The Formulation and Atmospheric Simulation of the Community Atmosphere Model Version 3 (CAM3)

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2144-2161 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Collins ◽  
Philip J. Rasch ◽  
Byron A. Boville ◽  
James J. Hack ◽  
James R. McCaa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Finite Volume ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Surface Radiation ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Community Land Model ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
Community Atmosphere Model ◽  
Atmosphere Model

Abstract A new version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) has been developed and released to the climate community. CAM Version 3 (CAM3) is an atmospheric general circulation model that includes the Community Land Model (CLM3), an optional slab ocean model, and a thermodynamic sea ice model. The dynamics and physics in CAM3 have been changed substantially compared to implementations in previous versions. CAM3 includes options for Eulerian spectral, semi-Lagrangian, and finite-volume formulations of the dynamical equations. It supports coupled simulations using either finite-volume or Eulerian dynamics through an explicit set of adjustable parameters governing the model time step, cloud parameterizations, and condensation processes. The model includes major modifications to the parameterizations of moist processes, radiation processes, and aerosols. These changes have improved several aspects of the simulated climate, including more realistic tropical tropopause temperatures, boreal winter land surface temperatures, surface insolation, and clear-sky surface radiation in polar regions. The variation of cloud radiative forcing during ENSO events exhibits much better agreement with satellite observations. Despite these improvements, several systematic biases reduce the fidelity of the simulations. These biases include underestimation of tropical variability, errors in tropical oceanic surface fluxes, underestimation of implied ocean heat transport in the Southern Hemisphere, excessive surface stress in the storm tracks, and offsets in the 500-mb height field and the Aleutian low.

scholarly journals Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response to Seasonal Modulation of Ocean Color: Impact on Interannual Climate Simulations in the Tropical Pacific

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ballabrera-Poy ◽  
R. Murtugudde ◽  
R-H. Zhang ◽  
A. J. Busalacchi
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Ocean Color ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
Atmosphere Model ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The ability to use remotely sensed ocean color data to parameterize biogenic heating in a coupled ocean–atmosphere model is investigated. The model used is a hybrid coupled model recently developed at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) by coupling an ocean general circulation model with a statistical atmosphere model for wind stress anomalies. The impact of the seasonal cycle of water turbidity on the annual mean, seasonal cycle, and interannual variability of the coupled system is investigated using three simulations differing in the parameterization of the vertical attenuation of downwelling solar radiation: (i) a control simulation using a constant 17-m attenuation depth, (ii) a simulation with the spatially varying annual mean of the satellite-derived attenuation depth, and (iii) a simulation accounting for the seasonal cycle of the attenuation depth. The results indicate that a more realistic attenuation of solar radiation slightly reduces the cold bias of the model. While a realistic attenuation of solar radiation hardly affects the annual mean and the seasonal cycle due to anomaly coupling, it significantly affects the interannual variability, especially when the seasonal cycle of the attenuation depth is used. The seasonal cycle of the attenuation depth interacts with the low-frequency equatorial dynamics to enhance warm and cold anomalies, which are further amplified via positive air–sea feedbacks. These results also indicate that interannual variability of the attenuation depths is required to capture the asymmetric biological feedbacks during cold and warm ENSO events.

scholarly journals Origin of the Springtime Westerly Bias in Equatorial Atlantic Surface Winds in the Community Atmosphere Model Version 3 (CAM3) Simulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 4766-4778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Yee Chang ◽  
Sumant Nigam ◽  
James A. Carton
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
South American ◽  
Surface Winds ◽  
Equatorial Atlantic ◽  
Model Version ◽  
Community Atmosphere Model ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere Interaction ◽  
Atmosphere Model

Abstract This study makes the case that westerly bias in the surface winds of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model, version 3 (CAM3), over the equatorial Atlantic in boreal spring has its origin in the rainfall (diabatic heating) bias over the tropical South American continent. The case is made by examination of the spatiotemporal evolution of regional precipitation and wind biases and by dynamical diagnoses of the westerly wind bias from experiments with a steady, linearized dynamical core of an atmospheric general circulation model. Diagnostic modeling indicates that underestimating rainfall over the eastern Amazon region can lead to the westerly bias in equatorial Atlantic surface winds. The study suggests that efforts to reduce coupled model biases, especially seasonal ones, must target continental biases, even in the deep tropics where ocean–atmosphere interaction generally rules.

