A method for simple and accurate estimation of fog deposition in a mountain forest using a meteorological model

To apply a meteorological model to investigate fog occurrence, acidification and deposition in mountain forests, the meteorological model WRF was modified to calculate fog deposition accurately by the simple linear function of fog deposition onto vegetation derived from numerical experiments using the detailed multilayer atmosphere‐vegetation‐soil model (SOLVEG). The modified version of WRF that includes fog deposition (fog‐WRF) was tested in a mountain forest on Mt. Rokko in Japan. fog‐WRF provided a distinctly better prediction of liquid water content of fog (LWC) than the original version of WRF. It also successfully simulated throughfall observations due to fog deposition inside the forest during the summer season that excluded the effect of forest edges. Using the linear relationship between fog deposition and altitude given by the fog‐WRF calculations and the data from throughfall observations at a given altitude, the vertical distribution of fog deposition can be roughly estimated in mountain forests. A meteorological model that includes fog deposition will be useful in mapping fog deposition in mountain cloud forests. Key Points A meteorological model was modified to calculate fog deposition onto vegetation The modified model reproduced liquid water content and throughfall observations The modified model can be used to map fog deposition in mountain cloud forests