A regional atmospheric model using the spectral-element method
Kim, J., Cho, H., Noh, I., Jang, J., Choi, S., et al. (2026). A regional atmospheric model using the spectral-element method. Monthly Weather Review, doi:https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-25-0158.1
| Title | A regional atmospheric model using the spectral-element method |
|---|---|
| Genre | Article |
| Author(s) | J. Kim, H. Cho, I. Noh, J. Jang, S. Choi, Song-You Hong |
| Abstract | This paper introduces a limited-area version of the Korean Integrated Model (KIM), whose global counterpart has been used operationally by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) for weather forecasting since 2020. A central component of the development is the formulation of a lateral boundary condition suitable for KIM’s spectral-element dynamical core. In this implementation, the physical variables are specified only along a single line of elements at the model domain boundary, with no additional buffer zones for horizontal differential calculations (such as the advection term). In a perfect-model experimental setup of a short-range forecasting testbed, the regional KIM exhibits the typical benefits of high resolution, aligning with recent advancements in regional-scale modeling. In a climate-modeling testbed, the regional solution reproduces observed atmospheric variables without discernible synoptic-scale drift even in the absence of global solution nudging. The results also indicate that relaxation toward a background field is likely nonessential in this implementation, suggesting better stability and predictive skill of a regional model with the spectral-element-based lateral boundary treatment. |
| Publication Title | Monthly Weather Review |
| Publication Date | Apr 1, 2026 |
| Publisher's Version of Record | https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-25-0158.1 |
| OpenSky Citable URL | https://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7v129cn |
| OpenSky Listing | View on OpenSky |
| MMM Affiliations | WMR |