The RAMS simulation follows the actual trajectory quite well, with a slower than observed movement across land near Wilmington, North Carolina. The simulated times nearest the triangular marker are to the left of the dotted line, while the observed times are shown to the right of the square markers on the dashed line. Conclusions Operations at the SRS benefit from use of regional data fields created with the prognostic mesoscale RAMS model in a number of ways. Applications of the model include emergency response for hazardous releases on a local or regional scale, or wide-spread response to disasters such as hurricane landfall. Of course, improvements in predicted plume location relative to calculations using persistence depend upon the accuracy of the input wind fields.
More detailed comparisons indicate larger temperature biases during the cooler months.
Such biases are dependent on many factors, including the surface parameterizations used in the model, the accuracy of large-scale conditions used for boundary conditions, and grid spacing.