Numerical investigation of an extreme storm with the Canadian Regional Climate Model: the case study of windstorm VIVIAN, Switzerland, February 27, 1990

 The windstorm VIVIAN that severely affected Switzerland in February 1990 has been investigated using the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM). This winter storm was characterised by a deep cyclone in the North Atlantic and by strong geopotential and baroclinic north-south gradients in the troposphere over Western Europe resulting in high windspeeds in Switzerland. Our principal emphasis is to demonstrate the ability of the CRCM to simulate the windfield intensity and patterns. In order to simulate winds at very high resolution we operate an optimal multiple self-nesting with the CRCM in order to increase the horizontal and vertical resolution. The simulation starts with downscaling NCEP-NCAR reanalyses at 60 km with 20 vertical levels, followed by an intermediate 5-km simulation with 30 vertical levels nested in the former. The 5-km output is in a final phase used for initial and lateral conditions for a 1-km resolution simulation with 46 vertical levels. The multiple self-nesting in the horizontal is necessary to reach sufficient resolution to better capture the orographic forcing that modulates the atmospheric circulation at fine scales, whereas the vertical resolution enhancement helps to better simulate the boundary layer that modulates the windspeed along the surface and better represents the atmospheric circulation with a complex vertical structure (low-level jets, gravity waves and frontal features). It has also been found that the simulated temporal variability of the windfield and of most variables at the finer scales increases with the increasing nesting frequency. This indicates that as we progress towards finer scales in the horizontal, the vertical and the nesting frequency enhancement helps to simulate windspeed variability. However, the variability within the larger domain is limited by the archival frequency of reanalysis data that cannot resolve disturbances with time scale shorter than 12 h. Results show that while the model simulates well the synoptic-scale flow at 60-km resolution, cascade self-nesting is necessary to capture fine-scale features of the topography that modulate the flow that generate localised wind enhancement over Switzerland. Received: 6 July 2000 / Accepted: 13 February 2001     

THE SENSITIVITY OF NUMERICAL SIMULATION TO OROGRAPHY SPECIFICATION IN THE LOW RESOLUTION SPECTRAL MODEL－PART I: THE EFFECTS OF OROGRAPHY ON THE ATMOSPHERIC GENERAL CIRCULATION

In order to identify the sensitivity of the numerical simulation to the orography specification in a low resolution spectral model, two sets of numerical experiments for full-mountain and no-mountain cases are performed. By comparing the results, it is possible to determine the eflects of mountains on the atmospheric general circulation.This is a global, spectral model incorporating the primitive equations sugmented by physical parameterization and mountains, with five equally-spaced sigma levels in the vertical ang a triangular truncation at wavenum-ber 10 in the horizontal.Analysis of results supports earlier work by demonstrating that the low resolution global spectral model is capable of simulating the major features of global general circulation and indicates that it is necessary to consider the effects of mountains on stationary disturbances in the numerical simulation. The simulations show that topography plays an important role in intensifying heat sources for maintenance of disturbances.All the     

The Effects of Model Resolution on the Simulation of Regional Climate Extreme Events

The fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University/NCAR Mesoscale Model Version 3 (MM5V3) was used to simulate extreme heavy rainfall events over the Yangtze River Basin in June 1999. The effects of model's horizontal and vertical resolution on the extreme climate events were investigated in detail. In principle, the model was able to characterize the spatial distribution of monthly heavy precipitation. The results indicated that the increase in horizontal resolution could reduce the bias of the modeled heavy rain and reasonably simulate the change of daily precipitation during the study period. A finer vertical resolution led to obviously improve rainfall simulations with smaller biases, and hence, better resolve heavy rainfall events. The increase in both horizontal and vertical resolution could produce better predictions of heavy rainfall events. Not only the rainfall simulation altered in the cases of different horizontal and vertical grid spacing, but also other meteorological fields demonstrated diverse variations in terms of resolution change in the model. An evident improvement in the simulated sea level pressure resulted from the increase of horizontal resolution, but the simulation was insensitive to vertical grid spacing. The increase in vertical resolution could enhance the simulation of surface temperature as well as atmospheric circulation at low levels, while the simulation of circulation at middle and upper levels were found to be much less dependent on changing resolution. In addition, cumulus parameterization schemes showed high sensitivity to horizontal resolution. Different convective schemes exhibited large discrepancies in rainfall simulations with regards to changing resolution. The percentage of convective precipitation in the Grell scheme increased with increasing horizontal resolution. In contrast, the Kain-Fritsch scheme caused a reduced ratio of convective precipitation to total rainfall accumulations corresponding to increasing horizontal resolution.     

