Comparison of ALADIN and IFS model wind speeds over the Adriatic

Abstract

      The wind output from atmospheric models is instrumental in forcing the oceanic models. Here we consider the wind output from the ALADIN and IFS models and compare it with the results of scatterometer and altimeter estimates of wind speed over the Adriatic Sea, as well as with the field data from 18 meteorological stations and a gas rig platform. A five-year period from 2008 to 2012 is considered in the comparison. Our principal conclusion is that, overall, both atmospheric models, when compared to the altimeter data, give very similar statistical results, with a scatter index of 0.33 and 0.35 for IFS and ALADIN respectively. More specifically, the ALADIN appears to be better in the Northern Adriatic whereas the IFS seems superior in the Southern Adriatic. A possible explanation of this difference could be that the higher spatial resolution of ALADIN is crucial in resolving the bora wind impact over the Northern Adriatic.