Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3

Gerald A. Meehl; Dongxia Yang; Julie M. Arblaster; Susan C. Bates; Nan Rosenbloom; Richard Neale; Julio Bacmeister; Peter H. Lauritzen; Frank Bryan; Justin Small; John Truesdale; Cecile Hannay; Christine Shields; Warren G. Strand; John Dennis; Gokhan Danabasoglu

doi:10.1029/2019GL084057

Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3

Gerald A. Meehl, Dongxia Yang, Julie M. Arblaster, Susan C. Bates, Nan Rosenbloom, Richard Neale, Julio Bacmeister, Peter H. Lauritzen, Frank Bryan, Justin Small, John Truesdale, Cecile Hannay, Christine Shields, Warren G. Strand, John Dennis, Gokhan Danabasoglu

School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

52 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Two high-resolution versions of a Coupled Earth System Model (CESM1.3: 0.25° atmosphere, 1° ocean; CESM1.1: 0.25° atmosphere, 0.1° ocean) are compared to the standard resolution CESM1.1 and CESM1.3 (1° atmosphere, 1° ocean). The CESM1.3 versions are documented, and the consequences of model resolution, air-sea coupling, and physics in the atmospheric models are studied with regard to storm tracks in the Southern Hemisphere as represented by 850-hPa eddy kinetic energy. Increasing the resolution from 1° to 0.25° in the atmosphere (same physics) coupled to the 1° ocean intensifies the strength of the storm tracks closer to observations. The 0.25° atmosphere with the older CESM1.1 physics coupled to the 0.1° ocean has fewer low clouds, warmer Southern Ocean sea surface temperatures, a weaker meridional temperature gradient, and a degraded storm track simulation compared to the 0.25° atmosphere with CESM1.3 physics coupled to the 1° ocean. Therefore, deficient physics in the atmospheric model can negate the gains attained by higher resolution in atmosphere and ocean.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	12408-12416
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	46
Issue number	21
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084057
Publication status	Published - 16 Nov 2019

Keywords

earth system model
resolution
storm tracks

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10.1029/2019GL084057

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Meehl, G. A., Yang, D., Arblaster, J. M., Bates, S. C., Rosenbloom, N., Neale, R., Bacmeister, J., Lauritzen, P. H., Bryan, F., Small, J., Truesdale, J., Hannay, C., Shields, C., Strand, W. G., Dennis, J., & Danabasoglu, G. (2019). Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(21), 12408-12416. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084057

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abstract = "Two high-resolution versions of a Coupled Earth System Model (CESM1.3: 0.25° atmosphere, 1° ocean; CESM1.1: 0.25° atmosphere, 0.1° ocean) are compared to the standard resolution CESM1.1 and CESM1.3 (1° atmosphere, 1° ocean). The CESM1.3 versions are documented, and the consequences of model resolution, air-sea coupling, and physics in the atmospheric models are studied with regard to storm tracks in the Southern Hemisphere as represented by 850-hPa eddy kinetic energy. Increasing the resolution from 1° to 0.25° in the atmosphere (same physics) coupled to the 1° ocean intensifies the strength of the storm tracks closer to observations. The 0.25° atmosphere with the older CESM1.1 physics coupled to the 0.1° ocean has fewer low clouds, warmer Southern Ocean sea surface temperatures, a weaker meridional temperature gradient, and a degraded storm track simulation compared to the 0.25° atmosphere with CESM1.3 physics coupled to the 1° ocean. Therefore, deficient physics in the atmospheric model can negate the gains attained by higher resolution in atmosphere and ocean.",

keywords = "earth system model, resolution, storm tracks",

author = "Meehl, \{Gerald A.\} and Dongxia Yang and Arblaster, \{Julie M.\} and Bates, \{Susan C.\} and Nan Rosenbloom and Richard Neale and Julio Bacmeister and Lauritzen, \{Peter H.\} and Frank Bryan and Justin Small and John Truesdale and Cecile Hannay and Christine Shields and Strand, \{Warren G.\} and John Dennis and Gokhan Danabasoglu",

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doi = "10.1029/2019GL084057",

language = "English",

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journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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Meehl, GA, Yang, D, Arblaster, JM, Bates, SC, Rosenbloom, N, Neale, R, Bacmeister, J, Lauritzen, PH, Bryan, F, Small, J, Truesdale, J, Hannay, C, Shields, C, Strand, WG, Dennis, J & Danabasoglu, G 2019, 'Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 46, no. 21, pp. 12408-12416. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084057

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3

AU - Meehl, Gerald A.

AU - Yang, Dongxia

AU - Arblaster, Julie M.

AU - Bates, Susan C.

AU - Rosenbloom, Nan

AU - Neale, Richard

AU - Bacmeister, Julio

AU - Lauritzen, Peter H.

AU - Bryan, Frank

AU - Small, Justin

AU - Truesdale, John

AU - Hannay, Cecile

AU - Shields, Christine

AU - Strand, Warren G.

AU - Dennis, John

AU - Danabasoglu, Gokhan

PY - 2019/11/16

Y1 - 2019/11/16

N2 - Two high-resolution versions of a Coupled Earth System Model (CESM1.3: 0.25° atmosphere, 1° ocean; CESM1.1: 0.25° atmosphere, 0.1° ocean) are compared to the standard resolution CESM1.1 and CESM1.3 (1° atmosphere, 1° ocean). The CESM1.3 versions are documented, and the consequences of model resolution, air-sea coupling, and physics in the atmospheric models are studied with regard to storm tracks in the Southern Hemisphere as represented by 850-hPa eddy kinetic energy. Increasing the resolution from 1° to 0.25° in the atmosphere (same physics) coupled to the 1° ocean intensifies the strength of the storm tracks closer to observations. The 0.25° atmosphere with the older CESM1.1 physics coupled to the 0.1° ocean has fewer low clouds, warmer Southern Ocean sea surface temperatures, a weaker meridional temperature gradient, and a degraded storm track simulation compared to the 0.25° atmosphere with CESM1.3 physics coupled to the 1° ocean. Therefore, deficient physics in the atmospheric model can negate the gains attained by higher resolution in atmosphere and ocean.

AB - Two high-resolution versions of a Coupled Earth System Model (CESM1.3: 0.25° atmosphere, 1° ocean; CESM1.1: 0.25° atmosphere, 0.1° ocean) are compared to the standard resolution CESM1.1 and CESM1.3 (1° atmosphere, 1° ocean). The CESM1.3 versions are documented, and the consequences of model resolution, air-sea coupling, and physics in the atmospheric models are studied with regard to storm tracks in the Southern Hemisphere as represented by 850-hPa eddy kinetic energy. Increasing the resolution from 1° to 0.25° in the atmosphere (same physics) coupled to the 1° ocean intensifies the strength of the storm tracks closer to observations. The 0.25° atmosphere with the older CESM1.1 physics coupled to the 0.1° ocean has fewer low clouds, warmer Southern Ocean sea surface temperatures, a weaker meridional temperature gradient, and a degraded storm track simulation compared to the 0.25° atmosphere with CESM1.3 physics coupled to the 1° ocean. Therefore, deficient physics in the atmospheric model can negate the gains attained by higher resolution in atmosphere and ocean.

KW - earth system model

KW - resolution

KW - storm tracks

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U2 - 10.1029/2019GL084057

DO - 10.1029/2019GL084057

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85071688087

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 46

SP - 12408

EP - 12416

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 21

ER -

Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3

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ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes

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Effects of Model Resolution, Physics, and Coupling on Southern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in CESM1.3

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

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ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes

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