Bayesian Inference of Drag Parameters Using AXBT Data from Typhoon Fanapi

The authors introduce a three-parameter characterization of the wind speed dependence of the drag coefficient and apply a Bayesian formalism to infer values for these parameters from airborne expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) temperature data obtained during Typhoon Fanapi. One parameter is a multi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Monthly weather review 2013-07, Vol.141 (7), p.2347-2367
Main Authors: SRAJ, Ihab, ISKANDARANI, Mohamed, SRINIVASAN, Ashwanth, CARLISLE THACKER, W, WINOKUR, Justin, ALEXANDERIAN, Alen, LEE, Chia-Ying, CHEN, Shuyi S, KNIO, Omar M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bayesian analysis
Computer simulation
Cyclones
Drag
Drag coefficients
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Inference
Markov chains
Mathematical models
Meteorology
Ocean temperature
Probability distribution
Saturation
Studies
Typhoons
Wind speed
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Summary:The authors introduce a three-parameter characterization of the wind speed dependence of the drag coefficient and apply a Bayesian formalism to infer values for these parameters from airborne expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) temperature data obtained during Typhoon Fanapi. One parameter is a multiplicative factor that amplifies or attenuates the drag coefficient for all wind speeds, the second is the maximum wind speed at which drag coefficient saturation occurs, and the third is the drag coefficient's rate of change with increasing wind speed after saturation. Bayesian inference provides optimal estimates of the parameters as well as a non-Gaussian probability distribution characterizing the uncertainty of these estimates. The efficiency of this approach stems from the use of adaptive polynomial expansions to build an inexpensive surrogate for the high-resolution numerical model that couples simulated winds to the oceanic temperature data, dramatically reducing the computational burden of the Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. These results indicate that the most likely values for the drag coefficient saturation and the corresponding wind speed are about 2.3 10 super(-3) and 34 m s super(-1), respectively; the data were not informative regarding the drag coefficient behavior at higher wind speeds.
ISSN:0027-0644
1520-0493
DOI:10.1175/MWR-D-12-00228.1