Comprehensive simulation of the middle atmospheric climate: some recent results

This study discusses the results of comprehensive time-dependent, three-dimensional numerical modelling of the circulation in the middle atmosphere obtained with the GFDL SKYHI troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere general circulation model (GCM). The climate in a long control simulation with an intermediate resolution version (3° in horizontal) is briefly reviewed. While many aspects of the simulation are quite realistic, the focus in this study is on remaining first-order problems with the modelled middle atmospheric general circulation, notably the very cold high latitude temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) winter/spring, and the virtual absence of a quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical stratosphere. These problems are shared by other extant GCMs. It was noted that the SH cold pole problem is somewhat ameliorated with increasing horizontal resolution in the model. This suggests that improved resolution increases the vertical momentum fluxes from the explicitly resolved gravity waves in the model, a point confirmed by detailed analysis of the spectrum of vertical eddy momentum flux in the winter SH extratropics. This result inspired a series of experiments with the 3° SKYHI model modified by adding a prescribed zonally-symmetric zonal drag on the SH winter westerlies. The form of the imposed momentum source was based on the simple assumption that the mean flow drag produced by unresolved waves has a spatial distribution similar to that of the Eliassen-Palm flux divergence associated with explicitly resolved gravity waves. It was found that an appropriately-chosen drag confined to the top six model levels (above 0.35 mb) can lead to quite realistic simulations of the SH winter flow (including even the stationary wave fields) through August, but that problems still remain in the late-winter/springtime simulation. While the imposed momentum source was largely confined to the extratropics, it produced considerable improvement in the simulation of the equatorial semiannual oscillation, with both the easterly and westerly phases being somewhat more intense than in the control simulation. A separate experiment was conducted in which the SKYHI model was simplified so that it had no topography and so that the seasonal cycle was frozen in perpetual equinox conditions. These changes result in a model that has much reduced interhemispheric asymmetry. This model spontaneously produces a long period mean flow oscillation of considerable amplitude in the tropical upper stratopause. The implication of this result for the general issue of obtaining a QBO in comprehensive GCMs is discussed.     

平流层大气动力学及其与对流层大气相互作用的研究:进展与问题

本文综述了近年来关于平流层大气动力学及其与对流层大气相互作用动力过程的研究进展,特别是回顾了近年来关于平流层大气环流和行星波动力学、热带平流层大气波动及其与基本气流相互作用、平流层大气环流变异对对流层环流和气候变异的影响及其动力过程、平流层大气数值模拟以及在全球变暖背景下平流层大气的长期演变趋势预估等的研究进展。最近的研究揭示了大气准定常行星波传播波导的振荡现象、重力波在热带平流层准两年振荡和全球物质输送中的作用、平流层长期的变冷趋势变化、平流层在对流层天气和气候变化中的作用等现象,表明了平流层大气动力学研究的重要性。平流层大气动力学的深入研究,以及对数值模式中平流层模拟性能的提高,最终都会推动整个大气科学和气候变化研究的进一步发展。     

