scholarly journals Simulating the mid-Pliocene climate with the MIROC general circulation model: experimental design and initial results

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1035-1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.-L. Chan ◽  
A. Abe-Ouchi ◽  
R. Ohgaito

Abstract. Recently, PlioMIP (Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project) was established to assess the ability of various climate models to simulate the mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP), 3.3–3.0 million years ago. We use MIROC4m, a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM), and its atmospheric component alone to simulate the mPWP, utilizing up-to-date data sets designated in PlioMIP as boundary conditions and adhering to the protocols outlined. In this paper, a brief description of the model is given, followed by an explanation of the experimental design and implementation of the boundary conditions, such as topography and sea surface temperature. Initial results show increases of approximately 10°C in the zonal mean surface air temperature at high latitudes accompanied by a decrease in the equator-to-pole temperature gradient. Temperatures in the tropical regions increase more in the AOGCM. However, warming of the AOGCM sea surface in parts of the northern North Atlantic Ocean and Nordic Seas is less than that suggested by proxy data. An investigation of the model-data discrepancies and further model intercomparison studies can lead to a better understanding of the mid-Pliocene climate and of its role in assessing future climate change.

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 2011-2046 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.-L. Chan ◽  
A. Abe-Ouchi ◽  
R. Ohgaito

Abstract. Recently, PlioMIP (Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project) was established to assess the ability of various climate models to simulate the mid-Pliocene warm period (MPWP), 3.29–2.97 million years ago. We use MIROC4m, a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM), and its atmospheric component alone to simulate the MPWP, utilizing up-to-date data sets designated in PlioMIP as boundary conditions and adhering to the protocols outlined. In this paper, a brief description of the model is given, followed by an explanation of the experimental design and implementation of the boundary conditions, such as topography and sea surface temperature. Initial results show increases of approximately 10 °C in the zonal mean surface air temperature at high latitudes accompanied by a decrease in the equator-to-pole temperature gradient. Temperature in the tropical regions increase more in the AOGCM. However, warming of the AOGCM sea surface in parts of the northern North Atlantic Ocean and Nordic Seas is less than that suggested by proxy data. An investigation of the model-data discrepancies and further model intercomparison studies can lead to a better understanding of the mid-Pliocene climate and of its role in assessing future climate change.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bosong Zhang ◽  
Brian Soden ◽  
Gabriel Vecchi ◽  
Wenchang Yang

<p>The impact of radiative interactions on tropical cyclone (TC) climatology is investigated using a global, TC-permitting general circulation model (GCM) with realistic boundary conditions. In this model, synoptic-scale radiative interactions are suppressed by overwriting the model-generated atmospheric radiative cooling rates with its monthly-varying climatological values. When radiative interactions are suppressed, the global TC frequency is significantly reduced, indicating that radiative interactions are a critical component of TC development even in the presence of spatially varying boundary conditions. The reduced TC activity is primarily due to a decrease in the frequency of pre-TC synoptic disturbances (“seeds”), whereas the likelihood that the seeds undergo cyclogenesis is less affected. When radiative interactions are suppressed, TC genesis shifts toward coastal regions, whereas TC lysis locations stay almost unchanged; together the distance between genesis and lysis is shortened, reducing TC duration. In a warmer climate, the magnitude of TC reduction from suppressing radiative interactions is diminished due to the larger contribution from latent heat release with increased sea surface temperatures. These results highlight the importance of radiative interactions in modulating the frequency and duration of TCs.</p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Haywood ◽  
H. J. Dowsett ◽  
M. M. Robinson ◽  
D. K. Stoll ◽  
A. M. Dolan ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project has expanded to include a model intercomparison for the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.29 to 2.97 million yr ago). This project is referred to as PlioMIP (the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project). Two experiments have been agreed upon and together compose the initial phase of PlioMIP. The first (Experiment 1) is being performed with atmosphere-only climate models. The second (Experiment 2) utilises fully coupled ocean-atmosphere climate models. Following on from the publication of the experimental design and boundary conditions for Experiment 1 in Geoscientific Model Development, this paper provides the necessary description of differences and/or additions to the experimental design for Experiment 2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Senatore ◽  
Luca Furnari ◽  
Giuseppe Mendicino

