scholarly journals Description and evaluation of tropospheric chemistry and aerosols in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1.2)

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 8875-8940 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tilmes ◽  
J.-F. Lamarque ◽  
L. K. Emmons ◽  
D. E. Kinnison ◽  
P.-L. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
System Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Chemical Production ◽  
Area Density ◽  
Community Earth System Model ◽  
The Difference

Abstract. The Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), version 5, is now coupled to extensive tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, called CAM5-chem, and is available in addition to CAM4-chem in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) version 1.2. Both configurations are well suited as tools for atmospheric-chemistry modeling studies in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, whether with internally derived "free running" (FR) meteorology, or "specified dynamics" (SD). The main focus of this paper is to compare the performance of these configurations against observations from surface, aircraft, and satellite, as well as understand the origin of the identified differences. We particularly focus on comparing present-day methane lifetime estimates within the different model configurations, which range between 7.8 years in the SD configuration of CAM5-chem and 8.8 years in the FR configuration of CAM4-chem. We find that tropospheric surface area density is an important factor in controlling the burden of the hydroxyl radical (OH), which causes differences in tropical methane lifetime of about half a year between CAM4-chem and CAM5-chem. In addition, different distributions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) produced from lightning production explain about half of the difference between SD and FR model versions in both CAM4-chem and CAM5-chem. Remaining differences in the tropical OH burden are due to enhanced tropical ozone burden in SD configurations compared to the FR versions, which are not only caused by differences in chemical production or loss, but also by transport and mixing. For future studies, we recommend the use of CAM5-chem, due to improved aerosol description and inclusion of aerosol-cloud interactions. However, smaller tropospheric surface area density in the current version of CAM5-chem compared to CAM4-chem results in larger oxidizing capacity in the troposphere and therefore a shorter methane lifetime.

scholarly journals Description and evaluation of tropospheric chemistry and aerosols in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1.2)

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1395-1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tilmes ◽  
J.-F. Lamarque ◽  
L. K. Emmons ◽  
D. E. Kinnison ◽  
P.-L. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Tropospheric Ozone ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
System Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Tropospheric Aerosol ◽  
Community Earth System Model

Abstract. The Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), version 5, is now coupled to extensive tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, called CAM5-chem, and is available in addition to CAM4-chem in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) version 1.2. The main focus of this paper is to compare the performance of configurations with internally derived "free running" (FR) meteorology and "specified dynamics" (SD) against observations from surface, aircraft, and satellite, as well as understand the origin of the identified differences. We focus on the representation of aerosols and chemistry. All model configurations reproduce tropospheric ozone for most regions based on in situ and satellite observations. However, shortcomings exist in the representation of ozone precursors and aerosols. Tropospheric ozone in all model configurations agrees for the most part with ozonesondes and satellite observations in the tropics and the Northern Hemisphere within the variability of the observations. Southern hemispheric tropospheric ozone is consistently underestimated by up to 25%. Differences in convection and stratosphere to troposphere exchange processes are mostly responsible for differences in ozone in the different model configurations. Carbon monoxide (CO) and other volatile organic compounds are largely underestimated in Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes based on satellite and aircraft observations. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are biased low in the free tropical troposphere, whereas peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is overestimated in particular in high northern latitudes. The present-day methane lifetime estimates are compared among the different model configurations. These range between 7.8 years in the SD configuration of CAM5-chem and 8.8 years in the FR configuration of CAM4-chem and are therefore underestimated compared to observational estimations. We find that differences in tropospheric aerosol surface area between CAM4 and CAM5 play an important role in controlling the burden of the tropical tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH), which causes differences in tropical methane lifetime of about half a year between CAM4-chem and CAM5-chem. In addition, different distributions of NOx from lightning explain about half of the difference between SD and FR model versions in both CAM4-chem and CAM5-chem. Remaining differences in the tropical OH burden are due to enhanced tropical ozone burden in SD configurations compared to the FR versions, which are not only caused by differences in chemical production or loss but also by transport and mixing. For future studies, we recommend the use of CAM5-chem configurations, due to improved aerosol description and inclusion of aerosol–cloud interactions. However, smaller tropospheric surface area density in the current version of CAM5-chem compared to CAM4-chem results in larger oxidizing capacity in the troposphere and therefore a shorter methane lifetime.

scholarly journals CAM-chem: description and evaluation of interactive atmospheric chemistry in the Community Earth System Model

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-F. Lamarque ◽  
L. K. Emmons ◽  
P. G. Hess ◽  
D. E. Kinnison ◽  
S. Tilmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
The United States ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
System Model ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
Positive Bias ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Community Earth System Model