Modeling the Tropical Pacific Ocean Using a Regional Coupled Climate Model

A high-resolution tropical Pacific general circulation model (GCM) coupled to a global atmospheric GCM is described in this paper. The atmosphere component is the 5°×4°global general circulation model of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) with 9 levels in the vertical direction. The ocean component with a horizontal resolution of 0.5°, is based on a low-resolution model (2°×1°in longitude-latitude).Simulations of the ocean component are first compared with its previous version. Results show that the enhanced ocean horizontal resolution allows an improved ocean state to be simulated; this involves (1) an apparent decrease in errors in the tropical Pacific cold tongue region, which exists in many ocean models,(2) more realistic large-scale flows, and (3) an improved ability to simulate the interannual variability and a reduced root mean square error (RMSE) in a long time integration. In coupling these component models, a monthly "linear-regression" method is employed to correct the model's exchanged flux between the sea and the atmosphere. A 100-year integration conducted with the coupled GCM (CGCM) shows the effectiveness of such a method in reducing climate drift. Results from years 70 to 100 are described.The model produces a reasonably realistic annual cycle of equatorial SST. The large SSTA is confined to the eastern equatorial Pacific with little propagation. Irregular warm and cold events alternate with a broad spectrum of periods between 24 and 50 months, which is very realistic. But the simulated variability is weaker than the observed and is also asymmetric in the sense of the amplitude of the warm and cold events.     

夏季东半球热带海温异常对亚洲季风环流和降水影响的数值试验

利用一个全球大气环流谱模式，模拟了７月份大气对东半球热带海洋（阿拉伯海、孟加拉湾、南海、西太平洋）海温异常的响应。试验结果表明，热带海洋的热状况是影响亚洲季风环流和降水的一个重要因素。     

Sea-town interactions over Marseille: 3D urban boundary layer and thermodynamic fields near the surface

Summary 3D numerical simulations with the Meso-NH atmospheric model including the Town Energy Balance urban parameterization, are conducted over the south-east of France and the one million inhabitants city of Marseille in the frameworks of the ESCOMPTE-UBL program. The geographic situation of the area is relatively complex, because of the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea and the presence of numerous massifs, inducing complex meteorological flows. The present work is focused on six days of the campaign, characterized by the development of strong summer sea-breeze circulations. A complete evaluation of the model is initially realized at both regional- and city-scales, by using the large available database. The regional evaluation shows a good behavior of the model, during the six days of simulation, either for the parameters near the surface or for the vertical profiles describing the structure of the atmosphere. The urban-scale evaluation indicates that the fine structure of the horizontal fields of air temperature above the city is correctly simulated by the model. A specific attention is then pointed to the 250-m horizontal resolution outputs, focused on the Marseille area, for two days of the campaign. From the study of the vertical structure of the Urban Boundary Layer and the thermodynamic fields near the surface, one underscores the important differences due to the regional and local flows, and the complex interactions that occur between the urban effects and the effects of sea breezes.     

An efficient climate model with a 3D ocean and statistical–dynamical atmosphere*

We describe a coupled climate model of intermediate complexity designed for use in global warming experiments. The atmospheric component is a two-dimensional (zonally averaged) statistical-dynamical model based on the Goddard Institute for Space Study's atmospheric general circulation model (GCM). In contrast with energy-balance models used in some climate models of intermediate complexity, this model includes full representation of the hydrological and momentum cycles. It also has parameterizations of the main physical processes, including a sophisticated radiation code. The ocean component is a coarse resolution ocean GCM with simplified global geometry based on the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory modular ocean model. Because of the simplified geometry the resolution in the western boundary layers can be readily increased compared to conventional coarse resolution models, without increasing the model's computational requirements in a significant way. The ocean model's efficiency is also greatly increased by using a moderate degree of asynchronous coupling between the oceanic momentum and tracer fields. We demonstrate that this still allows an accurate simulation of transient behavior, including the seasonal cycle. A 100 years simulation with the model requires less than 8 hours on a state-of the art workstation. The main novelty of the model is therefore a combination of computational efficiency, statistical-dynamical atmosphere and 3D ocean. Long-term present-day climate simulations are carried out using the coupled model with and without flux adjustments, and with either the Gent-McWilliams (GM) parametrization scheme or horizontal diffusion (HD) in the ocean. Deep ocean temperatures systematically decrease in the runs without flux adjustment. We demonstrate that the mismatch between heat transports in the uncoupled states of two models is the main cause for the systematic drift. In addition, changes in the circulation and sea-ice formation also contribute to the drift. Flux adjustments in the freshwater fluxes are shown to have a stabilizing effect on the thermohaline circulation in the model, whereas the adjustments in the heat fluxes tend to weaken the global "conveyor". To evaluate the model's response to transient external forcing global warming simulations are also carried out with the flux-adjusted version of the coupled model. The coupled model reproduces reasonably well the behavior of more sophisticated coupled GCMs for both current climate and for the global warming scenarios.     

