Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS): Description and initial results

Eugene S. Takle; William J. Gutowski; Raymond W. Arritt; Zaitao Pan; Christopher J. Anderson; Renato Ramos Da Silva; Daniel Caya; Shyh Chin Chen; F. Giorgi; Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen; Song You Hong; Hann Ming Henry Juang; Jack Katzfey; William M. Lapenta; Rene Laprise; Glen E. Liston; Philippe Lopez; John McGregor; Roger A. Pielke; John O. Roads

Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS): Description and initial results

Eugene S. Takle^*, William J. Gutowski, Raymond W. Arritt, Zaitao Pan, Christopher J. Anderson, Renato Ramos Da Silva, Daniel Caya, Shyh Chin Chen, F. Giorgi, Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen, Song You Hong, Hann Ming Henry Juang, Jack Katzfey, William M. Lapenta, Rene Laprise, Glen E. Liston, Philippe Lopez, John McGregor, Roger A. Pielke, John O. Roads

^*Corresponding author for this work

155 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The first simulation experiment and output archives of the Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS) is described. Initial results from simulations of the summer 1988 drought over the central United States indicate that limited-area models forced by large-scale information at the lateral boundaries reproduce bulk temporal and spatial characteristics of meteorological fields. In particular, the 500 hPa height field time average and temporal variability are generally well simulated by all participating models. Model simulations of precipitation episodes vary depending on the scale of the dynamical forcing. Organized synoptic-scale precipitation systems are simulated deterministically in that precipitation occurs at close to the same time and location as observed (although amounts may vary from observations). Episodes of mesoscale and convective precipitation are represented in a more stochastic sense, with less precise agreement in temporal and spatial patterns. Simulated surface energy fluxes show broad similarity with the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE) observations in their temporal evolution and time average diurnal cycle. Intermodel differences in midday Bowen ratio tend to be closely associated with precipitation differences. Differences in daily maximum temperatures also are linked to Bowen ratio differences, indicating strong local, surface influence on this field. Although some models have bias with respect to FIFE observations, all tend to reproduce the synoptic variability of observed daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Results also reveal the advantage of an intercomparison in exposing common tendencies of models despite their differences in convective and surface parameterizations and different methods of assimilating lateral boundary conditions.

Original language	English
Article number	1999JD900352
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
Volume	104
Issue number	D16
Pages (from-to)	19443-19461
Number of pages	19
ISSN	2169-8953
Publication status	Published - 27 Aug 1999
Externally published	Yes

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Takle, E. S., Gutowski, W. J., Arritt, R. W., Pan, Z., Anderson, C. J., Ramos Da Silva, R., Caya, D., Chen, S. C., Giorgi, F., Christensen, J. H., Hong, S. Y., Juang, H. M. H., Katzfey, J., Lapenta, W. M., Laprise, R., Liston, G. E., Lopez, P., McGregor, J., Pielke, R. A., & Roads, J. O. (1999). Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS): Description and initial results. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 104(D16), 19443-19461. Article 1999JD900352.

Takle, ES, Gutowski, WJ, Arritt, RW, Pan, Z, Anderson, CJ, Ramos Da Silva, R, Caya, D, Chen, SC, Giorgi, F, Christensen, JH, Hong, SY, Juang, HMH, Katzfey, J, Lapenta, WM, Laprise, R, Liston, GE, Lopez, P, McGregor, J, Pielke, RA & Roads, JO 1999, 'Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS): Description and initial results', Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, vol. 104, no. D16, 1999JD900352, pp. 19443-19461.

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title = "Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS): Description and initial results",

abstract = "The first simulation experiment and output archives of the Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS) is described. Initial results from simulations of the summer 1988 drought over the central United States indicate that limited-area models forced by large-scale information at the lateral boundaries reproduce bulk temporal and spatial characteristics of meteorological fields. In particular, the 500 hPa height field time average and temporal variability are generally well simulated by all participating models. Model simulations of precipitation episodes vary depending on the scale of the dynamical forcing. Organized synoptic-scale precipitation systems are simulated deterministically in that precipitation occurs at close to the same time and location as observed (although amounts may vary from observations). Episodes of mesoscale and convective precipitation are represented in a more stochastic sense, with less precise agreement in temporal and spatial patterns. Simulated surface energy fluxes show broad similarity with the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE) observations in their temporal evolution and time average diurnal cycle. Intermodel differences in midday Bowen ratio tend to be closely associated with precipitation differences. Differences in daily maximum temperatures also are linked to Bowen ratio differences, indicating strong local, surface influence on this field. Although some models have bias with respect to FIFE observations, all tend to reproduce the synoptic variability of observed daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Results also reveal the advantage of an intercomparison in exposing common tendencies of models despite their differences in convective and surface parameterizations and different methods of assimilating lateral boundary conditions.",

