Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Regional climate simulations over Vietnam using the WRF model

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present an analysis of the present-day (1961–1990) regional climate simulations over Vietnam. The regional climate model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) was driven by the global reanalysis ERA40. The performance of the regional climate model in simulating the observed climate is evaluated with a main focus on precipitation and temperature. The regional climate model was able to reproduce the observed spatial patterns of the climate, although with some biases. The model also performed better in reproducing the extreme precipitation and the interannual variability. Overall, the WRF model was able to simulate the main regional signatures of climate variables, seasonal cycles, and frequency distributions. This study is an evaluation of the present-day climate simulations of a regional climate model at a resolution of 25 km. Given that dynamical downscaling has become common for studying climate change and its impacts, the study highlights that much more improvements in modeling might be necessary to yield realistic simulations of climate at high resolutions before they can be used for impact studies at a local scale. The need for a dense network of observations is also realized as observations at high resolutions are needed when it comes to evaluations and validations of models at sub-regional and local scales.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chen F, Dudhia J (2001) Coupling an advanced land surface–hydrology model with the Penn State–NCAR MM5 modeling system. Part I: model implementation and sensitivity. Mon Weather Rev 129:569–585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chotamonsak C, JP Salathe, J Kreasuwan, S Chantara and K Siriwitayakorn 2011. Projected climate change over Southeast Asia simulated using a WRF regional climate

  • Fowler HJ, Ekstrom M, Kilsby CG, Jones PD (2005a) New estimates of future changes in extreme rainfall across the UK using regional climate model integrations—assessment of control climate. J Hydrol 300(1–4):212–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frei A, Miller JA, Robinson DA (2003) Improved simulations of snow extent in the second phase of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-2). J Geophys Res 108(D12):4369. doi:10.1029/2002JD003030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frei C, Scholl R, Fukutome S, Schmidli J, Vidale PL (2006) Future change of precipitation extremes in Europe: intercomparison of scenarios from regional climate models. J Geophys Res 111:D06105. doi:10.1029/2005JD005965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giorgi F (1990) Simulations of regional climate using a limited area model nested in a general circulation model. J Clim 3(9):941–963

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grell GA (1993) Prognostic evaluation of assumptions used by cumulus parameterizations. Mon Weather Rev 121(3):764–787

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitson BC, Crane RG (2006) Consensus between GCM climate change projections with empirical downscaling: precipitation downscaling over South Africa. Int J Climatol 26(10):1315–1337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong SY, Pan HL (1996) Nonlocal boundary layer vertical diffusion in a medium-range forecast model. Mon Weather Rev 124(10):2322–2339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC, 2007: Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. S Solomon, D Qin, M Manning, Z Chen, M Marquis, KB Averyt, M Tignor and HL Miller, (Eds.) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 996 pp

  • Leung LR, Qian Y, Bian X, Washington WM, Han J, Roads JO (2004) Mid-century ensemble regional climate change scenarios for the western United States. Clim Chang 62(1–3):75–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell TD, Jones PD (2005) An improved method of constructing a database of monthly climate observations and associated high-resolution grids. Int J Climatol 25:693–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • New M, Hulme M, Jones PD (1999) Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part 1: development of a 1961-90 mean monthly terrestrial climatology. J Clim 12:829–856

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • New M, Hulme M, Jones PD (2000) Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part 2: development of 1901-96 monthly grids of terrestrial surface climate. J Clim 13:2217–2238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phan VT, Thanh ND, Ho TMH (2009) Seasonal and interannual variations of surface climate elements over Vietnam. Clim Res 40:49–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidli J, Frei C, Vidale PL (2006) Downscaling from GCM precipitation: a benchmark for dynamical and statistical downscaling methods. Int J Climatol 26(5):679–689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan P, Smith S, Brown A, Vosper S (2010) A simple height-based correction for temperature downscaling in complex terrain. Meteorol Appl 17:329–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Skamarock WC, Klemp JB, Dudhia J, Gill DO, Baker DM, Duda MG, Hwang XY, Wang W, Powers JG (2008) A description of the advanced research WRF version 3. Technical Note 475+STR. National Centre for Atmospheric Research, Boulder

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi HG, Yoshikane T, Hara M, Yasunari T (2009) High resolution regional climate simulations of the long term decrease in September rainfall over Indochina. Atmos Sci Lett 10:4–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi HG, Yoshikane T, Hara M, Yasunari T (2010) High resolution modelling of the impact of land surface conditions on regional climate over Indochina associated with the diurnal precipitation cycle. Int J Climatol 30(13):2004–2020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson G, Rasmussen RM, Manning K (2004) Explicit forecasts of winter precipitation using an improve bulk microphysics scheme. Part-I: description and sensitivity analysis. Mon Weather Rev 132(2):519–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uppala SM et al (2005) The ERA40 reanalysis. Q J R Meteorol Soc 131(612):2961–3012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y et al. (2004) Regional climate modeling: progress, challenges and prospects. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 82:1599–1628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yatagai A, Kamiguchi K, Arakawa O, Hamada A, Yasutomi N, Kitoh A (2012) APHRODITE: constructing a long-term daily gridded precipitation dataset for Asia based on a dense network of rain gauges. Bull Am Meteorol Soc. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00122.1

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors profusely thank the anonymous reviewers who have helped us to refine the contents of the manuscript that has improved the quality of the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    S. V. Raghavan, M. T. Vu & S. Y. Liong

  2. Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling, SMART, Singapore, Singapore

    S. V. Raghavan, M. T. Vu & S. Y. Liong

  3. Center for Hazards Research, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    S. V. Raghavan, M. T. Vu & S. Y. Liong

Authors
  1. S. V. Raghavan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. T. Vu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Y. Liong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. V. Raghavan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Raghavan, S.V., Vu, M.T. & Liong, S.Y. Regional climate simulations over Vietnam using the WRF model. Theor Appl Climatol 126, 161–182 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-015-1557-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-015-1557-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation