Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach
The modular structure of the boundary layer and convection parameterizations in atmospheric models have long been affecting the numerical representation of subgrid-scale motions and their mutual interactions. A promising alternative, the eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approach (EDMF), has the potential...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/9/484 |
| _version_ | 1830513128378466304 |
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| author | Marcin J. Kurowski Heidar Th. Thrastarson Kay Suselj Joao Teixeira |
| author_facet | Marcin J. Kurowski Heidar Th. Thrastarson Kay Suselj Joao Teixeira |
| author_sort | Marcin J. Kurowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The modular structure of the boundary layer and convection parameterizations in atmospheric models have long been affecting the numerical representation of subgrid-scale motions and their mutual interactions. A promising alternative, the eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approach (EDMF), has the potential for unifying the existing formulations into a consistent scheme and improving some of the long-standing issues. This study documents a step towards developing such a unified approach by implementing a stochastic multi-plume EDMF scheme into the Community Atmosphere Model (Version 5.0). Its performance in single-column mode is evaluated against the control parameterization and large-eddy simulation (LES) for two benchmark cases: marine and continental shallow convection. Overall, the results for the two parameterizations agree well with each other and with LES in terms of mean profiles of moist conserved variables and their vertical fluxes, as well as the updraft properties. However, systematic differences between the two schemes, especially for transient continental convection, are also documented. Using EDMF helps improve some of the parameterized features of shallow convection. In particular, for the highest tested vertical resolution, the EDMF cloud base and top heights and the vertical fluxes of energy and water are remarkably close to LES. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T02:39:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-54f11ef13fb84ba7974d2af07ad93edf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T02:39:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-54f11ef13fb84ba7974d2af07ad93edf2022-12-21T18:41:41ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332019-08-0110948410.3390/atmos10090484atmos10090484Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux ApproachMarcin J. Kurowski0Heidar Th. Thrastarson1Kay Suselj2Joao Teixeira3Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive M/S: 233-300, Pasadena, CA 91109, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive M/S: 233-300, Pasadena, CA 91109, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive M/S: 233-300, Pasadena, CA 91109, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive M/S: 233-300, Pasadena, CA 91109, USAThe modular structure of the boundary layer and convection parameterizations in atmospheric models have long been affecting the numerical representation of subgrid-scale motions and their mutual interactions. A promising alternative, the eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approach (EDMF), has the potential for unifying the existing formulations into a consistent scheme and improving some of the long-standing issues. This study documents a step towards developing such a unified approach by implementing a stochastic multi-plume EDMF scheme into the Community Atmosphere Model (Version 5.0). Its performance in single-column mode is evaluated against the control parameterization and large-eddy simulation (LES) for two benchmark cases: marine and continental shallow convection. Overall, the results for the two parameterizations agree well with each other and with LES in terms of mean profiles of moist conserved variables and their vertical fluxes, as well as the updraft properties. However, systematic differences between the two schemes, especially for transient continental convection, are also documented. Using EDMF helps improve some of the parameterized features of shallow convection. In particular, for the highest tested vertical resolution, the EDMF cloud base and top heights and the vertical fluxes of energy and water are remarkably close to LES.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/9/484planetary boundary layershallow convectioncoarse-resolution atmospheric modelseddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approachunified convection parameterizations |
| spellingShingle | Marcin J. Kurowski Heidar Th. Thrastarson Kay Suselj Joao Teixeira Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach Atmosphere planetary boundary layer shallow convection coarse-resolution atmospheric models eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approach unified convection parameterizations |
| title | Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach |
| title_full | Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach |
| title_fullStr | Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach |
| title_short | Towards Unifying the Planetary Boundary Layer and Shallow Convection in CAM5 with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Approach |
| title_sort | towards unifying the planetary boundary layer and shallow convection in cam5 with the eddy diffusivity mass flux approach |
| topic | planetary boundary layer shallow convection coarse-resolution atmospheric models eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux approach unified convection parameterizations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/9/484 |
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