author = "Takle, {Eugene S.} and Gutowski, {William J.} and Arritt, {Raymond W.} and Zaitao Pan and Anderson, {Christopher J.} and {Ramos Da Silva}, Renato and Daniel Caya and Chen, {Shyh Chin} and F. Giorgi and Christensen, {Jens Hesselbjerg} and Hong, {Song You} and Juang, {Hann Ming Henry} and Jack Katzfey and Lapenta, {William M.} and Rene Laprise and Liston, {Glen E.} and Philippe Lopez and John McGregor and Pielke, {Roger A.} and Roads, {John O.}",

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T2 - Description and initial results

AU - Takle, Eugene S.

AU - Gutowski, William J.

AU - Arritt, Raymond W.

AU - Pan, Zaitao

AU - Anderson, Christopher J.

AU - Ramos Da Silva, Renato

AU - Caya, Daniel

AU - Chen, Shyh Chin

AU - Giorgi, F.

AU - Christensen, Jens Hesselbjerg

AU - Hong, Song You

AU - Juang, Hann Ming Henry

AU - Katzfey, Jack

AU - Lapenta, William M.

AU - Laprise, Rene

AU - Liston, Glen E.

AU - Lopez, Philippe

AU - McGregor, John

AU - Pielke, Roger A.

AU - Roads, John O.

PY - 1999/8/27

Y1 - 1999/8/27

N2 - The first simulation experiment and output archives of the Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS) is described. Initial results from simulations of the summer 1988 drought over the central United States indicate that limited-area models forced by large-scale information at the lateral boundaries reproduce bulk temporal and spatial characteristics of meteorological fields. In particular, the 500 hPa height field time average and temporal variability are generally well simulated by all participating models. Model simulations of precipitation episodes vary depending on the scale of the dynamical forcing. Organized synoptic-scale precipitation systems are simulated deterministically in that precipitation occurs at close to the same time and location as observed (although amounts may vary from observations). Episodes of mesoscale and convective precipitation are represented in a more stochastic sense, with less precise agreement in temporal and spatial patterns. Simulated surface energy fluxes show broad similarity with the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE) observations in their temporal evolution and time average diurnal cycle. Intermodel differences in midday Bowen ratio tend to be closely associated with precipitation differences. Differences in daily maximum temperatures also are linked to Bowen ratio differences, indicating strong local, surface influence on this field. Although some models have bias with respect to FIFE observations, all tend to reproduce the synoptic variability of observed daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Results also reveal the advantage of an intercomparison in exposing common tendencies of models despite their differences in convective and surface parameterizations and different methods of assimilating lateral boundary conditions.

AB - The first simulation experiment and output archives of the Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS) is described. Initial results from simulations of the summer 1988 drought over the central United States indicate that limited-area models forced by large-scale information at the lateral boundaries reproduce bulk temporal and spatial characteristics of meteorological fields. In particular, the 500 hPa height field time average and temporal variability are generally well simulated by all participating models. Model simulations of precipitation episodes vary depending on the scale of the dynamical forcing. Organized synoptic-scale precipitation systems are simulated deterministically in that precipitation occurs at close to the same time and location as observed (although amounts may vary from observations). Episodes of mesoscale and convective precipitation are represented in a more stochastic sense, with less precise agreement in temporal and spatial patterns. Simulated surface energy fluxes show broad similarity with the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE) observations in their temporal evolution and time average diurnal cycle. Intermodel differences in midday Bowen ratio tend to be closely associated with precipitation differences. Differences in daily maximum temperatures also are linked to Bowen ratio differences, indicating strong local, surface influence on this field. Although some models have bias with respect to FIFE observations, all tend to reproduce the synoptic variability of observed daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Results also reveal the advantage of an intercomparison in exposing common tendencies of models despite their differences in convective and surface parameterizations and different methods of assimilating lateral boundary conditions.

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VL - 104

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JO - Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres

IS - D16

M1 - 1999JD900352

ER -

Project to Intercompare Regional Climate Simulations (PIRCS): Description and initial results

Abstract

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