The atmospheric processes involved in a tropical cyclone are affected by topographical factors during and after landfall. Interactions with land are capable of changing the tropical cyclone’s structure, behavior, and impact on the landmass. However, one of today’s forecasting problems is that com... Show moreThe atmospheric processes involved in a tropical cyclone are affected by topographical factors during and after landfall. Interactions with land are capable of changing the tropical cyclone’s structure, behavior, and impact on the landmass. However, one of today’s forecasting problems is that computer models cannot interpret many of the factors that influence surface weather over complex terrain, and they forecast the tropical cyclone’s behavior that would be expected if it was moving over a smooth landmass. This research project investigated the impact of high-resolution terrain data in Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations of Hurricane María, focusing on its path over Puerto Rico. Two WRF simulations were compared to see the impact of the model’s terrain resolution. One of the simulations used a default terrain data set that considers Puerto Rico as a smooth surface, and the other used a high-resolution terrain data set that accurately represents the island’s mountainous topography. Time-series plots, horizontal maps, and swaths of atmospheric variables such as wind and rain at specific locations were used to show differences between the two simulations and demonstrate the impact of high-resolution terrain data on WRF tropical cyclone simulations. First, the high-resolution simulation showed higher rainfall. Second, the simulated wind speed was higher before the hurricane crossed the island, but it decayed after interacting with the landmass. It is concluded that high-resolution land data has the potential to lead to more accurate forecasts of wind and rain in cases when tropical cyclones interact with a landmass. Show less