Non-Linear, Microscale Modelling of the Flow Over Askervein Hill

The flow solver “3DWind” is used to explore new aspects of the Askervein hill flow case. Previous work has investigated sensitivities to the grid, the inflow boundary profile, the roughness and the turbulence model. Several different linear and non-linear numerical models have also been validated by means of the Askervein hill case. This analysis focuses on the flow sensitivity to the grid spacing, the incident wind direction and the vertical resolution of topographic data. The horizontal resolution is found to be fine enough to cause only minor differences compared to a grid where every second node is removed. The vertical resolution dependence is mainly attributed to the wall functions. Simulations are performed for wind directions 200°, 205°, 210° and 215° at the reference station. The smallest directional biases compared to experimental values along a line through the hilltop are found for the directions 200° and 205°. There are larger wind direction changes along this line through the hilltop in the 200° case than in the 215° case. Still the simulation results give less veering than found in the experimental results, and this is maybe caused by a slightly stable atmosphere. The sensitivity to the vertical resolution of the topographical data is found to be particularly high close to the ground at the top of the hill; this is where the speed-up is most important. Differences decrease with the height from the ground. At higher levels the speed-ups are smaller and caused by terrain formations with larger scales.     

Impacts of cumulus momentum transport on MJO simulation

Vertical cumulus momentum transport is an important physical process in the tropical atmosphere and plays a key role in the evolution of the tropical atmospheric system. This paper focuses on the impact of the vertical cumulus momentum transport on Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) simulation in two global climate models (GCMs). The Tiedtke cumulus parameterization scheme is applied to both GCMs [CAM2 and Spectral Atmospheric general circulation Model of LASG/IAP (SAMIL)]. It is found that the MJO simulation ability might be influenced by the vertical cumulus momentum transport through the cumulus parameterization scheme. However, the use of vertical momentum transport in different models provides different results. In order to improve model's MJO simulation ability, we must introduce vertical cumulus momentum transport in a more reasonable way into models. Furthermore, the coherence of the parameterization and the underlying model also need to be considered.     

A regional modeling study of the diurnal cycle in the lower troposphere in the south-eastern tropical Pacific

We examine the influence of the South-American land-mass and its mountains on the significant cyclic diurnal and semidiurnal components of the average circulation in the adjacent area of the southeastern tropical Pacific (SEP). Our approach is based on a number of numerical simulations with the regional atmospheric model weather research and forecasting forced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction’s final analysis operational analysis data. In the control simulation the model domain covers the SEP and a large part of South America. In several sensitivity experiments the domain is reduced to progressively exclude continental areas. We find that the mean diurnal cycle is sensitive to model domain in ways that reveal the existence of different contributions originating from the Chilean and Peruvian land-masses. The experiments suggest that diurnal variations in circulations and thermal structures over the SEP (mainly forced by local insolation) are influenced by convection over the Peruvian sector of the Andes cordillera, while the mostly dry mountain-breeze circulations force an additional component that results in semi-diurnal variations near the coast. A series of numerical tests, however, reveal sensitivity of the simulations to the choice of vertical grid, limiting the possibility of solid quantitative statements on the amplitudes and phases of the diurnal and semidiurnal components across the domain.     

On the bogusing of tropical cyclones in numerical models: The influence of vertical structure

Summary In this study, idealised conditions are used to study the influence of vertical structure of the bogus vortex on its motion in numerical models by comparing the resultant forecast tracks. Two vortices were used: one has a cyclonic circulation throughout the troposphere and the other has an upper tropospheric anticyclone. Both vortices have the same structure in the middle and lower troposphere. The two vortices were inserted into four different environmental flows on a beta-plane: (a) a resting atmosphere; (b) a uniform flow; (c) a horozontal shear flow and (d) a vertical shear flow. The results show that the forecast tracks are very sensitive to the vertical structure of the bogus vortex, especially when the environmental flow is very weak, or is westerly and has a cyclonic horizontal shear. However, this sensitivity is reduced in moderate vertical shear. This motion sensitivity is found to arise from the vertical coupling mechanism by which the upper-and lower-level circulations interact with each other when a horizontal displacement occurs between them.The vertical structure of the bogus vortex can also affect the intensity of the model cyclone, depending on the configuration of the environmental flow. In general, the bogus vortex without an upper-level anticyclone will intensify quicker and will develop more intense than the one with an upper-level anticyclone. The vertical coupling mechanism can result in different asymmetric rainfall pattern in cyclone core region depending on the vertical structure of the bogus vortex. The asymmetric divergent flow associated with these convective asymmetries may in turn further influence the vortex motion. It is suggested that care needs to be taken in determining the vertical structure of the bogus vortex in numerical models.With 14 Figures     

