Evaluation of WRF Cloud Microphysics Schemes Using Radar Observations

Abstract

Abstract The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) implemented a 10-yr project to develop its own global model (GM) by 2020. To reflect the complex topography and unique weather characteristics of the Korean Peninsula, a high-resolution model with accurate physics and input data is required. The WRF single-moment 6-class microphysics scheme (WSM6) and WRF double-moment 6-class microphysics scheme (WDM6) that will be implemented in the Korea GM (KGM) are evaluated. Comparisons of the contoured frequency by altitude diagram (CFAD), time–height cross sections, and vertical profiles of hydrometeors are utilized to assess the two schemes in simulating summer monsoon and convective precipitation cases over the Korean Peninsula during 2011. The results show that WSM6 and WDM6 overestimate the height of the melting level and bright band as compared to radar observations. However, the accuracy of WDM6 is in better agreement with radar observations. This is attributed to the difference in the sedimentation process simulated by the additional second-moment total number concentrations of liquid-phase particles in WDM6. WDM6 creates larger raindrops and higher relative humidity beneath the melting layer, allowing the scheme to simulate a more realistic reflectivity profile than WSM6 for the summer monsoon case. However, for the convective case, both schemes underestimate the precipitation and there is resolution dependence in the WRF Model’s ability to simulate convective precipitation.