scholarly journals A multivariate comparison of two land-surface models integrated into an Arctic Regional Climate System model

1997 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Amanda Lynch ◽  
David McGinnis ◽  
William L. Chapman ◽  
Jeffrey S. Tilley

Different vegetation models impact the atmospheric response of a regional climate model in different ways, and hence have an impact upon the ability of that model to match an observed climatology. Using a multivariate principal-component analysis, we investigate the relationships between several land-surface models (BATS, LSM) coupled to a regional climate model, and observed climate parameters over the North Slope of Alaska. In this application, annual cycle simulations at 20 km spatial resolution are compared with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) climatology. Initial results demonstrate broad agreement between all models; however, small-scale regional variations between land-surface models indicate the strengths and weaknesses of the land-surface treatments in a climate system model. Specifically, we found that the greater surface-moisture availability and temperature-dependent albedo formulation of the LSM model allow for a higher proportion of low-level cloud, and a later, more rapid transition from the winter to the summer regime. Crucial to this transition is the seasonal cycle of incoming solar radiation. These preliminary results indicate the importance of the land-surface hydrologic cycle in modelling the seasonal transitions.

1997 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Amanda Lynch ◽  
David McGinnis ◽  
William L. Chapman ◽  
Jeffrey S. Tilley

Different vegetation models impact the atmospheric response of a regional climate model in different ways, and hence have an impact upon the ability of that model to match an observed climatology. Using a multivariate principal-component analysis, we investigate the relationships between several land-surface models (BATS, LSM) coupled to a regional climate model, and observed climate parameters over the North Slope of Alaska. In this application, annual cycle simulations at 20 km spatial resolution are compared with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) climatology. Initial results demonstrate broad agreement between all models; however, small-scale regional variations between land-surface models indicate the strengths and weaknesses of the land-surface treatments in a climate system model. Specifically, we found that the greater surface-moisture availability and temperature-dependent albedo formulation of the LSM model allow for a higher proportion of low-level cloud, and a later, more rapid transition from the winter to the summer regime. Crucial to this transition is the seasonal cycle of incoming solar radiation. These preliminary results indicate the importance of the land-surface hydrologic cycle in modelling the seasonal transitions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 7091-7136 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Zabel ◽  
W. Mauser ◽  
T. Marke ◽  
A. Pfeiffer ◽  
G. Zängl ◽  
...  

Abstract. Feedback effects between the land surface and the atmosphere are an important issue in modelling the climate system. Therefore, in order to take land surface heterogeneity adequately into account, a representation of the land surface in sufficient spatial resolution is necessary. In order to analyze the impact of different land surface models on the atmosphere, we analyzed the differences of two physically based land surface models, which evolved from different disciplinary backgrounds, both fully coupled with the regional climate model MM5, providing the atmospheric drivers. While the NOAH-LSM originally was developed for atmosphere applications, PROMET is primarily used as a hydrological land surface model. Both use different physical approaches and different spatial resolutions of 45 km (NOAH) and 1 km (PROMET) respectively, to represent the land surface processes. The parameterization of soil and plant properties in terms of phenological behaviour and water-stress is treated with a higher level of detail in PROMET. Used with same atmospheric drivers over a four-year period for Central Europe, the model differences have strong impacts on simulated evapotranspiration and soil moisture both spatially and temporally. Regions with high proportion of impervious surfaces show the highest differences in simulated evapotranspiration (up to 30 %). Further, PROMET simulations show lower evapotranspiration rates e.g. in the Po Valley, caused mainly by a higher level of vegetation water stress. In order to study feedback effects, PROMET was then bilaterally coupled with MM5. The feedbacks result in increasing near surface air temperature and decreasing precipitation especially in Southern Europe and are a result of regional self-amplification effects due to decreasing soil moisture and increasing vegetation water stress.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Weiher ◽  
Naveed Akhtar ◽  
Jennifer Brauch ◽  
Marcus Breil ◽  
Edouard Davin ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the prototype of a regional climate system model based on the COSMO-CLM regional climate model coupled with several model components, analyze the performance of the couplings and present a strategy to find an optimum configuration with respect to computational costs and time to solution. The OASIS3-MCT coupler is used to couple COSMO-CLM with two land surface models (CLM and VEG3D), a regional ocean model for the Mediterranean Sea (NEMO-MED12), two ocean models for the North and Baltic Sea (NEMO-NORDIC and TRIMNP+CICE) and the atmospheric component of an earth system model (MPI-ESM). We present a unified OASIS3-MCT interface which handles all couplings in a similar way, minimizes the model source code modifications and describes the physics and numerics of the couplings. Furthermore, we discuss solutions for specific regional coupling problems like handling of different domains, multiple usage of MCT interpolation library and efficient exchange of 3D fields. A series of real-case simulations over Europe has been conducted and the computational performance of the couplings has been analyzed. The usage of the LUCIA tool of the OASIS3-MCT coupler enabled separation of the direct costs of: coupling, load imbalance and additional computations. The resulting limits for time to solution and costs are shown and the potential of further improvement of the computational efficiency is summarized for each coupling. It was found that the OASIS3-MCT coupler keeps the direct coupling costs of communication and horizontal interpolation small in comparison with the costs of the additional computations and load imbalance for all investigated couplings. For the first time this could be demonstrated for an exchange of approximately 450 2D fields per time step necessary for the atmosphere-atmosphere coupling between COSMO-CLM and MPI-ESM. A procedure for finding an optimum configuration for each of the couplings was developed considering the time to solution and costs of the simulations. The optimum configurations are presented for sequential and concurrent coupling layouts. The procedure applied can be regarded as independent on the specific coupling layout and coupling details.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 3005-3047 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. D. Larsen ◽  
J. C. Refsgaard ◽  
M. Drews ◽  
M. B. Butts ◽  
K. H. Jensen ◽  
...  

