Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Aquaplanet Experiments Using CAM’s Variable-Resolution Dynamical Core

Colin M. Zarzycki Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Michael N. Levy National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

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Christiane Jablonowski University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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James R. Overfelt Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Mark A. Taylor Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Paul A. Ullrich University of California, Davis, Davis, California

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Print Publication:
15 Jul 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00004.1
Page(s):
5481–5503
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Abstract

A variable-resolution option has been added within the spectral element (SE) dynamical core of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)–NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). CAM-SE allows for static refinement via conforming quadrilateral meshes on the cubed sphere. This paper investigates the effect of mesh refinement in a climate model by running variable-resolution (var-res) simulations on an aquaplanet. The variable-resolution grid is a 2° (~222 km) grid with a refined patch of 0.25° (~28 km) resolution centered at the equator. Climatology statistics from these simulations are compared to globally uniform runs of 2° and 0.25°.

A significant resolution dependence exists when using the CAM version 4 (CAM4) subgrid physical parameterization package across scales. Global cloud fraction decreases and equatorial precipitation increases with finer horizontal resolution, resulting in drastically different climates between the uniform grid runs and a physics-induced grid imprinting in the var-res simulation. Using CAM version 5 (CAM5) physics significantly improves cloud scaling at different grid resolutions. Additional precipitation at the equator in the high-resolution mesh results in collocated zonally anomalous divergence in both var-res simulations, although this feature is much weaker in CAM5 than CAM4. The equilibrium solution at each grid spacing within the var-res simulations captures the majority of the resolution signal of the corresponding globally uniform grids. The var-res simulation exhibits good performance with respect to wave propagation, including equatorial regions where waves pass through grid transitions. In addition, the increased frequency of high-precipitation events in the refined 0.25° area within the var-res simulations matches that observed in the global 0.25° simulations.

Corresponding author address: Colin M. Zarzycki, University of Michigan, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: zarzycki@umich.edu

Abstract

A variable-resolution option has been added within the spectral element (SE) dynamical core of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)–NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). CAM-SE allows for static refinement via conforming quadrilateral meshes on the cubed sphere. This paper investigates the effect of mesh refinement in a climate model by running variable-resolution (var-res) simulations on an aquaplanet. The variable-resolution grid is a 2° (~222 km) grid with a refined patch of 0.25° (~28 km) resolution centered at the equator. Climatology statistics from these simulations are compared to globally uniform runs of 2° and 0.25°.

A significant resolution dependence exists when using the CAM version 4 (CAM4) subgrid physical parameterization package across scales. Global cloud fraction decreases and equatorial precipitation increases with finer horizontal resolution, resulting in drastically different climates between the uniform grid runs and a physics-induced grid imprinting in the var-res simulation. Using CAM version 5 (CAM5) physics significantly improves cloud scaling at different grid resolutions. Additional precipitation at the equator in the high-resolution mesh results in collocated zonally anomalous divergence in both var-res simulations, although this feature is much weaker in CAM5 than CAM4. The equilibrium solution at each grid spacing within the var-res simulations captures the majority of the resolution signal of the corresponding globally uniform grids. The var-res simulation exhibits good performance with respect to wave propagation, including equatorial regions where waves pass through grid transitions. In addition, the increased frequency of high-precipitation events in the refined 0.25° area within the var-res simulations matches that observed in the global 0.25° simulations.

Corresponding author address: Colin M. Zarzycki, University of Michigan, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: zarzycki@umich.edu
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