Validation of a Surface-Layer Windflow Model Using Climatology and Meteorological Tower Data from Vandenberg AFB, California.

This report describes the 2nd phase of a study involving a surface-layer windflow model. The model produces a two-dimensional (x-y plane) variational analysis of windflow by employing Gauss' principle of least constraints to adjust an intial windfield to effects of topography, stability, momentum advection, and mass conservation. It used detailed terrain data (100 to 200 m horizontal resolution) to compensate for sparse meterological data availabl over the small areas for which the model is run (25 to 250 sq km). The first phase involved testing of the model to effects of stability and vegetation using terrain, vegetation, and climate for Ft. Polk, LA. The 2nd phase involves further model development, including changes in meteorological data input as well as changes in wind and stability initializations. Model experiments using artificially-produced terrain were conducted to test these changes. A two-part model validation was then performed using climate data and archived meteorological tower data from Vandenberg AFB, California. The area of interest is 11 x 12 km, and covers the South Vandenberg Launch Complex. Keywords: Complex terrain; Microclimate.