大气环流的年代际变化 II.GCM数值模拟研究

类似大气环流模式比较计划（AMIP）的数值模拟,将实际观测的海表水温（SST）资料引入模式进行40多年的数值积分,得到长时间的大气环流模拟结果。分析数值模拟结果发现,无论是大气中的主要涛动和遥相关型,还是重要大气环流系统都极为清楚地存在着年代际变化特征,包括10～20年准周期振荡和可能的30年以上的准周期振荡;而且上述主要环流系统的形势及其年代际变化大都与实际观测资料所给出的结果相一致。顺便分析中国东部气候的模拟结果,年代际变化特征（包括60年代的气候突变）也很清楚,并同大气环流变化配合十分合理。结果也表明,同研究季节和年际变化一样,大气环流模式（AGCM）数值模拟也是研究大气环流和气候年代际变化的有效方法。     

A coupled atmosphere‐ocean model for transient climate change studies

Abstract

A new coupled atmosphere‐ocean model has been developed for climate predictions at decade to century scales. The atmospheric model is similar to that of Hansen et al. (1983) except that the atmospheric dynamic equations for mass and momentum are solved using Arakawa and Lamb's (1977) C grid scheme and the advection of potential enthalpy and water vapour uses the linear upstream scheme (Russell and Lerner, 1981). The new global ocean model conserves mass, allows for divergent flow, has a free surface and uses the linear upstream scheme for the advection of potential enthalpy and salt. Both models run at 4° × 5° resolution, with 9 vertical layers for the atmosphere and 13 layers for the ocean. Twelve straits are included, allowing for subgrid‐scale water flow. Runoff from land is routed into appropriate ocean basins. Atmospheric and oceanic surface fluxes are of opposite sign and are applied synchronously. Flux adjustments are not used. Except for partial strength alternating binomial filters (Shapiro, 1970), which are applied to the momentum components in the atmosphere and oceans, there is no explicit horizontal diffusion.

A 120‐year simulation of the coupled model starting from the oceanic initial conditions of Levitus (1982) is discussed. The model dynamics stabilize after several decades. The maximum northward ocean heat flux is 1.4 × 10¹⁵ W at 16°N. The model appears to maintain the vertical gradients characterizing the separation between the upper and deep ocean spheres. Inadequacies in the coupled model simulation lead to decreasing temperature and salinity in the high latitude North Atlantic and to a poor simulation of the northern North Atlantic thermohaline circulation. The mass transport of the Gulf Stream is about half of observed values, while the transports of the Kuroshio and Antarctic Circumpolar Currents are similar to observations. Additional deficiencies include a climate drift in the surface air temperature of 0.006°C year^‐1 due to a radiation imbalance of 7.4 Wm^‐2 at the top of the atmosphere and too warm temperatures in the eastern portions of tropical oceans. The coupled model should be useful for delineating modelling capabilities without the use of flux adjustments and should serve as a benchmark for future model improvements.     

A numerical study of atmospheric pollution over complex terrain in Switzerland

A pollution-related study has been carried out for the Swiss city of Bienne that is located in complex terrain at the foot of the Jura mountains. The study consists of an analysis of pollutant transport and dispersion from various emittors located in the city, using a coupled system of mesoscale and micro-scale atmospheric numerical models. Simulations of atmospheric flow with the mesoscale model over a 20 × 20 km domain (horizontal resolution: 500 m; vertical resolution: 250 m) are used to initialize a microscale model centered over the city. The domain of this latter model is 4 × 4 km (horizontal resolution: 100 m; vertical resolution: 10 m). Plume trajectories are computed in the micro-scale model, and are a function of the regional-scale flow field previously calculated by the mesoscale model. Results show that the flow — and hence the plume trajectories embedded within this motion field — an sensitive not only to channeling effects by the local valley systems, but also to local or regional meteorological effects resulting from cloud activity, urban heat island, and the direction of the synoptic scale flow with respect to the orientation of the Jura mointains.     