Abstract. Operational meteo-hydrological forecasting chains are affected by many sources of uncertainty. In coastal areas characterized by complex topography, with several medium-to-small size catchments, quantitative precipitation forecast becomes even more challenging due to the interaction of intense air–sea exchanges with coastal orography. For such areas, which are quite common in the Mediterranean Basin, improved representation of sea surface temperature (SST) space–time patterns can be particularly important. The paper focuses on the relative impact of different resolutions of SST representation on regional operational forecasting chains (up to river discharge estimates) over coastal Mediterranean catchments, with respect to two other fundamental options while setting up the system, i.e. the choice of the forcing general circulation model (GCM) and the possible use of a three-dimensional variational assimilation (3D-Var) scheme. Two different kinds of severe hydro-meteorological events that affected the Calabria region (southern Italy) in 2015 are analysed using the WRF-Hydro atmosphere–hydrology modelling system in its uncoupled version. Both of the events are modelled using the 0.25∘ resolution global forecasting system (GFS) and the 16 km resolution integrated forecasting system (IFS) initial and lateral atmospheric boundary conditions, which are from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), applying the WRF mesoscale model for the dynamical downscaling. For the IFS-driven forecasts, the effects of the 3D-Var scheme are also analysed. Finally, native initial and lower boundary SST data are replaced with data from the Medspiration project by Institut Français de Recherche pour L'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)/Centre European Remote Sensing d'Archivage et de Traitement (CERSAT), which have a 24 h time resolution and a 2.2 km spatial resolution. Precipitation estimates are compared with both ground-based and radar data, as well as discharge estimates with stream gauging stations' data. Overall, the experiments highlight that the added value of high-resolution SST representation can be hidden by other more relevant sources of uncertainty, especially the choice of the general circulation model providing the boundary conditions. Nevertheless, in most cases, high-resolution SST fields show a non-negligible impact on the simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer processes, modifying flow dynamics and/or the amount of precipitated water; thus, this emphasizes the fact that uncertainty in SST representation should be duly taken into account in operational forecasting in coastal areas.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Tsushima ◽  
Florent Brient ◽  
Stephen A. Klein ◽  
Dimitra Konsta ◽  
Christine Nam ◽  
...  

Abstract. The CFMIP Diagnostic Codes Catalogue assembles cloud metrics, diagnostics and methodologies, together with programs to diagnose them from General Circulation Model (GCM) outputs written by various members of the CFMIP community. This aims to facilitate use of the diagnostics by the wider community studying climate and climate change. This paper describes the diagnostics and metrics which are currently in the catalogue, together with examples of their application to model evaluation studies and a summary of some of the insights these diagnostics have provided on the main shortcomings in current GCMs. Analysis of outputs from CFMIP and CMIP6 experiments will also be facilitated by the sharing of diagnostic codes via this catalogue. Any code which implements diagnostics relevant to analysing clouds – including cloud-circulation interactions and the contribution of clouds to estimates of climate sensitivity in models – and which is documented in peer-reviewed studies can be included in the catalogue. We very much welcome additional contributions to further support community analysis of CMIP6 outputs.


1999 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 45-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Delaygue ◽  
Valérie Masson ◽  
Jean Jouzel

AbstractThe geographic origin of Antarctic precipitation is important for ice-core isotopic interpretation as well as ice-sheet mass-balance calculations. Here we estimate these moisture origins with the NASA/Goddard Institute of Space Studies atmospheric general circulation model, under different climatic conditions. This model reasonably simulates the broad features of the present-day observed hydrological cycle, and indicates a subtropical to subglacial (30-60° S) latitudinal origin for the Antarctic precipitation. We use different climatic reconstructions, all based on CLIMAP, for the Last Glacial Maximum (about 21000 years ago), which differ by the latitudinal sea-surface temperature gradient and seasonality. CLIMAP conditions increase the latitudinal gradient and the sea-ice extent, with the consequence of slightly enhancing the low-latitude origins. Shifting the seasonal cycle of oceanic prescribed conditions has an important effect on the hydrological cycle but less on the precipitation origin. Prescribing cooler tropical sea-surface temperatures, which decreases the latitudinal gradient, makes the latitudinal contributions closer to modern ones and increases the dominant oceanic sources. Globally the origins of Antarctic precipitation do not change significantly, either annually or seasonally.


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