Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales
This study explores the potential added-value of applying cloud-resolving resolution to climate simulations. A month-long (July 2006) integration is performed with the CCLM on a convection-resolving grid of 2.2-km (0.02°) mesh size spanning the whole Alpine region. The initial and lateral boundary c...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Borntraeger
2008-08-01
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| Series: | Meteorologische Zeitschrift |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2008/0303 |
| _version_ | 1827363565803143168 |
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| author | Cathy Hohenegger Peter Brockhaus Christoph Schär |
| author_facet | Cathy Hohenegger Peter Brockhaus Christoph Schär |
| author_sort | Cathy Hohenegger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the potential added-value of applying cloud-resolving resolution to climate simulations. A month-long (July 2006) integration is performed with the CCLM on a convection-resolving grid of 2.2-km (0.02°) mesh size spanning the whole Alpine region. The initial and lateral boundary conditions stem from a coarser-resolution 25-km (0.22°) CCLM integration. Comparison to observations indicates that the cloud-resolving simulation is able to capture the overall precipitation distribution and evolution. With respect to its driving lower-resolution integration, the cloud-resolving resolution yields a more accurate spatial localization of the precipitation maxima, reduces the cold bias, and especially reproduces a better timing of the convective diurnal cycle. The explicit resolution delays the onset of convective precipitation by about 2 h, shifts the time of peak precipitation by a similar period, and slows down the decay of convective activity in the afternoon. In return, the integration shows a tendency to underestimate the afternoon convective rainfalls, particularly under weak synoptic and/or orographic forcing. This latter effect might be improved by modifying the treatment of subgrid-scale clouds in the model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:51:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9029aa3e76654cb29f06c3879f8a89be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0941-2948 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:51:00Z |
| publishDate | 2008-08-01 |
| publisher | Borntraeger |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Meteorologische Zeitschrift |
| spelling | doaj.art-9029aa3e76654cb29f06c3879f8a89be2024-02-02T14:46:03ZengBorntraegerMeteorologische Zeitschrift0941-29482008-08-0117438339410.1127/0941-2948/2008/030356729Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scalesCathy HoheneggerPeter BrockhausChristoph SchärThis study explores the potential added-value of applying cloud-resolving resolution to climate simulations. A month-long (July 2006) integration is performed with the CCLM on a convection-resolving grid of 2.2-km (0.02°) mesh size spanning the whole Alpine region. The initial and lateral boundary conditions stem from a coarser-resolution 25-km (0.22°) CCLM integration. Comparison to observations indicates that the cloud-resolving simulation is able to capture the overall precipitation distribution and evolution. With respect to its driving lower-resolution integration, the cloud-resolving resolution yields a more accurate spatial localization of the precipitation maxima, reduces the cold bias, and especially reproduces a better timing of the convective diurnal cycle. The explicit resolution delays the onset of convective precipitation by about 2 h, shifts the time of peak precipitation by a similar period, and slows down the decay of convective activity in the afternoon. In return, the integration shows a tendency to underestimate the afternoon convective rainfalls, particularly under weak synoptic and/or orographic forcing. This latter effect might be improved by modifying the treatment of subgrid-scale clouds in the model.http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2008/0303 |
| spellingShingle | Cathy Hohenegger Peter Brockhaus Christoph Schär Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales Meteorologische Zeitschrift |
| title | Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales |
| title_full | Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales |
| title_fullStr | Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales |
| title_short | Towards climate simulations at cloud-resolving scales |
| title_sort | towards climate simulations at cloud resolving scales |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2008/0303 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cathyhohenegger towardsclimatesimulationsatcloudresolvingscales AT peterbrockhaus towardsclimatesimulationsatcloudresolvingscales AT christophschar towardsclimatesimulationsatcloudresolvingscales |