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    Is model resolution important?

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    • TZT
      TZ Administrator
      last edited by TomSlavkovsky

      Yes, it is very important. Some local phenomena cannot be forecasted by the coarse model.

      Following pictures show differences between ECMWF and GFS forecasts for Canarian islands.

      Wind pattern is affected by the shape of the mountains. This effect is not caught by the coarse model.

      Similar problems occur in forecasts of convective storms or disputed maximum wind velocity in hurricanes.

      ECMWF model (approx 9km resolution)

      _center

      GFS model (approx 22km resolution)

      _center

      capt.AmoryC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
      • ivoI
        ivo Administrator
        last edited by

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        • TZT
          TZ Administrator @ivo
          last edited by

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          • capt.AmoryC
            capt.Amory @TZ | Premium
            last edited by

            @TZ that Makes sense. But is the GFS model 22km higher resolution is better/more occurate than lower European ECMWF 9km resolution model?

            idefix37I 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • idefix37I
              idefix37 Sailor Moderator @capt.Amory
              last edited by idefix37

              @capt-Amory
              No, GFS 22km has a lower resolution than ECMWF 9km which has a higher resolution.
              https://help.weatherflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/207913278-Weather-model-resolution
              The resolution is the number of grid points on a given surface (or pixels on a digital photo). If you decrease the distance between the points, you increase their number and so the resolution.

              Strosin CatherineS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 7
              • Strosin CatherineS
                Strosin Catherine @idefix37
                last edited by

                Is the European ECMWF model, with its lower 9-km resolution, more reliable than the American GFS model, which has a resolution of 22 km?

                geometry dash

                SutyS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • SutyS
                  Suty Administrator @Strosin Catherine
                  last edited by

                  @Strosin-Catherine we cannot say that it is more reliable since we still talk about the forecast, but it should be more accurate about local conditions.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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