Enhancing coastal wind simulation in the WRF model: Updates in sea surface temperature and roughness length through dynamic boundary conditions

Abstract

This study develops a dynamic lateral boundary condition for the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model by integrating updates to sea surface temperature (SST) and roughness length (Z₀). By incorporating an ocean model and roughness schemes, time-varying SST and Z₀ were employed to enhance wind simulations over coastal areas. The results demonstrate significant improvements in the accuracy of wind speed and direction simulations, with consistent error reduction across observations. Statistical metrics, including correlation coefficients, mean bias, and root mean square error, highlight these improvements and underscore the need for continuous refinement of boundary conditions to ensure reliable meteorological forecasts. The impact of SST and Z₀ updates is particularly notable under stable atmospheric stratification, where they reduce wind speeds near the sea surface and exhibit spatial and temporal variability, with coastal regions responding more strongly than offshore areas. Additionally, the concurrent application of Z₀ updates mitigates anomalies that might arise from SST updates alone, emphasizing the importance of integrating both parameters for balanced and robust simulations. Overall, this work provides critical insights into the role of boundary condition updates in advancing offshore wind simulations, contributing to more informed decision-making and improved efficiency in wind energy generation.