Simulating Weather Events with a Linked Atmosphere-Hydrology Model

Abstract This study aims at assess the importance of a conceptual representation of hydrological processes when modelling atmospheric circulation. It compares results from a regional atmospheric model that interprets land surface hydrological processes based on parameterizations with results from a two-way coupled atmosphere-hydrological model that has a process-based approach to the land surface hydrological cycle. These numerical models were applied to a region covering the Rio Grande basin, Brazil. The same input data, initial and boundary conditions were used on a 31-day simulation period. Results obtained from these simulations were compared to visible satellite images and gauging rainfall stations for three case studies that included a cold front, deep convective clouds and stable atmospheric conditions. Both models could reproduce regional patterns of air circulation and rainfall influenced by the orography of the basin. However, atmospheric processes driven by spatial gradients of land surface temperature or local surface heating were spatially better represented by the atmospheric-hydrological modelling system rather than the regional atmospheric model. Since areas characterized by spatial gradients of land surface temperature and local surface heating were closely associated with convergent air flows near land surface and strong vertical motion in the mid troposphere, this finding enhanced the role of a good representation of land surface hydrological processes for a better modelling the atmospheric dynamics.