The compact Earth system model OSCAR v2.2: description and first results

• Published in: Geoscientific Model Development 2017-01, Vol.10 (1), p.271-319
• Main Authors: Gasser, Thomas, Ciais, Philippe, Boucher, Olivier, Quilcaille, Yann, Tortora, Maxime, Bopp, Laurent, Hauglustaine, Didier
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosols; Albedo; Albedo (solar); Atmospheric chemistry; Black carbon; Carbon; Carbon cycle; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide atmospheric concentrations; Chemistry; Climate change; Climatology; Computer simulation; Earth; Earth Sciences; Ecology, environment; Emissions; Future climates; Gases; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Halogenated compounds; Land cover; Land use; Life Sciences; Mathematical functions; Meteorology; Modules; Nitrous oxide; Ozone; Precipitation; Regional climates; Sciences of the Universe; Simulation; Stratospheric chemistry; Surface temperature; Troposphere; Tropospheric chemistry; Tropospheric ozone; Variables; Wetlands
• ISSN: 1991-9603; 1991-962X; 1991-959X; 1991-9603; 1991-962X; 1991-959X
• DOI: 10.5194/gmd-10-271-2017

This paper provides a comprehensive description of OSCAR v2.2, a simple Earth system model. The general philosophy of development is first explained, followed by a complete description of the model's drivers and various modules. All components of the Earth system necessary to simulate future climate change are represented in the model: the oceanic and terrestrial carbon cycles – including a book-keeping module to endogenously estimate land-use change emissions – so as to simulate the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide; the tropospheric chemistry and the natural wetlands, to simulate that of methane; the stratospheric chemistry, for nitrous oxide; 37 halogenated compounds; changing tropospheric and stratospheric ozone; the direct and indirect effects of aerosols; changes in surface albedo caused by black carbon deposition on snow and land-cover change; and the global and regional response of climate – in terms of temperature and precipitation – to all these climate forcers. Following the probabilistic framework of the model, an ensemble of simulations is made over the historical period (1750–2010). We show that the model performs well in reproducing observed past changes in the Earth system such as increased atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases or increased global mean surface temperature.