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Title: A new synoptic scale resolving global climate simulation using the Community Earth System Model

Journal Article · · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2014MS000363· OSTI ID:1237128
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [4];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Climate and Global Dynamics Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder Colorado USA
  2. Computational and Information Systems Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder Colorado USA
  3. Climate and Geophysics, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
  4. International Pacific Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii Honolulu Hawaii USA
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Abstract High‐resolution global climate modeling holds the promise of capturing planetary‐scale climate modes and small‐scale (regional and sometimes extreme) features simultaneously, including their mutual interaction. This paper discusses a new state‐of‐the‐art high‐resolution Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulation that was performed with these goals in mind. The atmospheric component was at 0.25° grid spacing, and ocean component at 0.1°. One hundred years of “present‐day” simulation were completed. Major results were that annual mean sea surface temperature (SST) in the equatorial Pacific and El‐Niño Southern Oscillation variability were well simulated compared to standard resolution models. Tropical and southern Atlantic SST also had much reduced bias compared to previous versions of the model. In addition, the high resolution of the model enabled small‐scale features of the climate system to be represented, such as air‐sea interaction over ocean frontal zones, mesoscale systems generated by the Rockies, and Tropical Cyclones. Associated single component runs and standard resolution coupled runs are used to help attribute the strengths and weaknesses of the fully coupled run. The high‐resolution run employed 23,404 cores, costing 250 thousand processor‐hours per simulated year and made about two simulated years per day on the NCAR‐Wyoming supercomputer “Yellowstone.”

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1237128
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1237129
Journal Information:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Vol. 6 Journal Issue: 4; ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 211 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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