Collaborative Research: Understanding Continental/Oceanic Transition of Mesoscale Convective Systems and Tropical Cyclogenesis during the African Multidisciplinary Analysis

合作研究：了解非洲多学科分析期间中尺度对流系统和热带气旋发生的大陆/海洋转变

• 批准号: 1209296
• 负责人: Sen Chiao
• 金额: $ 10.61万
• 依托单位: San Jose State University Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-20 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1209296&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Understanding; Continental; Oceanic

The primary objectives of this research are: (a) to numerically simulate important weather features of the West African monsoon system including, the African and tropical easterly Jets, long-lived mesoscale convective systems, and tropical cyclogenesis in the Eastern Atlantic; (b) to apply data assimilation for better quantifying and correcting model biases as they relate to numerical simulation of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and tropical cyclone genesis; and (c) to conduct sensitivity studies using different microphysical schemes in the numerical model when simulating cases with Saharan Air Layer (SAL) outbreaks. This research will advance the understanding of the MCSs transition processes as well as help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model as it relates to simulating the West African monsoon. Intellectual Merits: This project will: (1) Undertake modeling studies of tropical disturbances that exited the African Coastline and formed Tropical Storm Debby, and Hurricane Helene, which originated from MCSs in West Africa during the 2006 African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) period. (2) Incorporate extensive upstream in situ measurements (e.g., high resolution surface and upper air observation networks) into data assimilation experiments for selected cases from 2006 and to validate the simulation results with downstream aircraft measurements (i.e., NASA DC-8 and NOAA G-IV and P-3 aircraft) (3) Undertake high-resolution modeling investigations of MCSs over continental areas and their transition to oceanic environments under the influence of the SAL. (4) Implement the WRF model at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal for research purposes.Broader Impacts: The proposed activity is important in understanding tropical cyclone formation in the eastern Atlantic, as well as improving the prediction of these storms. This research will enhance the partnership and increase the human, technical, and physical capacity, between Florida Institute Technology, Howard University, and Cheikh Anta Diop University for undertaking educational and research efforts in the area of weather and regional climate processes. This project will fund two Ph.D. level graduate students, one at Florida Institute of Technology and one at Howard University. On the human scale, students from traditionally underrepresented groups (African and Hispanic Americans) will have the unique opportunity to work with data from an international field experiment and at the same time, the project will directly increase human capacity in the atmospheric sciences for West African researchers. There will be an effort to extend beyond research as well as education and address operational issues of weather predictions using mesoscale models. Finally, this project will open up a new chapter in weather prediction in West Africa, where mesoscale models currently are not used in weather prediction; instead, forecasts in these regions are currently based on numerical weather forecasting models that are run in either Europe or the United States. The capability to run their own models and adapt them to the characteristics of their region will significantly improve African forecasting abilities.

这项研究的主要目标是： (a) 对西非季风系统的重要天气特征进行数值模拟，包括非洲和热带东急流、长寿命中尺度对流系统以及东大西洋的热带气旋； (b) 应用数据同化来更好地量化和纠正与中尺度对流系统（MCS）和热带气旋成因的数值模拟有关的模型偏差； (c) 在模拟撒哈拉空气层（SAL）爆发的情况时，在数值模型中使用不同的微物理方案进行敏感性研究。这项研究将增进对 MCS 转变过程的理解，并帮助确定天气研究和预报 (WRF) 模型在模拟西非季风方面的优缺点。智力优点：该项目将：（1）对离开非洲海岸线并形成热带风暴黛比和飓风海伦的热带扰动进行建模研究，飓风海伦在2006年非洲季风多学科分析（AMMA）期间源自西非的MCS。 (2) 将广泛的上游现场测量（例如高分辨率表面和高空观测网络）纳入 2006 年选定案例的数据同化实验中，并利用下游飞机测量（即 NASA DC-8 和 NOAA G）验证模拟结果-IV 和 P-3 飞机） (3) 对大陆地区 MCS 及其在 SAL 影响下向海洋环境的过渡进行高分辨率建模研究。 (4) 在塞内加尔达喀尔的 Cheikh Anta Diop 大学实施 WRF 模型以用于研究目的。更广泛的影响：拟议的活动对于了解东大西洋热带气旋的形成以及改进这些风暴的预测非常重要。这项研究将加强佛罗里达理工学院、霍华德大学和谢赫·安塔·迪奥普大学之间的伙伴关系并提高人力、技术和体能，以开展天气和区域气候过程领域的教育和研究工作。该项目将资助两名博士生。级研究生，一名在佛罗里达理工学院，一名在霍华德大学。在人类层面上，来自传统上代表性不足的群体（非洲裔和西班牙裔美国人）的学生将有独特的机会使用国际现场实验的数据，同时该项目将直接提高西非人类在大气科学方面的能力研究人员。我们将努力扩展到研究和教育之外，并利用中尺度模型解决天气预报的操作问题。最后，该项目将开启西非天气预报的新篇章，目前该地区的天气预报尚未使用中尺度模型；相反，这些地区的预报目前基于欧洲或美国运行的数值天气预报模型。运行自己的模型并使其适应本地区特点的能力将显着提高非洲的预测能力。