Identification

Title

Regional Multi-Week Convection-Permitting Simulations using the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS-A) for use in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America Regions

Alternative title(s)

d010077

Abstract

<p>The dataset includes native-grid model outputs and post-processed outputs from the first-ever multi-week regional convection-permitting MPAS simulation during September 2017, a period when the devastating Hurricane Maria was active. This historic simulation provides a valuable dataset for studying weather and climate across Mesoamerica and the Caribbean using a realistic, storm-resolving model setup. The simulation is the first major outcome of the NSF NCAR Mesoamerica Affinity Group (MAAG) in collaboration with Dr. Kelly Nunez Ocasio at Texas A&amp;M.</p> <p>MPAS-A version 8.0.1 was used to produce this simulation. The Limited-Area domain extends from 20 degree South to 61 degree North and from 145 degree West to 15 degree West. A variable-resolution mesh with 15 km and 3 km grid spacing was used, where the 3 km refinement region is elliptically shaped and centered at 20 degree North and 80 degree West. The refined region covers Central America and the Caribbean, while the 15 km portion of the domain extends well into South and North America. The combination of a Limited-Area domain and variable-resolution mesh was chosen to be computationally efficient while maintaining sufficient resolution at the domain's boundaries to allow for proper dynamical downscaling of initial and lateral boundary conditions. The model was initialized using ERA5 data to simulate the period during which Hurricane Maria (2017) approached the Caribbean and the eastern U.S.</p> <p>This dataset can be used to study Hurricane Maria, other hurricanes that were active during this period, and various weather and climate features of the region, such as low-level jets, coastal diurnal cycles, the ITCZ, extreme rainfall, and mesoscale convective systems, among others. While the model produces outputs at 15 km and 3 km horizontal variable resolutions, the post-processed data have been interpolated to a 0.25 degree by 0.25 degree latitude-longitude grid and 27 isobaric levels in the vertical. The repository also includes namelist files for running the model, a README file, and a PDF describing the variables in each file type.</p>

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

https://gdex.ucar.edu/datasets/d010077/

protocol: https

name: Dataset Description

description: Related Link

function: information

https://gdex.ucar.edu/datasets/d010077/dataaccess/

protocol: https

name: Data Access

description: Related Link

function: download

Unique resource identifier

code

codeSpace

Dataset language

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

dataset

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2021-03-30

Keyword set

keyword value

MODELS > MODELS

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2025-10-03

Keyword set

keyword value

EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ALTITUDE > GEOPOTENTIAL HEIGHT

EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > UPPER AIR TEMPERATURE

EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR > WATER VAPOR INDICATORS > HUMIDITY > RELATIVE HUMIDITY

EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WINDS > UPPER LEVEL WINDS > U/V WIND COMPONENTS

EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WINDS > WIND DYNAMICS > VERTICAL WIND VELOCITY/SPEED

EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > PRECIPITATION > ACCUMULATIVE CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION

originating controlled vocabulary

title

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2025-10-03

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-180.0

East bounding longitude

180.0

North bounding latitude

90.0

South bounding latitude

-90.0

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2017-09-15T0000+00

End position

2017-09-30T0000+00

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2025-03-23

Frequency of update

notPlanned

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

organisation name

email address

datahelp@ucar.edu

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

organisation name

NSF NCAR Geoscience Data Exchange

email address

datahelp@ucar.edu

web address

https://gdex.ucar.edu

name: NSF NCAR Geoscience Data Exchange

description: The Geoscience Data Exchange (GDEX), managed by the Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) at NSF NCAR, contains a large collection of meteorological, atmospheric composition, and oceanographic observations, and operational and reanalysis model outputs, integrated with NSF NCAR High Performance Compute services to support atmospheric and geosciences research.

function: download

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2025-10-09T01:31:05Z

Metadata language