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Implementation and Exploration of Parameterizations of Large‐Scale Dynamics in NCAR's Single Column Atmosphere Model SCAM6.

Authors :
Cohen, S.
Sobel, A.
Biasutti, M.
Wang, S.
Simpson, I.
Gettelman, A.
Hu, I.
Source :
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems; Jun2024, Vol. 16 Issue 6, p1-17, 17p
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

A single column model with parameterized large‐scale (LS) dynamics is used to better understand the response of steady‐state tropical precipitation to relative sea surface temperature under various representations of radiation, convection, and circulation. The large‐scale dynamics are parametrized via the weak temperature gradient (WTG), damped gravity wave (DGW), and spectral weak temperature gradient (Spectral WTG) method in NCAR's Single Column Atmosphere Model (SCAM6). Radiative cooling is either specified or interactive, and the convective parameterization is run using two different values of a parameter that controls the degree of convective inhibition. Results are interpreted in the context of the Global Atmospheric System Studies ‐Weak Temperature Gradient (GASS‐WTG) Intercomparison project. Using the same parameter settings and simulation configuration as in the GASS‐WTG Intercomparison project, SCAM6 under the WTG and DGW methods produces erratic results, suggestive of numerical instability. However, when key parameters are changed to weaken the large‐scale circulation's damping of tropospheric temperature variations, SCAM6 performs comparably to single column models in the GASS‐WTG Intercomparison project. The Spectral WTG method is less sensitive to changes in convection and radiation than are the other two methods, performing qualitatively similarly across all configurations considered. Under all three methods, circulation strength, represented in 1D by grid‐scale vertical velocity, is decreased when barriers to convection are reduced. This effect is most extreme under specified radiative cooling, and is shown to come from increased static stability in the column's reference radiative‐convective equilibrium profile. This argument can be extended to interactive radiation cases as well, though perhaps less conclusively. Plain Language Summary: Single column models, as the name suggests, only model the vertical dimension of the atmosphere. They are simpler than full‐scale 3D global circulation models, but nonetheless play an important role in model development and in better understanding physical phenomena. We use NCAR's Single Column Atmosphere Model (SCAM6) to better understand tropical rainfall. In a single column model, the atmospheric wind coming from other locations (the large‐scale circulation) must be either specified or approximated using a parameterization. We implement three different parameterizations of the large‐scale circulation into SCAM6 and assess how SCAM6 responds to various changes while using these parameterizations. The Global Atmospheric System Studies‐Weak Temperature Gradient (GASS‐WTG) Intercomparison project assessed the performance of various other single column models using two parameterizations of the large‐scale circulation. We fold SCAM6 into this Intercomparison, and we find that SCAM6 performs substantially differently to its peers under the settings used in the GASS‐WTG Intercomparison project, but more comparably to its peers when key circulation parameters are relaxed. Another notable finding is that, across all three parameterizations of large‐scale dynamics, circulation strength decreases when we reduce SCAM6's barrier to convection. Key Points: We use three different methods to parameterize the large‐scale (LS) dynamics in NCAR's single column atmospheric model (SCAM6)As in the Global Atmospheric System Studies Intercomparison, we test SCAM6's response to various boundary conditions and model parametersUnder all three methods, circulation strength is decreased when barriers to convection are reduced [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19422466
Volume :
16
Issue :
6
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
178071336
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023MS003866