Impact of SST Resolution on WRF Model Performance for Wind Field Simulation in the Southwestern Atlantic

This study investigates the impact of high-resolution Sea Surface Temperature (SST) boundary conditions on atmospheric simulations over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean (12–27°S, 32–48°W). Numerical experiments were conducted using the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model with two distinct SST configurations: standard resolution GFS SST data ( 0.5°) and high-resolution RTG-SST-HR satellite-derived data ( 0.083°). Simulations covered contrasting seasonal periods (January and July 2016) to capture varying upwelling intensities and atmospheric circulation patterns. Model performance was evaluated against observational data from the Brazilian National Buoy Program (PNBOIA) using statistical metrics including Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Pearson correlation coefficients for wind components, air temperature, and sea-level pressure. The high-resolution SST experiment demonstrated significant improvements in wind field representation, with RMSE reductions of up to 0.5 m/s for zonal wind components and correlation improvements of approximately 0.1 across multiple validation sites. Most notably, the enhanced SST resolution enabled better representation of mesoscale atmospheric systems, including improved organization and intensification of cyclonic systems in the region’s primary cyclogenesis corridor. The RTG-SST data captured sharp thermal gradients and coastal upwelling signatures that were spatially smoothed in the GFS fields, leading to more realistic surface heat flux patterns and atmospheric boundary layer dynamics. These improvements were particularly pronounced during summer months when thermal gradients were strongest, highlighting the critical importance of accurate SST representation for capturing high-intensity atmospheric phenomena in regions of strong air-sea interaction.