Articles | Volume 19, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-8995-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-8995-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Model evaluation paper
| Highlight paper
| 
23 Sep 2026
Model evaluation paper | Highlight paper |
| 23 Sep 2026
| 23 Sep 2026
The North American CORDEX-CMIP6 WRF evaluation run: comparing historical simulations from 25 km to convection-permitting scales
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Trude Eidhammer
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Rachel McCrary
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Melissa Bukovsky
Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Stefan Rahimi
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Hsin-I Chang
Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
Seth McGinnis
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
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A. Park Williams, John T. Abatzoglou, Gavin D. Madakumbura, Haibo Liu, Stefan Rahimi, and Christopher Daly
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-391, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-391, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Here we introduce ParallelClim-WestUS-Daily, a new dataset of daily gridded climate data for the western US from 1951–2025 as well as a parallel, counterfactual realization of the observed climate but without human-caused climate change. This dataset will enable assessments of how climate change has affected complex hydroclimatic processes such as hydrology, vegetation dynamics, and wildfire.
Moetasim Ashfaq, Erika Coppola, Chris Lennard, Claas Teichmann, Deeksha Rastogi, Elias Massoud, Erasmo Buonomo, Eun-Soon Im, George Zittis, Jason P. Evans, Jesus Fernandez, Katherine J. Evans, Maria Leidinice da Silva, Marianna Adinolfi, Melissa Bukovsky, Rosmeri Porfirio da Rocha, Shabeh ul Hasson, Silvina A. Solman, Stefan Sobolowski, Sushant Das, Swen Brands, Tereza Cavazos, Thanh Ngo-Duc, and Xuejie Gao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2649, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2649, 2026
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Producing reliable regional climate projections requires carefully selecting which global climate models drive them. We developed a transparent and reproducible framework to identify a balanced, representative subset of models for the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment, a major international effort to generate high-resolution climate projections worldwide. While designed for this initiative, the framework is broadly applicable to other models sub-selection efforts.
Kamlesh Sawadekar, Seth McGinnis, Peijun Li, Kathryn Lawson, and Chaopeng Shen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.23045, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.23045, 2026
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δCLIMBA can fix consistent errors with global circulation models so their precipitation is locally relevant. Instead of making corrections
directly, it predicts the coefficients of interpretable formulas to minimize bias. δCLIMBA learns to make interpretable corrections that,
once trained, can be easily applied on places without data. It accurately corrects both average rainfall and extreme storm events and
shows the promise to preserve future trends, and generalizes to new regions.
Koichi Sakaguchi, Seth A. McGinnis, L. Ruby Leung, Melissa S. Bukovsky, Rachel R. McCrary, Ziming Chen, Chuan-Chieh Chang, and Yanjie Li
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 3643–3688, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-3643-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-3643-2026, 2026
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We evaluated Rossby waves in dynamical downscaling simulations over North America, and their connections to surface air temperature variability and heatwaves. Simulated Rossby wave propagation is distorted by flow discontinuities at lateral boundaries and by biased mean wind patterns, thereby breaking the region-specific connections between Rossby waves and surface temperature. Adjusting simulated large-scale winds to match the forcing data can reduce these biases.
Ci Song, Daniel T. McCoy, Isabel L. McCoy, Hunter Brown, Andrew Gettelman, Trude Eidhammer, and Donifan Barahona
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 16063–16083, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16063-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16063-2025, 2025
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This study examines how aerosols from human activities alter cloud microphysical properties. Airborne observations from a field campaign are used to constrain an ensemble of global model configurations and their associated cloud property changes. Results show that airborne in-situ measurements of aerosol and cloud properties do provide insight into global changes in cloud microphysics but are sensitive to uncertainties in both airborne measurements and Earth system model emulators.
August Mikkelsen, Daniel T. McCoy, Trude Eidhammer, Andrew Gettelman, Ci Song, Hamish Gordon, and Isabel L. McCoy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4547–4570, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4547-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4547-2025, 2025
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Whether increased aerosol increases or decreases liquid cloud mass has been a longstanding question. Observed correlations suggest that aerosols thin liquid cloud, but we are able to show that observations were consistent with an increase in liquid cloud in response to aerosols by leveraging a model where causality could be traced.
Mari R. Tye, Ming Ge, Jadwiga H. Richter, Ethan D. Gutmann, Allyson Rugg, Cindy L. Bruyère, Sue Ellen Haupt, Flavio Lehner, Rachel McCrary, Andrew J. Newman, and Andy Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 1117–1133, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1117-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1117-2025, 2025
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There is a perceived mismatch between the spatial scales on which global climate models can produce data and those needed for water management decisions. However, poor communication of specific metrics relevant to local decisions is also a problem. We assessed the credibility of a set of water management decision metrics in the Community Earth System Model v2 (CESM2). CESM2 shows potentially greater use of its output in long-range water management decisions.
Trude Eidhammer, Andrew Gettelman, Katherine Thayer-Calder, Duncan Watson-Parris, Gregory Elsaesser, Hugh Morrison, Marcus van Lier-Walqui, Ci Song, and Daniel McCoy
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 7835–7853, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-7835-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-7835-2024, 2024
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We describe a dataset where 45 parameters related to cloud processes in the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) Community Atmosphere Model version 6 (CAM6) are perturbed. Three sets of perturbed parameter ensembles (263 members) were created: current climate, preindustrial aerosol loading and future climate with sea surface temperature increased by 4 K.