Abstract. In recent years research on the coupling of existing regional climate models and hydrology/land surface models has emerged. A major challenge in this emerging research field is the computational interaction between the models. In this study we present results from a full two-way coupling of the HIRHAM regional climate model over a 4000 km x 2800 km domain in 11 km resolution and the combined MIKE SHE-SWET hydrology and land surface models over the 2500 km2 Skjern river catchment. A total of 26 one-year runs were performed to assess the influence of the data transfer interval (DTI) between the two models and the internal HIRHAM model variability of ten variables. In general, the coupled model simulations exhibit less accurate performance than the uncoupled simulations which is to be expected as both models prior to this study have been individually refined or calibrated to reproduce observations. Four of six output variables from HIRHAM, precipitation, relative humidity, wind speed and air temperature, showed statistically significant improvements in RMSE with a reduced DTI as evaluated in the range of 12–120 min. For these four variables the perturbation induced HIRHAM variability was shown to correspond to 47% of the RMSE improvement when using a DTI of 120 min compared to a DTI of 12 min and the variability resulted in large ranges in simulated precipitation. Also, the DTI was shown to substantially affect computation time. The MIKE SHE energy flux and discharge output variables experienced little impact from the DTI.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1549-1586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Will ◽  
Naveed Akhtar ◽  
Jennifer Brauch ◽  
Marcus Breil ◽  
Edouard Davin ◽  
...  

Abstract. We developed a coupled regional climate system model based on the CCLM regional climate model. Within this model system, using OASIS3-MCT as a coupler, CCLM can be coupled to two land surface models (the Community Land Model (CLM) and VEG3D), the NEMO-MED12 regional ocean model for the Mediterranean Sea, two ocean models for the North and Baltic seas (NEMO-NORDIC and TRIMNP+CICE) and the MPI-ESM Earth system model.We first present the different model components and the unified OASIS3-MCT interface which handles all couplings in a consistent way, minimising the model source code modifications and defining the physical and numerical aspects of the couplings. We also address specific coupling issues like the handling of different domains, multiple usage of the MCT library and exchange of 3-D fields.We analyse and compare the computational performance of the different couplings based on real-case simulations over Europe. The usage of the LUCIA tool implemented in OASIS3-MCT enables the quantification of the contributions of the coupled components to the overall coupling cost. These individual contributions are (1) cost of the model(s) coupled, (2) direct cost of coupling including horizontal interpolation and communication between the components, (3) load imbalance, (4) cost of different usage of processors by CCLM in coupled and stand-alone mode and (5) residual cost including i.a. CCLM additional computations.Finally a procedure for finding an optimum processor configuration for each of the couplings was developed considering the time to solution, computing cost and parallel efficiency of the simulation. The optimum configurations are presented for sequential, concurrent and mixed (sequential+concurrent) coupling layouts. The procedure applied can be regarded as independent of the specific coupling layout and coupling details.We found that the direct cost of coupling, i.e. communications and horizontal interpolation, in OASIS3-MCT remains below 7 % of the CCLM stand-alone cost for all couplings investigated. This is in particular true for the exchange of 450 2-D fields between CCLM and MPI-ESM. We identified remaining limitations in the coupling strategies and discuss possible future improvements of the computational efficiency.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 4733-4749 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. D. Larsen ◽  
J. C. Refsgaard ◽  
M. Drews ◽  
M. B. Butts ◽  
K. H. Jensen ◽  
...  

