This paper describes NICAM16-S, the latest stable version of a global non-hydrostatic atmospheric model for Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). A series of sensitivity experiments show many improvements compared with a previous version of the model, encouraging further use of such high-resolution global model as a climate model. Also, some long-standing biases exist, suggesting further necessity for understanding their mechanisms, upgrading schemes, and enhancing resolutions.
This paper describes NICAM16-S, the latest stable version of a global non-hydrostatic...
Submitted as: model description paper | 01 Apr 2020
Review status: a revised version of this preprint was accepted for the journal GMD and is expected to appear here in due course.
The non-hydrostatic global atmospheric model for CMIP6 HighResMIP simulations (NICAM16-S): Experimental design, model description, and sensitivity experiments
Received: 28 Dec 2019 – Accepted for review: 31 Mar 2020 – Discussion started: 01 Apr 2020
Abstract. NICAM, a nonhydrostatic global atmospheric model with an icosahedral grid system, has been developed for nearly two decades. This paper describes NICAM16-S, the latest stable version of NICAM (NICAM.16) modified for Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Major updates from NICAM.12, a previous version used for climate simulations, include updates of a cloud microphysics scheme and a land model, an introduction of natural and anthropogenic aerosols and a subgrid-scale orographic gravity wave drag, and improvement of coupling between cloud microphysics and radiation schemes. External forcings were updated to follow a protocol of CMIP6 High Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP). A series of short-term sensitivity experiments were performed to check and understand impacts of the model updates on the simulated mean states. Improvements in the ice water content, the high cloud amounts, the surface air temperature over the Arctic region, the location and the strength of zonal mean subtropical jet, and shortwave radiation over the Africa and the South Asia were found in the NICAM16-S simulations. Some long-standing biases such as the double intertropical convergence zone and smaller low cloud amounts still exist or even worsen in some cases, suggesting further necessity for understanding their mechanisms and upgrading schemes and/or their parameter settings as well as for enhancing horizontal and vertical resolutions.
The non-hydrostatic global atmospheric model for CMIP6 HighResMIP simulations (NICAM16-S) (Version NICAM16-S)C. Kodama, T. Ohno, T. Seiki, H. Yashiro, A. T. Noda, M. Nakano, Y. Yamada, W. Roh, M. Satoh, T. Nitta, D. Goto, H. Miura, T. Nasuno, T. Miyakawa, Y.-W. Chen, M. Sugi https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3727329
Chihiro Kodama et al.
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This paper describes NICAM16-S, the latest stable version of a global non-hydrostatic atmospheric model for Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). A series of sensitivity experiments show many improvements compared with a previous version of the model, encouraging further use of such high-resolution global model as a climate model. Also, some long-standing biases exist, suggesting further necessity for understanding their mechanisms, upgrading schemes, and enhancing resolutions.
This paper describes NICAM16-S, the latest stable version of a global non-hydrostatic...