Sensitivity of a global climate model to the critical Richardson number in the boundary layer parameterization
Abstract
The critical bulk Richardson number (Ricr) is an important parameter in planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization schemes used in many climate models. This paper examines the sensitivity of a Global Climate Model, the Beijing Climate Center Atmospheric General Circulation Model, BCC_AGCM to Ricr. The results show that the simulated global average of PBL height increases nearly linearly with Ricr, with a change of about 114 m for a change of 0.5 in Ricr. The surface sensible (latent) heat flux decreases (increases) as Ricr increases. The influence of Ricr on surface air temperature and specific humidity is not significant. The increasing Ricr may affect the location of the Westerly Belt in the Southern Hemisphere. Further diagnosis reveals that changes in Ricr affect stratiform and convective precipitations differently. Increasing Ricr leads to an increase in the stratiform precipitation but a decrease in the convective precipitation. Significant changes of convective precipitation occur over the inter-tropical convergence zone, while changes of stratiform precipitation mostly appear over arid land such as North Africa and Middle East.
- Authors:
-
- Nanjing Univ., Nanjing (China)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Beijing (China)
- Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1201338
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-107834-2015-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X; R&D Project: 2016-BNL-EE631EECA-Budg; KP1703020
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC00112704
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 120; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; global climate model; critical bulk Richardson number; planetary boundary layer; precipitation
Citation Formats
Zhang, Ning, Liu, Yangang, Gao, Zhiqiu, and Li, Dan. Sensitivity of a global climate model to the critical Richardson number in the boundary layer parameterization. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1002/2014JD022015.
Zhang, Ning, Liu, Yangang, Gao, Zhiqiu, & Li, Dan. Sensitivity of a global climate model to the critical Richardson number in the boundary layer parameterization. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JD022015
Zhang, Ning, Liu, Yangang, Gao, Zhiqiu, and Li, Dan. Mon .
"Sensitivity of a global climate model to the critical Richardson number in the boundary layer parameterization". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JD022015. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1201338.
@article{osti_1201338,
title = {Sensitivity of a global climate model to the critical Richardson number in the boundary layer parameterization},
author = {Zhang, Ning and Liu, Yangang and Gao, Zhiqiu and Li, Dan},
abstractNote = {The critical bulk Richardson number (Ricr) is an important parameter in planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization schemes used in many climate models. This paper examines the sensitivity of a Global Climate Model, the Beijing Climate Center Atmospheric General Circulation Model, BCC_AGCM to Ricr. The results show that the simulated global average of PBL height increases nearly linearly with Ricr, with a change of about 114 m for a change of 0.5 in Ricr. The surface sensible (latent) heat flux decreases (increases) as Ricr increases. The influence of Ricr on surface air temperature and specific humidity is not significant. The increasing Ricr may affect the location of the Westerly Belt in the Southern Hemisphere. Further diagnosis reveals that changes in Ricr affect stratiform and convective precipitations differently. Increasing Ricr leads to an increase in the stratiform precipitation but a decrease in the convective precipitation. Significant changes of convective precipitation occur over the inter-tropical convergence zone, while changes of stratiform precipitation mostly appear over arid land such as North Africa and Middle East.},
doi = {10.1002/2014JD022015},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
number = 8,
volume = 120,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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