Abstract. We discuss and evaluate the representation of atmospheric chemistry in the global Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) version 4, the atmospheric component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM). We present a variety of configurations for the representation of tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, wet removal, and online and offline meteorology. Results from simulations illustrating these configurations are compared with surface, aircraft and satellite observations. Major biases include a negative bias in the high-latitude CO distribution, a positive bias in upper-tropospheric/lower-stratospheric ozone, and a positive bias in summertime surface ozone (over the United States and Europe). The tropospheric net chemical ozone production varies significantly between configurations, partly related to variations in stratosphere-troposphere exchange. Aerosol optical depth tends to be underestimated over most regions, while comparison with aerosol surface measurements over the United States indicate reasonable results for sulfate , especially in the online simulation. Other aerosol species exhibit significant biases. Overall, the model-data comparison indicates that the offline simulation driven by GEOS5 meteorological analyses provides the best simulation, possibly due in part to the increased vertical resolution (52 levels instead of 26 for online dynamics). The CAM-chem code as described in this paper, along with all the necessary datasets needed to perform the simulations described here, are available for download at www.cesm.ucar.edu.

scholarly journals Aviation 2006 NO<sub>x</sub>-induced effects on atmospheric ozone and HO<sub>x</sub> in Community Earth System Model (CESM)

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (18) ◽  
pp. 9925-9939 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Khodayari ◽  
S. Tilmes ◽  
S. C. Olsen ◽  
D. B. Phoenix ◽  
D. J. Wuebbles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Photochemical Reactions ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
System Model ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Community Earth System Model ◽  
Aerosol Module

Abstract. The interaction between atmospheric chemistry and ozone (O3) in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) presents a major uncertainty in understanding the effects of aviation on climate. In this study, two configurations of the atmospheric model from the Community Earth System Model (CESM), Community Atmosphere Model with Chemistry, Version 4 (CAM4) and Version 5 (CAM5), are used to evaluate the effects of aircraft nitrogen oxide (NOx = NO + NO2) emissions on ozone and the background chemistry in the UTLS. CAM4 and CAM5 simulations were both performed with extensive tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry including 133 species and 330 photochemical reactions. CAM5 includes direct and indirect aerosol effects on clouds using a modal aerosol module (MAM), whereby CAM4 uses a bulk aerosol module, which can only simulate the direct effect. To examine the accuracy of the aviation NOx-induced ozone distribution in the two models, results from the CAM5 and CAM4 simulations are compared to ozonesonde data. Aviation NOx emissions for 2006 were obtained from the AEDT (Aviation Environmental Design Tool) global commercial aircraft emissions inventory. Differences between simulated O3 concentrations and ozonesonde measurements averaged at representative levels in the troposphere and different regions are 13% in CAM5 and 18% in CAM4. Results show a localized increase in aviation-induced O3 concentrations at aviation cruise altitudes that stretches from 40° N to the North Pole. The results indicate a greater and more disperse production of aviation NOx-induced ozone in CAM5, with the annual tropospheric mean O3 perturbation of 1.2 ppb (2.4%) for CAM5 and 1.0 ppb (1.9%) for CAM4. The annual mean O3 perturbation peaks at about 8.2 ppb (6.4%) and 8.8 ppb (5.2%) in CAM5 and CAM4, respectively. Aviation emissions also result in increased hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations and methane (CH4) loss rates, reducing the tropospheric methane lifetime in CAM5 and CAM4 by 1.69 and 1.40%, respectively. Aviation NOx emissions are associated with an instantaneous change in global mean short-term O3 radiative forcing (RF) of 40.3 and 36.5 mWm−2 in CAM5 and CAM4, respectively.

scholarly journals Implementation of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) version 1.2.1 as a new base model into version 2.50 of the MESSy framework

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. G. Baumgaertner ◽  
P. Jöckel ◽  
A. Kerkweg ◽  
R. Sander ◽  
H. Tost
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
System Model ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Spectral Transform ◽  
Community Earth System Model ◽  
Component Models

