Conservation Remeshing for Adaptive Mesh Modelling of the Atmosphere

Lead Research Organisation: University of Exeter
Department Name: Engineering Computer Science and Maths

Abstract

This project will provide a vital step in creating next generation models of the atmosphere for weather and climate forecasting with adaptive meshes. Adaptive meshes mean that higher resolution can be used only where it is really needed, such as for tropical cyclones, extratropical weather fronts and mixing of chemical species, but without huge increases in computer resources. This will lead to improved regional climate predictions and extended weather forecasts. A vital link in creating accurate adaptive mesh models is transferring the solution from a previous mesh to a newly adapted mesh without losing or gaining mass - conservative mapping. During this project we will implement a number of different methods for conservative mapping and test them on simplified adaptive mesh models of the global atmosphere. One of the tests will be tracking chemical species around the atmosphere and providing higher resolution where the species change most rapidly.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description We have examined some technical but fundamental issues related to using quasi-uniform meshes on the sphere for atmospheric modelling. Issues of uniformity, orthogonality, and numbers of degrees of freedom interact to determine which meshes work best.
Exploitation Route The findings are influencing efforts to develop weather and climate models suitable for massively parallel computers.
Sectors Environment

 
Description The findings are informing the development of a new atmospheric dynamical core by the Met Office and collaborators, funded under grants NE/I021136/1 and NE/K006762/1
First Year Of Impact 2011
Sector Environment
Impact Types Economic