Joshua P. French, Piotr S. Kokoszka, and Seth McGinnis
Adv. Stat. Clim. Meteorol. Oceanogr., 10, 123–141, https://doi.org/10.5194/ascmo-10-123-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/ascmo-10-123-2024, 2024
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Future climate behavior is typically modeled using computer-based simulations, which are generated for both historical and future time periods. The trustworthiness of these models can be assessed by determining whether the simulated historical climate matches what was observed. We provide a tool that allows researchers to identify major differences between observed climate and climate model predictions, which will hopefully lead to further model refinements.
Colin M. Zarzycki, Benjamin D. Ascher, Alan M. Rhoades, and Rachel R. McCrary
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3315–3335, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-3315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-3315-2024, 2024
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We developed an automated workflow to detect rain-on-snow events, which cause flooding in the northeastern United States, in climate data. Analyzing the Susquehanna River basin, this technique identified known events affecting river flow. Comparing four gridded datasets revealed variations in event frequency and severity, driven by different snowmelt and runoff estimates. This highlights the need for accurate climate data in flood management and risk prediction for these compound extremes.
Stefan Rahimi, Lei Huang, Jesse Norris, Alex Hall, Naomi Goldenson, Will Krantz, Benjamin Bass, Chad Thackeray, Henry Lin, Di Chen, Eli Dennis, Ethan Collins, Zachary J. Lebo, Emily Slinskey, Sara Graves, Surabhi Biyani, Bowen Wang, Stephen Cropper, and the UCLA Center for Climate Science Team
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 2265–2286, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-2265-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-2265-2024, 2024
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Here, we project future climate across the western United States through the end of the 21st century using a regional climate model, embedded within 16 latest-generation global climate models, to provide the community with a high-resolution physically based ensemble of climate data for use at local scales. Strengths and weaknesses of the data are frankly discussed as we overview the downscaled dataset.
Tamara Pletzer, Jonathan P. Conway, Nicolas J. Cullen, Trude Eidhammer, and Marwan Katurji
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 459–478, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-459-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-459-2024, 2024
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We applied a glacier and hydrology model in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) to model the start and duration of melt over a summer in this extreme polar desert. To do so, we found it necessary to prevent the drainage of melt into ice and optimize the albedo scheme. We show that simulating albedo (for the first time in the MDV) is critical to modelling the feedbacks of albedo, snowfall and melt in the region. This paper is a first step towards more complex spatial modelling of melt and streamflow.
Shreta Ghimire, Zachary J. Lebo, Shane Murphy, Stefan Rahimi, and Trang Tran
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9413–9438, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9413-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9413-2023, 2023
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High wintertime ozone levels have occurred often in recent years in mountain basins with oil and gas production facilities. Photochemical modeling of ozone production serves as a basis for understanding the mechanism by which it occurs and for predictive capability. We present photochemical model simulations of ozone formation and accumulation in the Upper Green River basin, Wyoming, demonstrating the model's ability to simulate wintertime ozone and the sensitivity of ozone to its precursors.
Koichi Sakaguchi, L. Ruby Leung, Colin M. Zarzycki, Jihyeon Jang, Seth McGinnis, Bryce E. Harrop, William C. Skamarock, Andrew Gettelman, Chun Zhao, William J. Gutowski, Stephen Leak, and Linda Mearns
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 3029–3081, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-3029-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-3029-2023, 2023
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We document details of the regional climate downscaling dataset produced by a global variable-resolution model. The experiment is unique in that it follows a standard protocol designed for coordinated experiments of regional models. We found negligible influence of post-processing on statistical analysis, importance of simulation quality outside of the target region, and computational challenges that our model code faced due to rapidly changing super computer systems.
Andrew Gettelman, Hugh Morrison, Trude Eidhammer, Katherine Thayer-Calder, Jian Sun, Richard Forbes, Zachary McGraw, Jiang Zhu, Trude Storelvmo, and John Dennis
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 1735–1754, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-1735-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-1735-2023, 2023
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Clouds are a critical part of weather and climate prediction. In this work, we document updates and corrections to the description of clouds used in several Earth system models. These updates include the ability to run the scheme on graphics processing units (GPUs), changes to the numerical description of precipitation, and a correction to the ice number. There are big improvements in the computational performance that can be achieved with GPU acceleration.
Olivier Asselin, Martin Leduc, Dominique Paquin, Katja Winger, Alejandro Di Luca, Melissa Bukovsky, Biljana Music, and Michel Giguère
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-291, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-291, 2022
Preprint archived
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Planting trees cools the climate by removing CO2 from the atmosphere, but may also cool or warm the climate by altering the albedo, roughness and evapotranspiration efficiency of the surface. To quantify these biogeophysical effects, we ran regional climate models over two idealized worlds, FOREST and GRASS, respectively representing maximum and minimum tree cover over North America and Europe. We find that these effects must be taken into account to successfully mitigate climate change.
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Editorial statement
Downscaling climate predictions is an essential requirement for understanding regional climate impacts. This in turn is enabler for decision makers planning climate change adaptation. This paper demonstrates the utility of 12km ensemble climate simulations in providing useful predictions at a cost that enables ensembles large enough to capture some of the uncertainty. This paper is essential reading for those needing to understand the tools available for regional climate predictions.
Downscaling climate predictions is an essential requirement for understanding regional climate...
Short summary
This study presents a new 12 km CORDEX (Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment )-CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) simulation for North America, compared against an earlier 25 km CMIP5 version and a 4 km convection-permitting simulation. The updated run reduces temperature and precipitation biases, improves precipitation timing, and better captures tropical cyclone intensity. Extreme precipitation at 12 km closely matches convection-permitting results, offering a practical resolution for regional climate assessment.
This study presents a new 12 km CORDEX (Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment )-CMIP6...
