GSI/WRF Regional Data Assimilation System and Its Application in theWeather Forecasts over Southwest Asia - Data Assimilation for Atmospheric, Oceanic and Hydrologic Applications - page 603

Black Sea

Turkey

China

Tajikistan

A B C D E

Mediterranean Sea

Iran

Iraq Afghan

Egypt

F

Saudi Arabia

G H I

India

Arabian
Sea

Sudan

Fig. 25.1 Domain of model and subregion definition. Shaded indicates the elevation of terrain
(unit: m). The sub-regions are defined as north Iraq ( 34 ı - 36 ı N ;41 ı - 43 ı E); northwest Iran A ;

34 ı - 36 ı N ;46 ı - 48 ı E); north central Iran ( 34 ı - 36 ı N ;54 ı - 56 ı E); central Afghanistan ( B ; C ;

34 ı - 36 ı N ;66 ı - 68 ı E); west Himalaya Mountain ( 34 ı - 36 ı N ;74 ı - 76 ı E);westSaudi ( D ; E ;

22 ı - 24 ı N ;41 ı - 43 ı E); east Saudi Arabia ( 22 ı - 24 ı N ;51 ı - 53 ı E); Arabian Sea Arabia ( F ; G ;

22 ı - 24 ı N ;63 ı - 65 ı E) and Northwest India ( 22 ı - 24 ı N ;70 ı - 72 ı E) ( H ; I ;

Observed temperature. The maximum and minimum temperature at the 2-m level
with 0:5 ı 0:5 ı gridded datasets are created by the NOAA's CPC, which is taken

from observational stations of the WMO GTS datasets. The interpolation method is
based on the previous rainfall estimation algorithm ( Xie et al. 1996 ).
Analyzed temperature and wind field. The temperature and wind fields are taken
from the NCEP Global Forecasting System (GFS) analysis data (GFS ANL), which
is gridded to a horizontal resolution of 1 ı 1 ı .

25.4 Topography and Evaluation Method

To investigate the spatial heterogeneity of complex terrain in SWA region, nine
representative sub-regions are depicted in Fig. 25.1 . They are defined as north
Iraq (A;

34 ı - 36 ı N, 41 ı - 43 ı E); northwest Iran (B; 34 ı - 36 ı N, 46 ı - 48 ı E); north

34 ı - 36 ı N, 54 ı - 56 ı E); 34 ı - 36 ı N, central Iran (C; central Afghanistan (D;

66 ı - 68 ı E); west Himalaya mountains (E; 34 ı - 36 ı N, 74 ı - 76 ı E); west Saudi

22 ı - 24 ı N, 41 ı - 43 ı E); east Saudi Arabia (G; 22 ı - 24 ı N, 51 ı - 53 ı E);

Arabia (F;

22 ı - 24 ı N, 63 ı - 65 ı E); and west India (I; 22 ı - 24 ı N, 70 ı - 72 ı E).

Arabian Sea (H;