ISSN 00014338, Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 2015, Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 546–556. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2015. Original Russian Text © A.V. Gavrikov, A.Yu. Ivanov, 2015, published in Izvestiya AN. Fizika Atmosfery i Okeana, 2015, Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 615–626. Anomalously Strong Bora over the Black Sea: Observations from Space and Numerical Modeling A. V. Gavrikov and A. Yu. Ivanov a Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskii pr. 36, Moscow, 117997 Russia email:
[email protected] Received February 20, 2014; in final form, February 10, 2015 Abstract—An anomalously strong Novorossiysk bora (strong coastal wind) observed in January–February 2012 with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the Radarsat1 and Radarsat2 satellites is studied using the high resolution Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). The bora was reliably reproduced not only in the narrow coastal zone, but also far in the open part of the Black Sea. As a result of modeling we demonstrated that an optimally configured WRF–ARW model with nested grids and horizontal resolution equal to 9/3/1 km quite well qualitatively and quantitatively reproduces the bora events. The details and struc ture of the bora (for example, wind strips and other peculiarities) seen on the SAR images were clearly repro duced by numerical modeling. Coupled analysis allowed us to conclude that these two alternative methods of investigating this dangerous meteorological phenomenon are highly effective. Keywords: Black Sea, Novorossiysk bora, WRFARW model, numerical modeling, SAR images, coupled analysis DOI: 10.1134/S0001433815050059 1. INTRODUCTION occurence in November.