Validation of WRF model on simulating forcing data for Heihe River Basin

The research of coupling WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting Model) with a land surface model is enhanced to explore the interaction of the atmosphere and land surface; however, regional applicability of WRF model is questioned. In order to do the validation of WRF model on simulating forcing data for the Heihe River Basin, daily meteorological observation data from 15 stations of CMA (China Meteorological Administration) and hourly meteorological observation data from seven sites of WATER (Watershed Airborne Telemetry Experimental Research) are used to compare with WRF simulations, with a time range of a whole year for 2008. Results show that the average MBE (Mean Bias Error) of daily 2-m surface temperature, surface pressure, 2-m relative humidity and 10-m wind speed were -0.19 degrees C, -4.49 hPa, 4.08% and 0.92 m/s, the average RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) of them were 2.11 degrees C, 5.37 hPa, 9.55% and 1.73 m/s, and the average R (correlation coefficient) of them were 0.99, 0.98, 0.80 and 0.55, respectively. The average MBE of hourly 2-m surface temperature, surface pressure, 2-m relative humidity, 10-m wind speed, downward shortwave radiation and downward longwave were -0.16 degrees C, -6.62 hPa, -5.14%, 0.26 m/s, 33.0 W/m(2) and -6.44 W/m(2), the average RMSE of them were 2.62 degrees C, 17.10 hPa, 20.71%, 2.46 m/s, 152.9 W/m2 and 53.5 W/m(2), and the average R of them were 0.96, 0.97, 0.70, 0.26, 0.91 and 0.60, respectively. Thus, the following conclusions were obtained: (1) regardless of daily or hourly validation, WRF model simulations of 2-m surface temperature, surface pressure and relative humidity are more reliable, especially for 2-m surface air temperature and surface pressure, the values of MBE were small and R were more than 0.96; (2) the WRF simulating downward shortwave radiation was relatively good, the average R between WRF simulation and hourly observation data was above 0.9, and the average R of downward longwave radiation was 0.6; (3) both wind speed and rainfall simulated from WRF model did not agree well with observation data.