Abstract. The Community Earth System Model (CESM1), maintained by the United States National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is connected with the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy). For the MESSy user community, this offers many new possibilities. The option to use the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) atmospheric dynamical cores, especially the state-of-the-art spectral element (SE) core, as an alternative to the ECHAM5 spectral transform dynamical core will provide scientific and computational advances for atmospheric chemistry and climate modelling with MESSy. The well-established finite volume core from CESM1(CAM) is also made available. This offers the possibility to compare three different atmospheric dynamical cores within MESSy. Additionally, the CESM1 land, river, sea ice, glaciers and ocean component models can be used in CESM1/MESSy simulations, allowing the use of MESSy as a comprehensive Earth system model (ESM). For CESM1/MESSy set-ups, the MESSy process and diagnostic submodels for atmospheric physics and chemistry are used together with one of the CESM1(CAM) dynamical cores; the generic (infrastructure) submodels support the atmospheric model component. The other CESM1 component models, as well as the coupling between them, use the original CESM1 infrastructure code and libraries; moreover, in future developments these can also be replaced by the MESSy framework. Here, we describe the structure and capabilities of CESM1/MESSy, document the code changes in CESM1 and MESSy, and introduce several simulations as example applications of the system. The Supplements provide further comparisons with the ECHAM5/MESSy atmospheric chemistry (EMAC) model and document the technical aspects of the connection in detail.

scholarly journals Implementation of the Community Earth System Model (CESM1, version 1.2.1) as a new basemodel into version 2.50 of the MESSy framework

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 6523-6550
Author(s):  
A. J. G. Baumgaertner ◽  
P. Jöckel ◽  
A. Kerkweg ◽  
R. Sander ◽  
H. Tost
Keyword(s):  
Surface Pressure ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
System Model ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Dynamical Core ◽  
Community Earth System Model ◽  
Component Models

Abstract. The Community Earth System Model (CESM1), maintained by the United States National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is connected with the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy). For the MESSy user community, this offers many new possibilities. The option to use the CESM1(CAM) atmospheric dynamical cores, especially the spectral element (SE) core, as an alternative to the ECHAM5 spectral transform dynamical core will provide scientific and computational advances for atmospheric chemistry and climate modelling with MESSy. The SE dynamical core does not require polar filters since the grid is quasi-uniform. By advecting the surface pressure rather then the logarithm of surface pressure the SE core locally conserves energy and mass. Furthermore, it has the possibility to scale to up to 105 compute cores, which is useful for current and future computing architectures. The well-established finite volume core from CESM1(CAM) is also made available. This offers the possibility to compare three different atmospheric dynamical cores within MESSy. Additionally, the CESM1 land, river, sea ice, glaciers and ocean component models can be used in CESM1/MESSy simulations, allowing to use MESSy as a comprehensive Earth System Model. For CESM1/MESSy setups, the MESSy process and diagnostic submodels for atmospheric physics and chemistry are used together with one of the CESM1(CAM) dynamical cores; the generic (infrastructure) submodels support the atmospheric model component. The other CESM1 component models as well as the coupling between them use the original CESM1 infrastructure code and libraries, although in future developments these can also be replaced by the MESSy framework. Here, we describe the structure and capabilities of CESM1/MESSy, document the code changes in CESM1 and MESSy, and introduce several simulations as example applications of the system. The Supplements provide further comparisons with the ECHAM5/MESSy atmospheric chemistry (EMAC) model and document the technical aspects of the connection in detail.

scholarly journals Global simulation of tropospheric chemistry at 12.5 km resolution: performance and evaluation of the GEOS-Chem chemical module (v10-1) within the NASA GEOS Earth system model (GEOS-5 ESM)

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4603-4620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Hu ◽  
Christoph A. Keller ◽  
Michael S. Long ◽  
Tomás Sherwen ◽  
Benjamin Auer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
System Model ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Global Simulation ◽  
Chemistry Research

Abstract. We present a full-year online global simulation of tropospheric chemistry (158 coupled species) at cubed-sphere c720 (∼12.5×12.5km2) resolution in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model version 5 Earth system model (GEOS-5 ESM) with GEOS-Chem as a chemical module (G5NR-chem). The GEOS-Chem module within GEOS uses the exact same code as the offline GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM) developed by a large atmospheric chemistry research community. In this way, continual updates to the GEOS-Chem CTM by that community can be seamlessly passed on to the GEOS chemical module, which remains state of the science and referenceable to the latest version of GEOS-Chem. The 1-year G5NR-chem simulation was conducted to serve as the Nature Run for observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) in support of the future geostationary satellite constellation for tropospheric chemistry. It required 31 wall-time days on 4707 compute cores with only 24 % of the time spent on the GEOS-Chem chemical module. Results from the GEOS-5 Nature Run with GEOS-Chem chemistry were shown to be consistent to the offline GEOS-Chem CTM and were further compared to global and regional observations. The simulation shows no significant global bias for tropospheric ozone relative to the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite and is highly correlated with observations spatially and seasonally. It successfully captures the ozone vertical distributions measured by ozonesondes over different regions of the world, as well as observations for ozone and its precursors from the August–September 2013 Studies of Emissions, Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) aircraft campaign over the southeast US. It systematically overestimates surface ozone concentrations by 10 ppbv at sites in the US and Europe, a problem currently being addressed by the GEOS-Chem CTM community and from which the GEOS ESM will benefit through the seamless update of the online code.

