Beyond deadlock

Today's atmospheric global circulation models can represent the effects of clouds through “conventional” parameterizations on coarse grids, through the use of global high‐resolution grids, or through the use of embedded cloud‐resolving models as superparameterizations in a lower resolution glob...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2013-11, Vol.40 (22), p.5970-5976
Main Author: Randall, David A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric models
Circulation
cloud parameterization
Clouds
Computer simulation
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Entrainment
Exact sciences and technology
Madden-Julian Oscillation
Meteorology
Parametrization
Precipitation
Representations
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Today's atmospheric global circulation models can represent the effects of clouds through “conventional” parameterizations on coarse grids, through the use of global high‐resolution grids, or through the use of embedded cloud‐resolving models as superparameterizations in a lower resolution global model. Recent work on conventional parameterizations has been aimed at improving the representation of entrainment, including nondeterministic effects, and achieving resolution independence. Global high‐resolution grids have been very useful for studying the interaction of clouds with the global circulation out to time scales of about one simulated year; longer simulations are not yet feasible. Superparameterizations have already been used in simulations longer than a century and have succeeded in simulating the Madden‐Julian Oscillation, the diurnal cycle of precipitation, and other phenomena that have presented challenges for conventionally parameterized models. Key Points Parameterizations are improving rapidly Process models and global models are now overlapping sets Midtropospheric water vapor is key to the MJO
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2013GL057998