A study on the systematic errors of the tropical forecasts: Influence of physical processes

Abstract

In this paper, an attempt is made to examine the influence of the physical forcings of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) in the reduction of the systematic errors of the tropical forecasts. A number of major modifications in the parameterization of physical processes were carried out in the operational forecasting system of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) during the period 1984-88 largely in an attempt to reduce the conceptual weaknesses in their formulation. A large number of studies (Slingo et al., 1988; Tiedtke et al., 1988; etc) have demonstrated the positive impact on the reduction of tropical forecast errors to various changes in the treatment of physical processes in the ECMWF model. Keeping in view of these facts, the evaluation of the systematic errors of the ECMWF tropical forecasts is carried out for a period prior to the incorporation of major modifications in the parameterization of physical processes (1984) and corresponding period after such major changes are implemented in the operational AGCM of ECMWF (1988). The paper describes a detailed comparison of the tropical forecast errors for summer monsoon seasons (June-August [JJA]) of 1984 and 1988 in order to bring out the impact on tropical simulation of various improvements in the treatment of physical processes. The results demonstrate a dramatic reduction in the systematic errors of the tropical circulation together with an enhancement of the hydrological cycle to a realistic climatological level with the incorporation of major changes in the treatment of physical processes. Similar improvements are also observed in the winter simulation. In spite of major improvements in the simulation of tropical circulation, the nature of the tropical systematic errors of the ECMWF AGCM, however, remains unchanged. Thus, the inference of the study indicates the requirement of a new approach to the problem of parameterization of physical processes particularly, convection, radiation, boundary layer and their interactions for further reduction of the tropical forecast errors.