Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), University of Miami (UM)Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), NOAACooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), University of Miami (UM)Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL), NOAARedline Performance Solutions LLC at NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC, Redline Performance Solutions LLC Lynker at NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC, LynkerEnvironmental Modeling Center (EMC), NOAAGeophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), NOAAProgram in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton UniversityEnvironmental Modeling Center (EMC), NOAAEnvironmental Modeling Center (EMC), NOAA SAIC at NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC, Science Applications International CorporationAbstract In numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, horizontal and vertical turbulent mixing is parameterized separately within the dynamic solver of a model and by a one-dimensional standalone module outside the dynamic core. This method becomes problematic as model resolution increases to the gray zone of turbulence parameterization where three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic turbulence tends to generate inter-connected horizontal and vertical mixing that cannot be artificially separated. To remediate the problem, a 3D scale-aware (SA) turbulence scheme based on a generalized turbulence closure applicable across scales has been developed and implemented in the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS). Simulations of 11 Atlantic basin storms of 2024 show that the new scheme substantially improves HAFS’s forecasting skill for storms with hurricane strength, suggesting that an appropriate account for 3D anisotropic turbulent transport is important for track and intensity forecast of tropical cyclones and provides a venue for realistically representing sub-grid-scale turbulence in NWP.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-01117-6 |
| spellingShingle | Ping Zhu Kwun Yip. Fung Xuejin Zhang Jun A. Zhang Jian-Wen Bao Chuan-Kai Wang Bin Liu Zhan Zhang Lucas Harris Kun Gao Fanglin Yang Jongil Han Weiguo Wang Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| title | Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models |
| title_full | Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models |
| title_fullStr | Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models |
| title_short | Toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models |
| title_sort | toward a unified parameterization of three dimensional turbulent transport in high resolution numerical weather prediction models |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-01117-6 |
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