Weather Research and Forecasting Model: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:28, 7 August 2013

Revision as of 06:46, 7 September 2013

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[[File:Typhoon Mawar 2005 computer simulation thumbnail.gif|right|frame|Example of output from a WRF model run, showing simulated radar reflectivity (dBZ, scale to right) for [[Typhoon Mawar]] (active in the western Pacific). Loop period is 0000 UTC 22 August 2005 to 0000 UTC 24 August 2005. This simulation reflects a 3.3-km (2.1-mi) grid spacing, and utilizes vortex following (allowing the typhoon center to remain centered in the plots).]]

The '''Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)''' Model<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wrf-model.org | title=WRF Model site}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɔr|f}} is a [[numerical weather prediction]] (NWP) system designed to serve both atmospheric research and operational forecasting needs. NWP refers to the simulation and prediction of the atmosphere with a computer model, and WRF is a set of software for this. WRF features two dynamical (computational) cores (or ''solvers''), a [[data assimilation]] system, and a software architecture allowing for parallel computation and system extensibility. The model serves a wide range of meteorological applications across scales ranging from meters to thousands of kilometers.

The effort to develop WRF began in the latter part of the 1990's1990s and was a collaborative partnership principally among the [[National Center for Atmospheric Research]] (NCAR), the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (represented by the [[National Centers for Environmental Prediction]] (NCEP) and the (then) Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL)), the [[Air Force Weather Agency]] (AFWA), the [[Naval Research Laboratory]], the [[University of Oklahoma]], and the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA).<ref name="NCAR news release">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ucar.edu/news/releases/2006/wrf.shtml |publisher=NCAR |title=Weather Forecast Accuracy Gets Boost with New Computer Model |date=25 August 2006 |accessdate=27 June 2010 }}</ref> The bulk of the work on the model has been performed or supported by NCAR, NOAA, and AFWA.

WRF allows researchers the ability to produce simulations reflecting either real data (observations, analyses) or idealized atmospheric conditions. WRF provides operational forecasting a flexible and robust platform, while offering advances in physics, numerics, and data assimilation contributed by the many research community developers. WRF is currently in operational use at NCEP and other forecasting centers internationally. WRF has grown to have a large worldwide community of users (over 23,000 registered users in over 150 countries), and workshops and tutorials are held each year at NCAR. WRF is used extensively for research and real-time forecasting throughout the world.