CMG: Adaptive Mesh Refinement for Vortices in Climate and Weather-Forecasting: Comparing and Blending Finite Volume Methods with Vortex/Radial Basis Function Algorithms

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

A collaborating team of mathematicians, computational algorithm experts and atmospheric dynamacists have prioritized a series of challenging and largely unresolved questions in the topic area of adaptive mesh refinement of vortex dominated flows encountered in numerical weather prediction and climate modeling. A common underlying theme being adopted seeks the improvement of adaptive, multi-scale methods to better resolve the finer features of intense vortices which dominate these kinds of geophysical flows. This semi-structured feature-based goal is different from simple nesting of higher resolution gridding of vortex cores. Suggested approaches which will be explored to answer these questions include comparing and blending well-established numerical algorithms, such as finite volume and vortex blob methods, along with radial basis function schemes, tree codes and less well explored hybridizations of these. Resolving fine structure in the representation of vortices is needed to strengthen predictive skill and long-time behavior in fields such as climate modeling and weather forecasting. Development of adaptive, multi-scale-resolving numerical schemes to treat vortex dominated flows are also expected to have wider application to areas outside of geophysics.