scholarly journals Global simulation of tropospheric chemistry at 12.5 km resolution: performance and evaluation of the GEOS-Chem chemical module (v10-1) within the NASA GEOS Earth System Model (GEOS-5 ESM)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Hu ◽  
Christoph A. Keller ◽  
Michael S. Long ◽  
Tomás Sherwen ◽  
Benjamin Auer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
Tropospheric Chemistry ◽  
System Model ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Global Simulation ◽  
Chemistry Research ◽  
On Line

Abstract. We present a full-year on-line global simulation of tropospheric chemistry (158 coupled species) at cubed-sphere c720 (12.5 x 12.5 km2) resolution in the NASA GEOS Earth System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5 ESM) with GEOS-Chem as a chemical module (G5NR-chem). The GEOS-Chem module within GEOS uses the exact same code as the off-line GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM) developed by a large atmospheric chemistry research community. In this way, continual updates to the GEOS-Chem CTM by that community can be seamlessly passed on to the GEOS chemical module, which remains state-of-the-science and referenceable to the latest version of GEOS-Chem. The 1-year G5NR-chem simulation was conducted to serve as Nature Run for observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) in support of the future geostationary satellite constellation for tropospheric chemistry. It required 31 walltime days on 4707 compute cores with only 24 \\% of the time spent on the GEOS-Chem chemical module. Results from the GEOS-5 Nature Run with GEOS-Chem chemistry were shown to be consistent to the off-line GEOS-Chem CTM and were further compared to global and regional observations. The simulation shows no significant global bias for tropospheric ozone relative to the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite, and is highly correlated with observations spatially and seasonally. It successfully captures the ozone vertical distributions measured by ozonesondes over different regions of the world, as well as observations for ozone and its precursors from the Aug-Sep 2013 SEAC4RS aircraft campaign over the Southeast US. It systematically overestimates surface ozone concentrations by 10 ppbv at sites in the US and Europe, a problem currently being addressed by the GEOS-Chem CTM community and from which the GEOS ESM will benefit through the seamless update of the on-line code.

scholarly journals Aviation 2006 NO<sub>x</sub>-induced effects on atmospheric ozone and HO<sub>x</sub> in Community Earth System Model (CESM)

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 6163-6202
Author(s):  
A. Khodayari ◽  
S. Tilmes ◽  
S. C. Olsen ◽  
D. B. Phoenix ◽  
D. J. Wuebbles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Photochemical Reactions ◽  
Earth System Model ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
System Model ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Community Earth System Model ◽  
Aerosol Module

Abstract. The interaction between atmospheric chemistry and ozone (O3) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) presents a major uncertainty in understanding the effects of aviation on climate. In this study, two configurations of the atmospheric model from the Community Earth System Model (CESM), CAM4 and CAM5, are used to evaluate the effects of aircraft nitrogen oxide (NOx = NO + NO2) emissions on ozone and the background chemistry in the UTLS. CAM4 and CAM5 simulations were both performed with extensive tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry including 133 species and 330 photochemical reactions. CAM5 includes direct and indirect aerosol effects on clouds using a modal aerosol module (MAM) whereby CAM4 uses a bulk aerosol module which can only simulate the direct effect. To examine the accuracy of the aviation NOx induced ozone distribution in the two models, results from the CAM5 and CAM4 simulations are compared to ozonesonde data. Aviation NOx emissions for 2006 were obtained from the AEDT (Aviation Environmental Design Tool) global commercial aircraft emissions inventory. Differences between simulated O3 concentrations and ozonesonde measurements averaged at representative levels in the troposphere and different regions are 13% in CAM5 and 18% in CAM4. Results show a localized increase in aviation induced O3 concentrations at aviation cruise altitudes that stretches from 40° N to the North Pole. The results indicate a greater and more disperse production of aviation NOx-induced ozone in CAM5, with the annual tropospheric mean O3 perturbation of 1.3 ppb (2.7%) for CAM5 and 1.0 ppb (1.9%) for CAM4. The annual mean O3 perturbation peaks at about 8.3 ppb (6.4%) and 8.8 ppb (5.2%) in CAM5 and CAM4, respectively. Aviation emissions also result in increased OH concentrations and methane (CH4) loss rates, reducing the tropospheric methane lifetime in CAM5 and CAM4 by 1.9% and 1.40%, respectively. Aviation NOx emissions are associated with a change in global mean O3 radiative forcing (RF) of 43.9 and 36.5 mW m−2 in CAM5 and CAM4, respectively.

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