« Events

Speaker: Ping Chang, Professor, Louis & Elizabeth Scherck Chair in Oceanography, Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University

Host: Yuko Okumura

Title: Recent Advances in High-Resolution Climate Simulations

Abstract: Through collaborations with NCAR and our international partners, significant advancements have been achieved in high-resolution climate simulations. We have recently completed an unprecedented set of high-resolution pre-industrial, historical, and future climate simulations, as well as climate sensitivity simulations, and a high-resolution decadal prediction ensemble. These simulations are based on a high-resolution configuration of the Community Earth System Model version 1.3 (CESM1.3) with atmosphere and land resolution at 0.25° and ocean and sea-ice resolution at 0.1°. At these resolutions, the model explicitly represents ocean mesoscale eddies and permits tropical cyclones. As such, these simulations offer excellent opportunities to assess the potential benefits and challenges of high-resolution climate modeling and prediction. An overview of the results from these simulations is provided by direct comparisons to an identical set of standard low-resolution (nominal 1°) CESM1.3 simulations and to available observations. Highlighting differences between high- and low-resolution simulations, our focus includes the model resolution impacts on simulations of Arctic Amplification, recent trends in the Southern Ocean and Tropical South Pacific, and future extreme precipitation changes. A key emerging conclusion from this study is that reducing dependence on parameterized physics in high resolution models can significantly enhance the fidelity of climate simulations, prediction, and projections.