Response of the GLA fourth order model to changes in horizontal resolution and terrain heights

The effects the selection of the orographic data for the boundary conditions has on results of simulations with the NASA-Goddard Laboratory for Atmospherics fourth order GCM were examined. Two different lower boundary conditions were compared in generating preliminary weather forecasts: mean areally averaged heights, and an enhanced significant height orography for rugged terrain. The latter condition was developed to emphasize the effects the tallest peaks in a given region have on the atmospheric flow by considering only the highest 1/3 of the 1 deg x 1 deg values in the averaging process. Simulations were carried out for five 10 day forecasts with a 4 deg lat x 5 deg long resolution and six with a horizontal grid resolution of 2 deg lat by 2.5 deg long, three with each boundary condition. The rms errors of the sea level pressure and the 500 mb geopotential heights were calculated. The mean errors decreased after the second or third day with the enhanced significant height orography.