GRAPES模式动力框架的长期积分特征

通过考虑动量表面拖曳并利用牛顿松弛方法将温度松弛到纬向对称的温度场, 对GRAPES模式的动力框架进行了长期时间积分试验。通过统计分析其积分结果表明:GRAPES模式的动力框架可以模拟出大气环流的基本特征; 随着分辨率的提高, GRAPES模式动力框架的模拟结果显示出收敛的特性; 虽然GRAPES模式动力框架采用的是能量不守衡的半隐式半拉格朗日时间积分方案, 但长期时间积分试验表明其能量基本保持稳定。这些结果显示使用GRAPES模式动力框架作大气环流和气候研究的大气动力框架是可行的, 同时也为进一步改进GRAPES模式动力框架提供了线索和依据。     

Upscale effects in simulations of tropical convection on an equatorial beta-plane

A cloud-resolving model is configured to span the full meridional extent of the tropical atmosphere and have sufficient zonal extent to permit the representation of tropical cloud super-clusters. This is made computationally feasible by the use of anisotropic horizontal grids where one horizontal coordinate direction has over an order of magnitude finer resolution than the other direction. Typically, the meridional direction is chosen to have the coarser resolution (40 km grid spacing) and the zonal direction has enough resolution to ‘permit’ crude convective squall line ascent (1 km grid spacing). The aim was to run in cloud-resolving model (CRM) mode yet still have sufficient meridional resolution and extent to capture the equatorial trapped waves and the Hadley circulation. The large-scale circulation is driven by imposed uniform tropospheric cooling in conjunction with a fixed sea surface temperature distribution. At quasi-equilibrium the flow is characterized by sub-tropical jetstreams, tropical squall line systems that form eastward-propagating super-clusters, tropical depressions and even hurricanes.Two scientific issues are briefly addressed by the simulations: what forces the Hadley circulation and the nature of stratospheric waves appearing in the simulation. It is found that the presence of a meridional sea surface temperature gradient is not sufficient on its own to force a realistic Hadley circulation even though convection communicates the underlying temperature gradient to the atmosphere. It is shown in a simulation that accounts for the observed time and zonal-mean momentum forcing effect of large-scale eddies (originating in middle latitudes) that the heaviest precipitation is concentrated near the equator in association with moisture flux convergence driven by the Trade winds.A spectral analysis of the stratospheric waves found on the equator using the dispersion relation for equatorially-trapped waves provides strong evidence for the existence of a domain-scale Kelvin wave together with eastward and westward propagating inertia-gravity waves. The eastward-propagating stratospheric waves appear to be part of a convectively coupled wave system travelling at about 15 ms⁻¹.     

分辨率对区域气候极端事件模拟的影响

利用NCAR MM5V3对1999年6月长江流域的极端异常降水事件进行了模拟,主要研究不同水平和垂直分辨率对极端区域气候事件模拟的影响。数值模拟试验表明:模式能够模拟出极端强降水的主要分布特征;水平分辨率的提高降低了模式模拟的强降水偏差,对逐日降水变化的模拟更加合理,而垂直分辨率的提高基本上也都减小了模拟的强降水过程的偏差,改善对强降水的模拟能力;模式水平、垂直分辨率的提高在一定程度上增强了对强降水过程的模拟能力。水平分辨率的提高能够改善模式对海平面气压的模拟,而垂直分辨率的提高可以改善模式模拟的地面气温和低层环流。分辨率对中层大气环流的影响不是很敏感。不同积云对流参数化方案模拟的对流降水比率随水平分辨率的变化是不同的,Grell方案对流降水比例随分辨率的提高而增加,而Kain-Fritsch方案的结果相反。