scholarly journals Aerosol specification in single-column Community Atmosphere Model version 5

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 817-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lebassi-Habtezion ◽  
P. M. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation Model ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Global Mode ◽  
Community Atmosphere Model ◽  
Single Column ◽  
Atmosphere Model

Abstract. Single-column model (SCM) capability is an important tool for general circulation model development. In this study, the SCM mode of version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) is shown to handle aerosol initialization and advection improperly, resulting in aerosol, cloud-droplet, and ice crystal concentrations which are typically much lower than observed or simulated by CAM5 in global mode. This deficiency has a major impact on stratiform cloud simulations but has little impact on convective case studies because aerosol is currently not used by CAM5 convective schemes and convective cases are typically longer in duration (so initialization is less important). By imposing fixed aerosol or cloud-droplet and crystal number concentrations, the aerosol issues described above can be avoided. Sensitivity studies using these idealizations suggest that the Meyers et al. (1992) ice nucleation scheme prevents mixed-phase cloud from existing by producing too many ice crystals. Microphysics is shown to strongly deplete cloud water in stratiform cases, indicating problems with sequential splitting in CAM5 and the need for careful interpretation of output from sequentially split climate models. Droplet concentration in the general circulation model (GCM) version of CAM5 is also shown to be far too low (~ 25 cm−3) at the southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site.

scholarly journals A new radiation infrastructure for the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy, based on version 2.51)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Dietmüller ◽  
Patrick Jöckel ◽  
Holger Tost ◽  
Markus Kunze ◽  
Cathrin Gellhorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
On Line ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Radiation Scheme

Abstract. The Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy) provides an interface to couple submodels to a basemodel via a highly flexible data management facility (Jöckel et al., 2010). In the present paper we present the four new radiation related submodels RAD, AEROPT, CLOUDOPT and ORBIT. The submodel RAD (with shortwave radiation scheme RAD_FUBRAD) simulates the radiative transfer, the submodel AEROPT calculates the aerosol optical properties, the submodel CLOUDOPT calculates the cloud optical properties, and the submodel ORBIT is responsible for Earth orbit calculations. These submodels are coupled via the standard MESSy infrastructure and are largely based on the original radiation scheme of the general circulation model ECHAM5, however, expanded with additional features. These features comprise, among others, user-friendly and flexibly controllable (by namelists) on-line radiative forcing calculations by multiple diagnostic calls of the radiation routines. With this, it is now possible to calculate radiative forcing (instantaneous as well as stratosphere adjusted) of various greenhouse gases simultaneously in only one simulation, as well as the radiative forcing of cloud perturbations. Examples of on-line radiative forcing calculations in the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model are presented.

scholarly journals IL-GLOBO (1.0) – integrated Lagrangian particle model and Eulerian general circulation model GLOBO: development of the vertical diffusion module

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 2181-2191 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rossi ◽  
A. Maurizi
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation Model ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Spline Interpolation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Linear Interpolation ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
Integration Time ◽  
Particle Model ◽  
Vertical Diffusion ◽  
Time Step

Abstract. The development and validation of the vertical diffusion module of IL-GLOBO, a Lagrangian transport model coupled online with the Eulerian general circulation model GLOBO, is described. The module simulates the effects of turbulence on particle motion by means of a Lagrangian stochastic model (LSM) consistently with the turbulent diffusion equation used in GLOBO. The implemented LSM integrates particle trajectories, using the native σ-hybrid coordinates of the Eulerian component, and fulfils the well-mixed condition (WMC) in the general case of a variable density profile. The module is validated through a series of 1-D offline numerical experiments by assessing its accuracy in maintaining an initially well-mixed distribution in the vertical. A dynamical time-step selection algorithm with constraints related to the shape of the diffusion coefficient profile is developed and discussed. Finally, the skills of a linear interpolation and a modified Akima spline interpolation method are compared, showing that both satisfy the WMC with significant differences in computational time. A preliminary run of the fully integrated 3-D model confirms the result only for the Akima interpolation scheme while the linear interpolation does not satisfy the WMC with a reasonable choice of the minimum integration time step.

