Articles | Volume 19, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-9463-2026
© 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-19-9463-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Development and technical paper
| 
07 Oct 2026
Development and technical paper |
| 07 Oct 2026
| 07 Oct 2026
Benchmarking a new urban scheme in the ORCHIDEE 2.2 land surface model
Morgane Lalonde
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, Paris, France
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Sophie Bastin
LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
Ludovic Oudin
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, Paris, France
Pedro Felipe Arboleda-Obando
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, Paris, France
Agnès Ducharne
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, Paris, France
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Short summary
Some climate models still represent cities as if they were natural ground. For one of these models, we built a new way to represent cities. The update includes how reflective surfaces are, building height, stored heat, and how much ground is sealed. The novelty is to treat sealed ground not only at the surface, but also below it. Tested at twenty urban sites, the new version better represents exchanges of energy between the ground and the air, supporting more reliable urban climate studies.
Some climate models still represent cities as if they were natural ground. For one of these...