Abstract. A major challenge in the emerging research field of coupling of existing regional climate models (RCMs) and hydrology/land-surface models is the computational interaction between the models. Here we present results from a full two-way coupling of the HIRHAM RCM over a 4000 km × 2800 km domain at 11 km resolution and the combined MIKE SHE-SWET hydrology and land-surface models over the 2500 km2 Skjern River catchment. A total of 26 one-year runs were performed to assess the influence of the data transfer interval (DTI) between the two models and the internal HIRHAM model variability of 10 variables. DTI frequencies between 12 and 120 min were assessed, where the computational overhead was found to increase substantially with increasing exchange frequency. In terms of hourly and daily performance statistics the coupled model simulations performed less accurately than the uncoupled simulations, whereas for longer-term cumulative precipitation the opposite was found, especially for more frequent DTI rates. Four of six output variables from HIRHAM, precipitation, relative humidity, wind speed and air temperature, showed statistically significant improvements in root-mean-square error (RMSE) by reducing the DTI. For these four variables, the HIRHAM RMSE variability corresponded to approximately half of the influence from the DTI frequency and the variability resulted in a large spread in simulated precipitation. Conversely, DTI was found to have only a limited impact on the energy fluxes and discharge simulated by MIKE SHE.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 1017-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Zabel ◽  
W. Mauser ◽  
T. Marke ◽  
A. Pfeiffer ◽  
G. Zängl ◽  
...  

Abstract. Downstream models are often used in order to study regional impacts of climate and climate change on the land surface. For this purpose, they are usually driven offline (i.e., 1-way) with results from regional climate models (RCMs). However, the offline approach does not allow for feedbacks between these models. Thereby, the land surface of the downstream model is usually completely different to the land surface which is used within the RCM. Thus, this study aims at investigating the inconsistencies that arise when driving a downstream model offline instead of interactively coupled with the RCM, due to different feedbacks from the use of different land surface models (LSM). Therefore, two physically based LSMs which developed from different disciplinary backgrounds are compared in our study: while the NOAH-LSM was developed for the use within RCMs, PROMET was originally developed to answer hydrological questions on the local to regional scale. Thereby, the models use different physical formulations on different spatial scales and different parameterizations of the same land surface processes that lead to inconsistencies when driving PROMET offline with RCM output. Processes that contribute to these inconsistencies are, as described in this study, net radiation due to land use related albedo and emissivity differences, the redistribution of this net radiation over sensible and latent heat, for example, due to different assumptions about land use impermeability or soil hydraulic reasons caused by different plant and soil parameterizations. As a result, simulated evapotranspiration, e.g., shows considerable differences of max. 280 mm yr−1. For a full interactive coupling (i.e., 2-way) between PROMET and the atmospheric part of the RCM, PROMET returns the land surface energy fluxes to the RCM and, thus, provides the lower boundary conditions for the RCM subsequently. Accordingly, the RCM responses to the replacement of the LSM with overall increased annual mean near surface air temperature (+1 K) and less annual precipitation (−56 mm) with different spatial and temporal behaviour. Finally, feedbacks can set up positive and negative effects on simulated evapotranspiration, resulting in a decrease of evapotranspiration South of the Alps a moderate increase North of the Alps. The inconsistencies are quantified and account for up to 30% from July to Semptember when focused to an area around Milan, Italy.


2014 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 23967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Sevault ◽  
Samuel Somot ◽  
Antoinette Alias ◽  
Clotilde Dubois ◽  
Cindy Lebeaupin-Brossier ◽  
...  

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