scholarly journals Climatic effects of 1950–2050 changes in US anthropogenic aerosols – Part 1: Aerosol trends and radiative forcing

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 24085-24125 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Leibensperger ◽  
L. J. Mickley ◽  
D. J. Jacob ◽  
W.-T. Chen ◽  
J. H. Seinfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
So2 Emissions ◽  
Anthropogenic Aerosols ◽  
Climatic Effects ◽  
Anthropogenic Aerosol ◽  
Direct Forcing

Abstract. We use the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model combined with the GISS general circulation model to calculate the aerosol direct and indirect (warm cloud) radiative forcings from US anthropogenic sources over the 1950–2050 period, based on historical emission inventories and future projections from the IPCC A1B scenario. The aerosol simulation is evaluated with observed spatial distributions and 1980–2010 trends of aerosol concentrations and wet deposition in the contiguous US. The radiative forcing from US anthropogenic aerosols is strongly localized over the eastern US. We find that it peaked in 1970–1990, with values over the eastern US (east of 100° W) of −2.0 W m−2 for direct forcing including contributions from sulfate (−2.0 W m−2), nitrate (−0.2 W m−2), organic carbon (−0.2 W m−2), and black carbon (+0.4 W m−2). The aerosol indirect effect is of comparable magnitude to the direct forcing. We find that the forcing declined sharply from 1990 to 2010 (by 0.8 W m−2 direct and 1.0 W m−2 indirect), mainly reflecting decreases in SO2 emissions, and project that it will continue declining post-2010 but at a much slower rate since US SO2 emissions have already declined by almost 60 % from their peak. This suggests that much of the warming effect of reducing US anthropogenic aerosol sources may have already been realized by 2010, however some additional warming is expected through 2020. The small positive radiative forcing from US BC emissions (+0.3 W m−2 over the eastern US in 2010) suggests that an emission control strategy focused on BC would have only limited climate benefit.

Modelling high-latitude explosive eruptions and their atmospheric and environmental impacts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Fuglestvedt ◽  
Zhihong Zhuo ◽  
Michael Sigl ◽  
Matthew Toohey ◽  
Michael Mills ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Explosive Eruptions ◽  
Sulphate Deposition

<p>Large explosive volcanic eruptions inject sulphur into the stratosphere where it is converted to sulphur dioxide and sulphate aerosols. Due to atmospheric circulation patterns, aerosols from high-latitude eruptions typically remain concentrated in the hemisphere in which they are injected. Eruptions in the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere could thus lead to a stronger hemispheric radiative forcing and surface climate response than tropical eruptions, a claim that is supported by a previous study based on proxy records and the coupled aerosol-general circulation model MAECHAM5-HAM. Additionally, the subsequent surface deposition of volcanic sulphate is potentially harmful to humans and ecosystems, and an improved understanding of the deposition over polar ice sheets can contribute to better reconstructions of historical volcanic forcing. On this basis, we model Icelandic explosive eruptions in a pre-industrial atmosphere, taking both volcanic sulphur and halogen loading into account. We use the fully coupled Earth system model CESM2 with the atmospheric component WACCM6, which extends to the lower thermosphere and has prognostic stratospheric aerosols and full chemistry. In order to study the volcanic impacts on the atmosphere, environment, and sulphate deposition, we vary eruption parameters such as sulphur and halogen loading, and injection altitude and season. The modelled volcanic sulphate deposition is compared to the deposition in ice cores following comparable historical eruptions. Furthermore, we evaluate the potential environmental impacts of sulphate deposition. To study inter-model differences, we also compare the CESM2-WACCM6 simulations to similar Icelandic eruption experiments simulated with MAECHAM5-HAM. </p>

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