Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2023-77
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2023-77
Submitted as: model description paper
 | 
08 May 2023
Submitted as: model description paper |  | 08 May 2023
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal GMD.

MESMAR v1: A new regional coupled climate model for downscaling, predictability, and data assimilation studies in the Mediterranean region

Andrea Storto, Yassmin Hesham Essa, Vincenzo de Toma, Alessandro Anav, Gianmaria Sannino, Rosalia Santoleri, and Chunxue Yang

Abstract. Regional coupled and Earth System models are fundamental numerical tools for climate investigations, downscaling of predictions and projections, process-oriented understanding of regional extreme events, and many more applications. Here we introduce a newly developed coupled regional modeling framework for the Mediterranean region, called MESMAR (Mediterranean Earth System model at ISMAR) version 1, which is composed of the WRF atmospheric model, the NEMO oceanic model, and the HD hydrological discharge model, coupled via the OASIS coupler. The model is implemented at moderate resolution (about 1/12° for the ocean and river routing, while twice coarser for the atmosphere) for long-term investigations. We focus on the evaluation of skill score metrics from several sensitivity experiments devoted to i) understanding the best vertical physics configuration for NEMO; ii) identifying the impact of the interactive river runoff; iii) choosing the best-performing physics-microphysics suite for WRF in the regional coupled system. The modeling system has been developed for downscaling reanalyses and predictions, and for coupled data assimilation experiments. We then formulate and show the performance of the system when weakly coupled data assimilation is embedded in the system (variational assimilation in the ocean and spectral nudging in the atmosphere), in particular for the representation of extreme events like intense mid-latitude cyclones (i.e. medicanes). Finally, we outline plans for future extension of the modeling framework.

Andrea Storto et al.

Status: open (until 03 Jul 2023)

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  • RC1: 'Comment on gmd-2023-77', Anonymous Referee #1, 19 May 2023 reply

Andrea Storto et al.

Data sets

MESMAR v1: A new regional coupled climate model for downscaling, predictability, and data assimilation studies in the Mediterranean region. Article data Andrea Storto https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7899115

Model code and software

MESMAR v1: A new regional coupled climate model for downscaling, predictability, and data assimilation studies in the Mediterranean region. Coupled model code Andrea Storto, Yassmin Hesham Essa, Vincenzo de Toma, Alessandro Anav, Gianmaria Sannino, Rosalia Santoleri, and Chunxue Yang https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7898938

Andrea Storto et al.

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Short summary
Regional climate models are a fundamental tool for a very large number of applications and are being increasingly used within climate services, together with other complementary approaches. Here, we introduce a new regional coupled model, intended to be later extended to a full Earth System model, for climate investigations within the Mediterranean region, coupled data assimilation experiments, and several downscaling exercises (reanalyses, and long-range predictions).