Articles | Volume 14, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5863-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5863-2021
Review and perspective paper
 | 
27 Sep 2021
Review and perspective paper |  | 27 Sep 2021

Validation of terrestrial biogeochemistry in CMIP6 Earth system models: a review

Lynsay Spafford and Andrew H. MacDougall

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Short summary
Land biogeochemical cycles influence global climate change. Their influence is examined through complex computer models that account for the interaction of the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Improved models used in the recent round of model intercomparison used inconsistent validation methods to compare simulated land biogeochemistry to datasets. For the next round of model intercomparisons we recommend a validation protocol with explicit reference datasets and informative performance metrics.