Vertical Wind Profile Modeling at Low Levels Using a Regional Climate Model in a Case Study at the Alcântara Launch Center

Abstract

This case study, using a regional climate model (RegCM-4.7) in high horizontal resolution, allowed to obtain information on the intensity of the average vertical wind profile over the Alcântara Launch Center (ALC), Brazil. In the literature, on the wind intensity, the lack of continuous monitoring of the existence of flows in the vertical profile of the wind at heights of 400 to 600 m and the measurement of its magnitude make it possible to have an estimate lower than what can occur in reality at a low level in the region for operational purposes for the rocket launch. Therefore, this works results points to an intraseasonal variability of the wind intensity with maximum winds of the order of 14 to 20 m·s-1 in the core wind intensity at heights of 600 m, corresponding to pressure levels of the order of 930 hPa, in August, September and October 2020. These intensity values should be further studied with the use of observation equipment such as sound detection and ranging (SODAR) in the continuation of this research, in moment future, as well; the global models of reanalysis have low resolution and are not suitable for comparisons.

Keywords

• Regional climate model
• Sea-breeze circulations
• Vertical wind profile