Chukchi-Beaufort Seas High-Resolution Atmospheric Reanalysis (CBHAR): Data Verification and Climate Analysis

Abstract

Global models are the most widely used tools to generate various reanalysis data. However, coarse resolution limits their capability to capture detailed synoptic and mesoscale weather systems and the associated heterogeneous distribution of weather elements. Regional models are commonly utilized to better represent local weather systems, benefiting from higher- resolution grids and regionally-optimized model configurations. In this study, the state-of-the-art regional model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and its three dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system WRF-3DVAR was applied to the Arctic marginal ice zone along the northern Alaska Coast for producing high-resolution regional reanalysis. Potential oil development exists in the study area, thus the high-resolution reanalyzed surface winds will provide a better understanding of regional and local surface circulation patterns, which are the primary driver of oil spill movement should the spill disasters happen.