Evaluation of the WRF model to simulate atmospheric boundary layer over Nagqu area in the Tibetan Plateau

The WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) Model was employed to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer characteristics over Nagqu area in the Tibetan Plateau. By comparing simulations with results from the comprehensive campaign "The Third Tibetan Plateau Scientific Experiment", four boundary layer schemes were evaluated for their applicability over complicated underlying surface in Nagqu area.The results indicate that the YSU, MYJ, ACM2 and BouLac boundary layer parameterization schemes have cold biases in the simulation of 2 m air temperature and ground surface temperature. The BouLac scheme yields the minimum cold bias of surface temperature. By analyzing components of the energy balance, it was found that the cold bias of temperature mainly came from lower downward long wave radiation and unrealistically strong exchange of the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux. For the simulation of vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer, local schemes show better results of wind and relative humidity than that of nonlocal schemes. In Nagqu area, the BouLac scheme has a good effect on simulating surface temperature and vertical distribution of potential temperature and relative humidity in the boundary layer.