Super Typhoons Simulation: A Comparison of WRF and Empirical Parameterized Models for High Wind Speeds

As extreme forms of tropical cyclones (TCs), typhoons pose significant threats to both human society and the natural environment. To better understand and predict their behavior, scientists have relied on numerical simulations. Current typhoon modeling primarily falls into two categories: (1) complex simulations based on fluid dynamics and thermodynamics, and (2) empirical parameterized models. Most comparative studies on these models have focused on wind speed below 50 m/s, with fewer studies addressing high wind speed (above 50 m/s). In this study, we design and compare four different simulation approaches to model two super typhoons: Typhoon Surigae (2102) and Typhoon Nepartak (1601). These approaches include: (1) The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulation driven by NCEP Final Operational Global Analysis data (FNL), (2) WRF simulation driven by the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data (ERA5), (3) the empirical parameterized Holland model, and (4) the empirical parameterized Jelesnianski model. The simulated wind fields were compared with the measured wind data from The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) platform, and the resulting wind fields were then used as inputs for the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model to simulate typhoon-induced waves. Our findings are as follows: (1) for high wind speeds, the performance of the empirical models surpasses that of the WRF simulations; (2) using more accurate driving wind data improves the WRF model’s performance in simulating typhoon wind speeds, and WRF simulations excel in representing wind fields in the outer regions of the typhoon; (3) careful adjustment of the maximum wind speed radius parameter is essential for improving the accuracy of the empirical models.