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Title: Reference aquaplanet climate in the Community Atmosphere Model, Version 5

Journal Article · · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA
  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

In this study, fundamental characteristics of the aquaplanet climate simulated by the Community Atmosphere Model, Version 5.3 (CAM5.3) are presented. The assumptions and simplifications of the configuration are described. A 16 year long, perpetual equinox integration with prescribed SST using the model’s standard 18 grid spacing is presented as a reference simulation. Statistical analysis is presented that shows similar aquaplanet configurations can be run for about 2 years to obtain robust climatological structures, including global and zonal means, eddy statistics, and precipitation distributions. Such a simulation can be compared to the reference simulation to discern differences in the climate, including an assessment of confidence in the differences. To aid such comparisons, the reference simulation has been made available via earthsystemgrid.org. Examples are shown comparing the reference simulation with simulations from the CAM5 series that make different microphysical assumptions and use a different dynamical core.

Research Organization:
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FC02-97ER62402
OSTI ID:
1258034
Journal Information:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 8; ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (8)

A model intercomparison of the tropical precipitation response to a CO 2 doubling in aquaplanet simulations : ITCZ RESPONSE TO 2×CO journal January 2017
Parameterization Interactions in Global Aquaplanet Simulations journal February 2018
An Idealized Test of the Response of the Community Atmosphere Model to Near‐Grid‐Scale Forcing Across Hydrostatic Resolutions journal February 2018
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 July 2018
Control of ITCZ Width by Low-Level Radiative Heating From Upper-Level Clouds in Aquaplanet Simulations journal June 2018
A Total Energy Error Analysis of Dynamical Cores and Physics‐Dynamics Coupling in the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) journal May 2019
Exploring a Lower‐Resolution Physics Grid in CAM‐SE‐CSLAM journal July 2019
The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) contribution to CMIP6 journal January 2017

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