Identification

Title

Climate simulations with a new air-sea turbulent flux parameterization in the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3)

Abstract

This study examines climate simulations with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model version 3 (NCAR CAM3) using a new air-sea turbulent flux parameterization scheme. The current air-sea turbulent flux scheme in CAM3 consists of three basic bulk flux equations that are solved simultaneously by an iterative computational technique. We recently developed a new turbulent flux parameterization scheme where the Obukhov stability length is parameterized directly by using a bulk Richardson number, an aerodynamic roughness length, and a heat roughness length. Its advantages are that it (1) avoids the iterative process and thus increases the computational efficiency, (2) takes account of the difference between z₀m and z₀h and allows large z₀m/z₀h, and (3) preserves the accuracy of iteration. An offline test using Tropical Ocean–Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) data shows that the original scheme overestimates the surface fluxes under very weak winds but the new scheme gives better results. Under identical initial and boundary conditions, the original CAM3 and CAM3 coupled with the new turbulent flux scheme are used to simulate the global distribution of air-sea surface turbulent fluxes, and precipitation. Comparisons of model outputs against the European Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS), the Objectively Analyzed air-sea Fluxes (OAFlux), and Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) show that: (1) the new scheme produces more realistic surface wind stress in the North Pacific and North Atlantic trade wind belts and wintertime extratropical storm track regions; (2) the latent heat flux in the Northern Hemisphere trade wind zones shows modest improvement in the new scheme, and the latent heat flux bias in the western boundary current region of the Gulf Stream is reduced; and (3) the simulated precipitation in the new scheme is closer to observation in the Asian monsoon region.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7bk1dmh

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

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South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

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name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact