Verification of a clear-sky mesoscale simulation using satellite-derived surface temperatures

Abstract

A mesoscale simulation for Majorca Island is made using the Méso-NH model for a spring night, under a slack synoptic pressure gradient with weak general winds and clear skies. The circulations over and around the island are driven mostly by the locally generated flows, due to the topography and the land–sea thermal contrast. The verification of mesoscale simulations in clear-sky conditions is difficult, especially if the network of stations is not very dense. The main objective of this work is to try to verify the mesoscale simulation using measurements from automatic weather stations and satellite measurements. The model outputs are compared with the available instrumental data and the representativeness of the stations is discussed. Furthermore, complete two-dimensional comparisons are made between the radiative surface temperatures produced by the model and those processed from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite sensors. The high temporal resolution of the MSG images also allows comparison of the temporal evolutions of the surface temperature between satellite pixels and model grid cells. The procedure permits assessment of the closeness of the simulation to in situ and remote sensing observations. The results of the comparison show that the model is able to reproduce most of the observed patterns, such as intense local cooling or persistent outflows at the largest basins.