The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6
The phrasing of the first of three questions motivating CMIP6 – “How does the Earth system respond to forcing?” – suggests that forcing is always well-known, yet the radiative forcing to which this question refers has historically been uncertain in coordinated experiments even as understanding of ho...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-09-01
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| Series: | Geoscientific Model Development |
| Online Access: | http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/3447/2016/gmd-9-3447-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828778823846461440 |
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| author | R. Pincus P. M. Forster B. Stevens |
| author_facet | R. Pincus P. M. Forster B. Stevens |
| author_sort | R. Pincus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The phrasing of the first of three questions motivating CMIP6 – “How does
the Earth system respond to forcing?” – suggests that forcing is always
well-known, yet the radiative forcing to which this question refers has
historically been uncertain in coordinated experiments even as understanding
of how best to infer radiative forcing has evolved. The Radiative Forcing
Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP) endorsed by CMIP6 seeks to provide a foundation
for answering the question through three related activities: (i) accurate
characterization of the effective radiative forcing relative to a near-preindustrial baseline and careful diagnosis of the components of this
forcing; (ii) assessment of the absolute accuracy of clear-sky radiative
transfer parameterizations against reference models on the global scales
relevant for climate modeling; and (iii) identification of robust model
responses to tightly specified aerosol radiative forcing from 1850 to
present.
<br><br>
Complete characterization of effective radiative forcing can be accomplished
with 180 years (Tier 1) of atmosphere-only simulation using a sea-surface
temperature and sea ice concentration climatology derived from the host
model's preindustrial control simulation. Assessment of parameterization
error requires trivial amounts of computation but the development of small
amounts of infrastructure: new, spectrally detailed diagnostic output
requested as two snapshots at present-day and preindustrial conditions, and
results from the model's radiation code applied to specified atmospheric
conditions. The search for robust responses to aerosol changes relies on the
CMIP6 specification of anthropogenic aerosol properties; models using this
specification can contribute to RFMIP with no additional simulation, while
those using a full aerosol model are requested to perform at least one and
up to four 165-year coupled ocean–atmosphere simulations at Tier 1. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T16:50:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8df966fd5b944bdc9547de2f56550d28 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1991-959X 1991-9603 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T16:50:03Z |
| publishDate | 2016-09-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geoscientific Model Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-8df966fd5b944bdc9547de2f56550d282022-12-22T00:58:06ZengCopernicus PublicationsGeoscientific Model Development1991-959X1991-96032016-09-01993447346010.5194/gmd-9-3447-2016The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6R. Pincus0P. M. Forster1B. Stevens2Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USAInstitute for Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKMax Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg 20146, GermanyThe phrasing of the first of three questions motivating CMIP6 – “How does the Earth system respond to forcing?” – suggests that forcing is always well-known, yet the radiative forcing to which this question refers has historically been uncertain in coordinated experiments even as understanding of how best to infer radiative forcing has evolved. The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP) endorsed by CMIP6 seeks to provide a foundation for answering the question through three related activities: (i) accurate characterization of the effective radiative forcing relative to a near-preindustrial baseline and careful diagnosis of the components of this forcing; (ii) assessment of the absolute accuracy of clear-sky radiative transfer parameterizations against reference models on the global scales relevant for climate modeling; and (iii) identification of robust model responses to tightly specified aerosol radiative forcing from 1850 to present. <br><br> Complete characterization of effective radiative forcing can be accomplished with 180 years (Tier 1) of atmosphere-only simulation using a sea-surface temperature and sea ice concentration climatology derived from the host model's preindustrial control simulation. Assessment of parameterization error requires trivial amounts of computation but the development of small amounts of infrastructure: new, spectrally detailed diagnostic output requested as two snapshots at present-day and preindustrial conditions, and results from the model's radiation code applied to specified atmospheric conditions. The search for robust responses to aerosol changes relies on the CMIP6 specification of anthropogenic aerosol properties; models using this specification can contribute to RFMIP with no additional simulation, while those using a full aerosol model are requested to perform at least one and up to four 165-year coupled ocean–atmosphere simulations at Tier 1.http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/3447/2016/gmd-9-3447-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | R. Pincus P. M. Forster B. Stevens The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6 Geoscientific Model Development |
| title | The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6 |
| title_full | The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6 |
| title_fullStr | The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6 |
| title_short | The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP): experimental protocol for CMIP6 |
| title_sort | radiative forcing model intercomparison project rfmip experimental protocol for cmip6 |
| url | http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/3447/2016/gmd-9-3447-2016.pdf |
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