Model Team

In the Model Team, we develop meteorological numerical models such as the urban-canopy model and the City-LES, and improve codes of the WRF model. Kusaka Lab. is one of the few laboratories where students learn how to develop meteorological numerical models from the beginning. Developing models are made to understand meteorology better systematically, quantitatively, and deeply.

Developing Meteorological Numerical Models

The meteorological numerical models are programs that solve the equations numerically to describe interactions among the real meteorological elements. For example, we display the following equations for the planetary boundary layer:

 In these equations, Km , Kh , and Kq are turbulent diffusion coefficients, F, QAS , and QAL are the external forces, heating with radiation and phase change of water, and source/sink term of water vapor from phase change, respectively. To calculate these values accurately, we couple additional models (i.e., sub-models), such as radiation, cloud microphysics, urban canopy, and turbulent closure models. In Kusaka Lab., we develop urban-canopy models, one of these sub-models to consider the effect of urban area on the atmosphere.

Additionally, we develop City-LES, the meteorological large-eddy simulation model, to deeply understand the formation mechanism of urban heat island phenomena. 

Recommended for:

Who wants to understand deeply the meso- and micro-meteorology

Sometimes, we face the errors and bugs while developing models, and these errors make unrealistic results. To carefully check the results the models are compared with observation, and debugging also is a key procedure of the model development. We believe these procedures are very effective to understand the meteorological phenomena deeply.

Who likes mathematics or physics

Developing meteorological numerical models also highly utilizes the field of mathematics (linear algebra and calculus) or physics (dynamics and electromagnetics). The Model Team is recommended for students who study meteorology using mathematics and physics.

Activities of the team

The Model Team is the group who try to develop and improve the meteorological numerical models. Each person develops code one by one. For activities of the team, we read textbooks, check codes with difficult errors, and share the guidelines and rules to write codes.

(Written by: Hirokazu Komazaki and Ryo Takabatake; Edited by: Takuto Sato and Angela Magnaye)