Geoscientific Model Development
Geoscientific Model Development
Geoscientific Model Development
Articles | Volume 10, issue 1
Articles | Volume 10, issue 1
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 189–222, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-189-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue: Coupled chemistry–meteorology modelling: status and...

Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 189–222, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-189-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 10, issue 1

Model description paper 13 Jan 2017

Model description paper | 13 Jan 2017

The Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (BRAMS 5.2): an integrated environmental model tuned for tropical areas

Saulo R. Freitas1,a, Jairo Panetta2, Karla M. Longo1,a, Luiz F. Rodrigues1, Demerval S. Moreira3,4, Nilton E. Rosário5, Pedro L. Silva Dias6, Maria A. F. Silva Dias6, Enio P. Souza7, Edmilson D. Freitas6, Marcos Longo8, Ariane Frassoni1, Alvaro L. Fazenda9, Cláudio M. Santos e Silva10, Cláudio A. B. Pavani1, Denis Eiras1, Daniela A. França1, Daniel Massaru1, Fernanda B. Silva1, Fernando C. Santos11, Gabriel Pereira12, Gláuber Camponogara6, Gonzalo A. Ferrada1, Haroldo F. Campos Velho13, Isilda Menezes14,15, Julliana L. Freire1, Marcelo F. Alonso16, Madeleine S. Gácita1, Maurício Zarzur13, Rafael M. Fonseca1, Rafael S. Lima1, Ricardo A. Siqueira1, Rodrigo Braz1, Simone Tomita1, Valter Oliveira1, and Leila D. Martins17 Saulo R. Freitas et al.
Show author details
  • 1Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil
  • 2Divisão de Ciência da Computação, Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
  • 3Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculdade de Ciências, Bauru, SP, Brazil
  • 4Centro de Meteorologia de Bauru (IPMet), Bauru, SP, Brazil
  • 5Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, SP, Brazil
  • 6Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
  • 7Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
  • 8Embrapa Informática Agropecuária, Campinas, SP, Brazil
  • 9Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
  • 10Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas e Climáticas/Programa de Pós graduação em ciências Climáticas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
  • 11Centro de Ciências do Sistema Terrestre, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil
  • 12Departamento de Geociências, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, MG, Brazil
  • 13Laboratório Associado de Computação e Matemática Aplicada, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
  • 14Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
  • 15Centro Interdisciplinar de Desenvolvimento em Ambiente, Gestão Aplicada e Espaço, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologia, Campo Grande, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 16Faculdade de Meteorologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
  • 17Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil
  • anow at: Universities Space Research Association/Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research at the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Received: 01 Jun 2016 – Discussion started: 07 Jun 2016 – Revised: 14 Dec 2016 – Accepted: 20 Dec 2016 – Published: 13 Jan 2017

Abstract. We present a new version of the Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (BRAMS), in which different previous versions for weather, chemistry, and carbon cycle were unified in a single integrated modeling system software. This new version also has a new set of state-of-the-art physical parameterizations and greater computational parallel and memory usage efficiency. The description of the main model features includes several examples illustrating the quality of the transport scheme for scalars, radiative fluxes on surface, and model simulation of rainfall systems over South America at different spatial resolutions using a scale aware convective parameterization. Additionally, the simulation of the diurnal cycle of the convection and carbon dioxide concentration over the Amazon Basin, as well as carbon dioxide fluxes from biogenic processes over a large portion of South America, are shown. Atmospheric chemistry examples show the model performance in simulating near-surface carbon monoxide and ozone in the Amazon Basin and the megacity of Rio de Janeiro. For tracer transport and dispersion, the model capabilities to simulate the volcanic ash 3-D redistribution associated with the eruption of a Chilean volcano are demonstrated. The gain of computational efficiency is described in some detail. BRAMS has been applied for research and operational forecasting mainly in South America. Model results from the operational weather forecast of BRAMS on 5 km grid spacing in the Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies, INPE/Brazil, since 2013 are used to quantify the model skill of near-surface variables and rainfall. The scores show the reliability of BRAMS for the tropical and subtropical areas of South America. Requirements for keeping this modeling system competitive regarding both its functionalities and skills are discussed. Finally, we highlight the relevant contribution of this work to building a South American community of model developers.

How to cite. Freitas, S. R., Panetta, J., Longo, K. M., Rodrigues, L. F., Moreira, D. S., Rosário, N. E., Silva Dias, P. L., Silva Dias, M. A. F., Souza, E. P., Freitas, E. D., Longo, M., Frassoni, A., Fazenda, A. L., Santos e Silva, C. M., Pavani, C. A. B., Eiras, D., França, D. A., Massaru, D., Silva, F. B., Santos, F. C., Pereira, G., Camponogara, G., Ferrada, G. A., Campos Velho, H. F., Menezes, I., Freire, J. L., Alonso, M. F., Gácita, M. S., Zarzur, M., Fonseca, R. M., Lima, R. S., Siqueira, R. A., Braz, R., Tomita, S., Oliveira, V., and Martins, L. D.: The Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (BRAMS 5.2): an integrated environmental model tuned for tropical areas, Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 189–222, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-189-2017, 2017.
Special issue
Coupled chemistry–meteorology modelling: status and...
Download
Short summary
We present a new version of the Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (BRAMS) where different previous versions for weather, chemistry, and the carbon cycle were unified in a single harmonized software system. This version also has a new set of state-of-the-art physical parametrizations and higher computational parallel and memory usage efficiency. BRAMS has been applied for research and operational weather and air quality forecasting, largely in South America.
Read more