Exploratory high-resolution climate simulations using the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM)

Extended, high-resolution (0.23° latitude × 0.31° longitude) simulations with Community Atmosphere Model versions 4 and 5 (CAM4 and CAM5) are examined and compared with results from climate simulations conducted at a more typical resolution of 0.9° latitude × 1.25° longitude. Overall, the simulated climate of the high-resolution experiments is not dramatically better than that of their low-resolution counterparts. Improvements appear primarily where topographic effects may be playing a role, including a substantially improved summertime Indian monsoon simulation in CAM4 at high resolution. Significant sensitivity to resolution is found in simulated precipitation over the southeast United States during winter. Some aspects of the simulated seasonal mean precipitation deteriorate notably at high resolution. Prominent among these is an exacerbated Pacific "double ITCZ" bias in both models. Nevertheless, while large-scale seasonal means are not dramatically better at high resolution, realistic tropical cyclone (TC) distributions are obtained. Some skill in reproducing interannual variability in TC statistics also appears.

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Author Bacmeister, Julio
Wehner, M.
Neale, Richard
Gettelman, Andrew
Hannay, Cecile E.
Lauritzen, Peter H.
Caron, Julie
Truesdale, John E.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2014-05-01T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
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Topic Category geoscientificInformation
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Metadata Date 2025-07-12T00:08:55.569358
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:14119
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Bacmeister, Julio, Wehner, M., Neale, Richard, Gettelman, Andrew, Hannay, Cecile E., Lauritzen, Peter H., Caron, Julie, Truesdale, John E.. (2014). Exploratory high-resolution climate simulations using the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7r49rq8. Accessed 19 August 2025.

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