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NCAR Release of CAM‐SE in CESM2.0: A Reformulation of the Spectral Element Dynamical Core in Dry‐Mass Vertical Coordinates With Comprehensive Treatment of Condensates and Energy

Journal Article · · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2017MS001257· OSTI ID:1460605
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [6];  [1]
  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USA
  2. School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences State University of New York at Stony Brook Stony Brook NY USA
  3. Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque NM USA
  4. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources University of California Davis CA USA
  5. Ecole Polytechnique, UMR 8539, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique/IPSL Palaiseau France
  6. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami Miami FL USA
Abstract

It is the purpose of this paper to provide a comprehensive documentation of the new NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) version of the spectral element (SE) dynamical core as part of the Community Earth System Model (CESM2.0) release. This version differs from previous releases of the SE dynamical core in several ways. Most notably the hybrid sigma vertical coordinate is based on dry air mass, the condensates are dynamically active in the thermodynamic and momentum equations (also referred to as condensate loading), and the continuous equations of motion conserve a more comprehensive total energy that includes condensates. Not related to the vertical coordinate change, the hyperviscosity operators and the vertical remapping algorithms have been modified. The code base has been significantly reduced, sped up, and cleaned up as part of integrating SE as a dynamical core in the CAM (Community Atmosphere Model) repository rather than importing the SE dynamical core from High‐Order Methods Modeling environment as an external code.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000; FC02-97ER62402
OSTI ID:
1460605
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1528868
OSTI ID: 1460607
Report Number(s):
SAND--2019-6821J
Journal Information:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 10; ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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