Validation of the surface parametrization of HIRLAM using surface-based measurements and remote sensing data

A case study has been done in which ground-based and remote sensing data have been used to validate the surface parametrization of a limited area model. The case study focuses on the semi-arid region of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, where the EFEDA field campaign took place in June 1991.
HIRLAM-2 has a very simple surface parametrization. The surface parametrization needs some prescribed fields (climate fields) such as albedo, roughness and the water content and temperature in the deepest soil layer. Most climate fields are derived from datasets with a resolution that is much lower than the resolution of the model.