TWP-ICE Global Atmospheric Model Intercomparison: Convection Responsiveness and Resolution Impact
Results are presented from an intercomparison of global atmospheric model (GAM) simulations of tropical convection during the Tropical Warm Pool-International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE). The distinct cloud properties, precipitation, radiation, and vertical diabatic heating profiles associated with three different monsoon regimes (wet, dry, and break) from available observations are used to evaluate 9 GAM forecasts initialized daily from realistic global analyses. All models well captured the evolution of large-scale circulation and the thermodynamic fields, but cloud properties differed substantially among models. For example, liquid water path and ice water path differed by up to two orders of magnitude. Compared with the relatively well simulated top-heavy heating structures during the wet and break period, most models had difficulty in depicting the bottom-heavy heating profiles associated with cumulus congestus. The best performing models during this period were the ones whose convection scheme was most responsive to the free tropospheric humidity. Compared with the large impact of cloud and convective parameterizations on model cloud and precipitation characteristics, resolution has relatively minor impact on simulated cloud properties. However, one feature that was influence by the resolution study in several models was the diurnal cycle of precipitation. Peaking at a different time from convective precipitation, large-scale precipitation generally increases in high resolution forecasts and modulates the total precipitation diurnal cycle. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of more environmental responsive convective parameterizations to capture various types of convection and the substantial diversity among large-scale cloud and precipitation schemes in current GAMs. This experiment has also demonstrated itself to be a very useful testbed for those developing cloud and convection schemes in these models.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1040668
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-82707; KP1701000; TRN: US201211%%32
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), Vol. 117
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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