The effect of horizontal resolution on simulation quality in the <scp>C</scp>ommunity <scp>A</scp>tmospheric <scp>M</scp>odel, <scp>CAM</scp>5.1

Wehner, Michael; Reed, Kevin A.; Li, Fuyu; Prabhat,; Bacmeister, Julio T.; Chen, Cheng Ta; Paciorek, Christopher J.; Gleckler, P. J.; Sperber, Kenneth R.; Collins, William D.; Gettelman, Andrew; Jablonowski, Christiane

doi:10.1002/2013ms000276

Cited by 266 publications

(287 citation statements)

References 74 publications

(114 reference statements)

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“…Especially previous studies have demonstrated physical parameterization scheme of climate models also influences simulating precipitation (Im et al 2008;Endo et al 2012;Ali et al 2015). Several studies have argued increasing horizontal resolution dramatically does not improve a climatology of large-scale (Bacheister et al 2013;Wehner et al 2014). Nevertheless, Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Evaluation of precipitation extremes over the Asian domain: observation and modelling studies

et al. 2018

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In this study, a comparison in the precipitation extremes as exhibited by the seven reference datasets is made to ascertain whether the inferences based on these datasets agree or they differ. These seven datasets, roughly grouped in three categories i.e. rain-gauge based (APHRODITE, CPC-UNI), satellite-based (TRMM, GPCP1DD) and reanalysis based (ERA-Interim, MERRA, and JRA55), having a common data period 1998-2007 are considered. Focus is to examine precipitation extremes in the summer monsoon rainfall over South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Measures of extreme precipitation include the percentile thresholds, frequency of extreme precipitation events and other quantities. Results reveal that the differences in displaying extremes among the datasets are small over South Asia and East Asia but large differences among the datasets are displayed over the Southeast Asian region including the maritime continent. Furthermore, precipitation data appear to be more consistent over East Asia among the seven datasets. Decadal trends in extreme precipitation are consistent with known results over South and East Asia. No trends in extreme precipitation events are exhibited over Southeast Asia. Outputs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) simulation data are categorized as high, medium and lowresolution models. The regions displaying maximum intensity of extreme precipitation appear to be dependent on model resolution. High-resolution models simulate maximum intensity of extreme precipitation over the Indian sub-continent, medium-resolution models over northeast India and South China and the low-resolution models over Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. In summary, there are differences in displaying extreme precipitation statistics among the seven datasets considered here and among the 29 CMIP5 model data outputs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Evaluation of precipitation extremes over the Asian domain: observation and modelling studies

et al. 2018

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“…Such sensitivities are typical in all scales of models. For example, CAM has been shown to be sensitive to both horizontal and vertical resolution and the physics time step used (Bogenschutz et al, 2012;Reed et al, 2012;Williamson, 2013a, b;Wehner et al, 2014). The degradation of SCM simulations when brought to a resolution more realistic for including in a host model like CAM suggests that some more testing and tuning may be necessary; however, the simulations show initial promise.…”

Section: Sensitivity To Time Step Number Of Samples and Vertical Grmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parameterizing deep convection using the assumed probability density function method

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Due to their coarse horizontal resolution, presentday climate models must parameterize deep convection. This paper presents single-column simulations of deep convection using a probability density function (PDF) parameterization. The PDF parameterization predicts the PDF of subgrid variability of turbulence, clouds, and hydrometeors. That variability is interfaced to a prognostic microphysics scheme using a Monte Carlo sampling method.The PDF parameterization is used to simulate tropical deep convection, the transition from shallow to deep convection over land, and midlatitude deep convection. These parameterized single-column simulations are compared with 3-D reference simulations. The agreement is satisfactory except when the convective forcing is weak.The same PDF parameterization is also used to simulate shallow cumulus and stratocumulus layers. The PDF method is sufficiently general to adequately simulate these five deep, shallow, and stratiform cloud cases with a single equation set. This raises hopes that it may be possible in the future, with further refinements at coarse time step and grid spacing, to parameterize all cloud types in a large-scale model in a unified way.

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“…Multidecadal GCM simulations can now be carried out at grid spacings of about 20 km (Jung et al, 2012;Mizuta et al, 2012;Wehner et al, 2014;Mizielinski et al, 2014;van Haren et al, 2015). This offers the possibility of using a single global physically consistent model in applications that until a few years ago were in the realm of RCM simulations (van der Linden and Mitchell, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mean and extreme precipitation over European river basins better simulated in a 25 km AGCM

Schiemann

Vidale

Shaffrey

et al. 2018

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Limited spatial resolution is one of the factors that may hamper applications of global climate models (GCMs), in particular over Europe with its complex coastline and orography. In this study, the representation of European mean and extreme precipitation is evaluated in simulations with an atmospheric GCM (AGCM) at different resolutions between about 135 and 25 km grid spacing in the mid-latitudes. The continent-wide root-mean-square error in mean precipitation in the 25 km model is about 25 % smaller than in the 135 km model in winter. Clear improvements are also seen in autumn and spring, whereas the model's sensitivity to resolution is very small in summer. Extreme precipitation is evaluated by estimating generalised extreme value distributions (GEVs) of daily precipitation aggregated over river basins whose surface area is greater than 50 000 km 2 . GEV location and scale parameters are measures of the typical magnitude and of the interannual variability of extremes, respectively. Median model biases in both these parameters are around 10 % in summer and around 20 % in the other seasons. For some river basins, however, these biases can be much larger and take values between 50 % and 100 %. Extreme precipitation is better simulated in the 25 km model, especially during autumn when the median GEV parameter biases are more than halved, and in the North European Plains, from the Loire in the west to the Vistula in the east. A sensitivity experiment is conducted showing that these resolution sensitivities in both mean and extreme precipitation are in many areas primarily due to the increase in resolution of the model orography. The findings of this study illustrate the improved capability of a global high-resolution model in simulating European mean and extreme precipitation.

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The effect of horizontal resolution on simulation quality in the Community Atmospheric Model, CAM5.1

Cited by 266 publications

References 74 publications

Evaluation of precipitation extremes over the Asian domain: observation and modelling studies

Evaluation of precipitation extremes over the Asian domain: observation and modelling studies

Parameterizing deep convection using the assumed probability density function method

Mean and extreme precipitation over European river basins better simulated in a 25 km AGCM

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