The identification of preferred physics parameterizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for use in the polar regions

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is gaining increasing use for applications in the polar regions. A key to the performance of WRF in the polar regions is the evaluation and identification of an ideal suite of WRF physics parameterizations to best represent the polar atmosphere. A study has been conducted which has evaluated the results of numerous WRF simulations with different physics parameterizations combinations. The results of the simulations are compared against observations from the SHEBA ice camp, Barrow ARM site, and additional observations from International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere (IASOA) locations. The comparisons are done through the use of the Model Evaluation Tools (MET) software package associated with WRF. The conclusions from the study indicate a preferred suite of longwave radiation, shortwave radiation, microphysics, and boundary layer schemes which provide the best results for polar applications of WRF.