Model description paper
29 Nov 2010
Model description paper | 29 Nov 2010
IMOGEN: an intermediate complexity model to evaluate terrestrial impacts of a changing climate
C. Huntingford1, B. B. B. Booth2, S. Sitch3,*, N. Gedney3, J. A. Lowe4, S. K. Liddicoat2, L. M. Mercado1, M. J. Best3, G. P. Weedon3, R. A. Fisher5,**, M. R. Lomas5, P. Good2, P. Zelazowski6, A. C. Everitt1, A. C. Spessa7, and C. D. Jones2
C. Huntingford et al.
C. Huntingford1, B. B. B. Booth2, S. Sitch3,*, N. Gedney3, J. A. Lowe4, S. K. Liddicoat2, L. M. Mercado1, M. J. Best3, G. P. Weedon3, R. A. Fisher5,**, M. R. Lomas5, P. Good2, P. Zelazowski6, A. C. Everitt1, A. C. Spessa7, and C. D. Jones2
- 1Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OXON, OX10 8BB, UK
- 2Met Office Hadley Centre, Fitz Roy Road, Exeter, Devon, EX1 3PB, UK
- 3Joint Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Research, Met Office Hadley Centre, Wallingford, OXON, OX10 8BB, UK
- 4Reading Unit, Met Office Hadley Centre, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, P.O. Box 243, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK
- 5Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- 6Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- 7National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, P.O. Box 243, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK
- *now at: School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- **now at: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, NM 87545, USA
- 1Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OXON, OX10 8BB, UK
- 2Met Office Hadley Centre, Fitz Roy Road, Exeter, Devon, EX1 3PB, UK
- 3Joint Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Research, Met Office Hadley Centre, Wallingford, OXON, OX10 8BB, UK
- 4Reading Unit, Met Office Hadley Centre, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, P.O. Box 243, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK
- 5Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- 6Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- 7National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, P.O. Box 243, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK
- *now at: School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- **now at: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, NM 87545, USA
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Received: 06 Jul 2010 – Discussion started: 04 Aug 2010 – Revised: 05 Nov 2010 – Accepted: 09 Nov 2010 – Published: 29 Nov 2010
We present a computationally efficient modelling system, IMOGEN, designed to undertake global and regional assessment of climate change impacts on the physical and biogeochemical behaviour of the land surface. A pattern-scaling approach to climate change drives a gridded land surface and vegetation model MOSES/TRIFFID. The structure allows extrapolation of General Circulation Model (GCM) simulations to different future pathways of greenhouse gases, including rapid first-order assessments of how the land surface and associated biogeochemical cycles might change. Evaluation of how new terrestrial process understanding influences such predictions can also be made with relative ease.
