Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6))
Abstract Simulating whole atmosphere dynamics, chemistry, and physics is computationally expensive. It can require high vertical resolution throughout the middle and upper atmosphere, as well as a comprehensive chemistry and aerosol scheme coupled to radiation physics. An unintentional outcome of th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003579 |
| _version_ | 1797672532544847872 |
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| author | N. A. Davis D. Visioni R. R. Garcia D. E. Kinnison D. R. Marsh M. Mills J. H. Richter S. Tilmes C. G. Bardeen A. Gettelman A. A. Glanville D. G. MacMartin A. K. Smith F. Vitt |
| author_facet | N. A. Davis D. Visioni R. R. Garcia D. E. Kinnison D. R. Marsh M. Mills J. H. Richter S. Tilmes C. G. Bardeen A. Gettelman A. A. Glanville D. G. MacMartin A. K. Smith F. Vitt |
| author_sort | N. A. Davis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Simulating whole atmosphere dynamics, chemistry, and physics is computationally expensive. It can require high vertical resolution throughout the middle and upper atmosphere, as well as a comprehensive chemistry and aerosol scheme coupled to radiation physics. An unintentional outcome of the development of one of the most sophisticated and hence computationally expensive model configurations is that it often excludes a broad community of users with limited computational resources. Here, we analyze two configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) with simplified “middle atmosphere” chemistry at nominal 1 and 2° horizontal resolutions. Using observations, a reanalysis, and direct model comparisons, we find that these configurations generally reproduce the climate, variability, and climate sensitivity of the 1° nominal horizontal resolution configuration with comprehensive chemistry. While the background stratospheric aerosol optical depth is elevated in the middle atmosphere configurations as compared to the comprehensive chemistry configuration, it is comparable among all configurations during volcanic eruptions. For any purposes other than those needing an accurate representation of tropospheric organic chemistry and secondary organic aerosols, these simplified chemistry configurations deliver reliable simulations of the whole atmosphere that require 35% and 86% fewer computational resources at nominal 1 and 2° horizontal resolution, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:31:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-08c90ec24c61445c852b65d84597d1a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1942-2466 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:31:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-08c90ec24c61445c852b65d84597d1a72023-09-27T08:36:04ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems1942-24662023-09-01159n/an/a10.1029/2022MS003579Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6))N. A. Davis0D. Visioni1R. R. Garcia2D. E. Kinnison3D. R. Marsh4M. Mills5J. H. Richter6S. Tilmes7C. G. Bardeen8A. Gettelman9A. A. Glanville10D. G. MacMartin11A. K. Smith12F. Vitt13Atmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USASibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Cornell University Ithaca NY USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAClimate and Global Dynamics Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAClimate and Global Dynamics Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAPacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland WA USAClimate and Global Dynamics Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USASibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Cornell University Ithaca NY USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAtmospheric Chemistry and Modeling Observations Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAbstract Simulating whole atmosphere dynamics, chemistry, and physics is computationally expensive. It can require high vertical resolution throughout the middle and upper atmosphere, as well as a comprehensive chemistry and aerosol scheme coupled to radiation physics. An unintentional outcome of the development of one of the most sophisticated and hence computationally expensive model configurations is that it often excludes a broad community of users with limited computational resources. Here, we analyze two configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) with simplified “middle atmosphere” chemistry at nominal 1 and 2° horizontal resolutions. Using observations, a reanalysis, and direct model comparisons, we find that these configurations generally reproduce the climate, variability, and climate sensitivity of the 1° nominal horizontal resolution configuration with comprehensive chemistry. While the background stratospheric aerosol optical depth is elevated in the middle atmosphere configurations as compared to the comprehensive chemistry configuration, it is comparable among all configurations during volcanic eruptions. For any purposes other than those needing an accurate representation of tropospheric organic chemistry and secondary organic aerosols, these simplified chemistry configurations deliver reliable simulations of the whole atmosphere that require 35% and 86% fewer computational resources at nominal 1 and 2° horizontal resolution, respectively.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003579CESMclimatestratosphereozone |
| spellingShingle | N. A. Davis D. Visioni R. R. Garcia D. E. Kinnison D. R. Marsh M. Mills J. H. Richter S. Tilmes C. G. Bardeen A. Gettelman A. A. Glanville D. G. MacMartin A. K. Smith F. Vitt Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems CESM climate stratosphere ozone |
| title | Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) |
| title_full | Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) |
| title_fullStr | Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) |
| title_short | Climate, Variability, and Climate Sensitivity of “Middle Atmosphere” Chemistry Configurations of the Community Earth System Model Version 2, Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Version 6 (CESM2(WACCM6)) |
| title_sort | climate variability and climate sensitivity of middle atmosphere chemistry configurations of the community earth system model version 2 whole atmosphere community climate model version 6 cesm2 waccm6 |
| topic | CESM climate stratosphere ozone |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003579 |
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