In this thesis we examine the possible causes of the model-to-model variability observed in the Comparison of Mesoscale Prediction and Research Experiments (COMPARE). A series of sensitivity experiments is performed involving changes to model initial conditions, physical parameterizations, and numerics. / Secondary cyclogenesis is most sensitive to latent heat release and moisture fluxes from the ocean surface. Initial differences are found to decay with time, and more rapidly so, in a 'dry' simulation. Sea-level pressures for the low center are lower in integrations with a longer time step, owing to greater rainrates and low-level diabatic heating at the storm center from 12 to 18 h. / Moisture fluxes in the first 12 h are crucial in creating grid-box saturation for initiation of precipitation, and the generation of a low-level potential vorticity maximum, with fluxes during the subsequent 24-h period of rapid deepening not as crucial. A westward storm track bias in COMPARE is related to a more robust low-level potential vorticity maximum along the coast, as compared to the maximum offshore.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.26664 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Carrera, Marco. |
| Contributors | Gyakum, John R. (advisor), Zhang, Da-Lin (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001642599, proquestno: MQ37308, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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