Exploratory High-Resolution Climate Simulations using the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM)

Extended, high-resolution (0.23° latitude × 0.31° longitude) simulations with Community Atmosphere Model versions 4 and 5 (CAM4 and CAM5) are examined and compared with results from climate simulations conducted at a more typical resolution of 0.9° latitude × 1.25° longitude. Overall, the simulated...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of climate 2014-05, Vol.27 (9), p.3073-3099
Main Authors:	Bacmeister, Julio T., Wehner, Michael F., Neale, Richard B., Gettelman, Andrew, Hannay, Cecile, Lauritzen, Peter H., Caron, Julie M., Truesdale, John E.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Aerosols Atmosphere Atmospheric models Climate Climate models Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change Cyclones Earth, ocean, space ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Exact sciences and technology External geophysics Geophysics. Techniques, methods, instrumentation and models Global climate models High resolution Humidity Hurricanes Interannual variability Latitude Longitude Marine Mean precipitation Meteorology Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Modeling Oceans Physics Precipitation Radiation Resolution Simulation Simulations SPECIAL CCSM Earth System Model CESM1 COLLECTION Statistical methods Storms Topographic effects Tropical cyclones
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Extended, high-resolution (0.23° latitude × 0.31° longitude) simulations with Community Atmosphere Model versions 4 and 5 (CAM4 and CAM5) are examined and compared with results from climate simulations conducted at a more typical resolution of 0.9° latitude × 1.25° longitude. Overall, the simulated climate of the high-resolution experiments is not dramatically better than that of their low-resolution counterparts. Improvements appear primarily where topographic effects may be playing a role, including a substantially improved summertime Indian monsoon simulation in CAM4 at high resolution. Significant sensitivity to resolution is found in simulated precipitation over the southeast United States during winter. Some aspects of the simulated seasonal mean precipitation deteriorate notably at high resolution. Prominent among these is an exacerbated Pacific “double ITCZ” bias in both models. Nevertheless, while large-scale seasonal means are not dramatically better at high resolution, realistic tropical cyclone (TC) distributions are obtained. Some skill in reproducing interannual variability in TC statistics also appears.
ISSN:	0894-8755 1520-0442