Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction Studies of the West African Monsoon

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project is a continuation of work supported by NSF (0354589) on climate modeling studies over West Africa. The previous work focused on development of the regional climate model (RM3) and analysis and model validation with satellite-based precipitation measurements. This project has three components: 1) Participation in the West African Monsoon Modeling and Evaluation (WAMME) project modeling and inter-comparison studies; 2) diagnostics of RM3 output to study African Easterly Waves from recent decades to current; and 3) climate change simulations using RM3 to dynamically downscale IPCC future projections from the MRI (Japan) simulation (deemed to have the most favorable simulation of the current West African climate). The common thread through all components is the PIs' regional model and region of interest. The PIs will maintain a long-running collaboration with the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) in Niamey, Niger, developed under other NSF grants, where some simulation and analysis work will also be performed.