A Review of some Recent Radiation Fog Prediction Studies and the Results of Integrating a Simple Numerical Model to Predict Radiation Fog over Brunei

Several radiation fog studies with emphasis on numerical simulation and prediction are reviewed. One of the earliest attempts started with a given surface diurnal variation of temperature and water vapor, and concluded by forecasting the onset of saturation at various levels; thus fog, by examining the spread of temperature and moisture in the vertical. The one-dimensional (1-D) models are still popular. Some of the recent numerical simulations use more than 100 levels in the vertical and treat various kinds of vegetation, aerosols, and soils with moisture contents. Some also employ a mesoscale model in conjunction with a 1-D model to consider the advective effects. In the following a simple 1-D numerical model was used to predict the onset of fog at Brunei, based on a desktop computer and routine surface observations of dry bulb temperature (T), dewpoint temperature (Td), and wind speed at 1800 Local Time (LT). Optimism exists in improved predictions of fog and stratus as 1-D models incorporate many physical processes, and mesoscale models continue to improve in predicting advection and cloud cover.