The Fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) has been modified for use in
polar regions.
Referred to as the Polar MM5, it is available at:
http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/PolarMet/pmm5.html
Based on the experience of previous research into atmospheric mesoscale
modeling in polar regions by the Polar Meteorology Group of the Byrd
Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University, the Pennsylvania
State University -National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) has been modified for use in
polar regions. It is referred to as the Polar MM5.
See: http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/PolarMet/pmm5.html
The key modifications are:
- Revised cloud / radiation interaction
- Modified explicit ice phase microphysics
- Modified turbulence (boundary layer) parameterization
- Implementation of a fractional sea ice cover
- Improved treatment of heat transfer through snow / ice surfaces.
Model validations and case studies of Polar MM5 simulations over
Greenland and Antarctica have been performed, and the results published.
These are provided on the Polar MM5 website listed above. The model
demonstrates good skill for many polar applications. Most aspects of the
Polar MM5 are now available as options in the public release version of
MM5 (v3.5 and later) from NCAR.
See: http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/mm5/mm5-home.html
The source code is also downloadable from the Polar MM5 website. A Polar
Working Group for MM5 is being set-up to exchange experiences,
publications, code, etc., and it will be accessible via the NCAR MM5
webpage shortly.
The Polar MM5 is currently being used for short-term and climatic
studies in the data sparse high latitudes. In particular, the model
output is used by forecasters as part of the National Science Foundation
sponsored Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS)
See: http://www.mmm.ucar.edu/rt/mm5/amps
to meet the operational and logistic needs of the United States
Antarctic Program (USAP). Under a collaborative project with the Polar
Meteorology Group, AMPS simulations are performed at the National Center
for Atmospheric Research twice per day (00Z and 12Z initializations),
and cover progressively finer domains ranging from 90-km (covering most
of the Southern Hemisphere) to 3-km (covering the region immediately
surrounding McMurdo Station, the base of USAP operations) resolution.
Polar MM5 is also being used to model the atmospheric behavior over the
Arctic river basins (Mackenzie, Ob, Yenisey, and Lena) as part of the
Arctic RIMS project.
See: http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/ARCTIC
Polar MM5 has been coupled to the NCAR Land Surface Model for this
application. It is anticipated this coupled model will also be made
available to the scientific community.
Your use and contributions to the development of this publicly available
mesoscale model are invited. Several Polar MM5 enhancements (such as an
improved upper boundary condition treatment) are presently being
formulated by the Polar Meteorology Group.