Comparisons of in situ observations of bulk near-surface meteorological variables, turbulent and radiative fluxes, and cloud properties with operational NWP models in the VOCALS region

The SURFA (Surface Flux Analysis) project is a WCRP initiative promoted by the WCRP Working Groups on Surface Fluxes, Numerical Experimentation, Observation & Assimilation Panel, and the Ocean Observations Panel for Climate. The SURFA objective is to institutionalize a facility for the evaluation of surface fluxes and related parameters from NWP and climate models, and evaluation of satellite-based fluxes and related parameters. SURFA datasets fall into two categories: 1) NWP/Climate Model Output; and 2) In-situ observations for model/satellite data validations/evaluations. The NWP model output from ECMWF and German DWD are archived at the National Climatic Data Center. The in-situ data are from the OceanSITES reference stations. In this paper we use SURFA data from 2008 and 2009 at grid points coincident with WHOI flux reference buoys in the stratocumulus region off the coast of Chile (20S 85W and 20S 75W). In-situ time series data from both buoys in 2008 are compared explicitly to both models; observations from the research vessel that serviced the buoys in the fall (2001-2008) are compared statistically. Bulk near-surface meteorological variables, turbulent and radiative fluxes, and cloud properties are examined.