SaWaM WRF physics parameterization scheme combination #1 (RUN1)

While climate information from General Circulation Models (GCMs) are usually too coarse for climate impact modelers or decision makers from various disciplines (e.g., hydrology, agriculture), Regional Climate Models (RCMs) and Regional Earth System Models (RESMs) provide feasible solutions for downscaling GCM output to finer spatiotemporal scales. However, it is well known that the model performance depends largely on the choice of the physical parameterization schemes, but optimal configurations may vary from region to region. Besides land-surface processes, the most crucial processes to be parameterized in ESMs include radiation (RA), cumulus convection (CU), cloud microphysics (MP), and planetary boundary layer (PBL), partly with complex interactions. Before conducting long-term climate simulations, it is therefore indispensable to identify a suitable combination of physics parameterization schemes for these processes. Using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis product ERA-Interim as lateral boundary conditions, we derived an ensemble of 16 physics parameterization runs for a larger domain in Northern sub-Saharan Africa (NSSA), northwards of the equator, using two different CU-, MP-, PBL-, and RA schemes, respectively, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (Version v3.9) for the period 2006-2010 in a resolution of 0.1 degree horizontal resolution.


Conclusions about suitable physical parameterization schemes may vary within the study area. We therefore want to stimulate the development of own performance evaluation studies for climate simulations or subsequent impact studies over specific (sub-)regions in NSSA. For this reason, selected climate surface variables of the physics ensemble (i.e. the 16 experiments from 2006-2010) are provided.


For more information about the setup of the experiments, please see:

Laux et al., 2021: A high-resolution regional climate model physics ensemble for Northern sub-Saharan Africa. Frontiers in Earth Science (under revision).

Simple

Date (Publication)
2021-08-05
Edition

1
Citation identifier
SaWaM_WRF_phys_par_comb_r1
Citation identifier
doi:10.26050/WDCC/SaWaM_WRF_phys_par_comb_r1
Principal investigator
  Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - Dr. Patrick Laux
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Author
  Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - Dr. Patrick Laux
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Publisher
  WDC Climate at DKRZ
Point of contact
  Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - Dr. Patrick Laux
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Name

NetCDF
Keywords

  • WRF
Keywords

  • West Africa
Keywords

  • physics parameterization ensemble
Keywords

  • regional climate simulation
Use limitation

CC-BY-4.0: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language

eng; USA
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Begin date
2006-01-01
End date
2010-12-31
Distribution format
  • NetCDF ()

Transfer size
27486
OnLine resource
https://www.wdc-climate.de/ui/entry?acronym=SaWaM_WRF_phys_par_comb_r1
Hierarchy level
collection
Attribute description
underground_runoff_flux
Descriptor

underground_runoff_flux; unit: not filled
Attribute description
surface_upward_moisture_flux
Descriptor

surface_upward_moisture_flux; unit: not filled
Attribute description
surface_upward_sensible_heat_flux
Descriptor

The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). The surface sensible heat flux, also called "turbulent" heat flux, is the exchange of heat between the surface and the air by motion of air. In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
precipitation_amount
Descriptor

"Amount" means mass per unit area. "Precipitation" in the earths atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
surface_runoff_flux
Descriptor

The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Runoff is the liquid water which drains from land. If not specified, "runoff" refers to the sum of surface runoff and subsurface drainage. In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
air_potential_temperature-at2m
Descriptor

air_potential_temperature-at2m [CF-Standard Name-vertical_coordinate]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
heat_flux_at_ground (avg)
Descriptor

Ground Heat Flux (avg); unit: not filled
Attribute description
surface_air_pressure
Descriptor

The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
soil_moisture
Descriptor

soil_moisture; unit: not filled
Attribute description
northward_wind-at2m
Descriptor

northward_wind-at2m [CF-Standard Name-vertical_coordinate]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
air_temperature-at2m
Descriptor

Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name-vertical_coordinate]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
specific_humidity-at2m
Descriptor

"specific" means per unit mass. Specific humidity is the mass fraction of water

vapor in (moist) air.[CF-Standard Name-vertical_coordinate]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
surface_upward_latent_heat_flux
Descriptor

The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Upward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed upward (negative downward). The surface latent heat flux is the exchange of heat between the surface and the air on account of evaporation (including sublimation). In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
soil_temperature
Descriptor

Soil temperature is the bulk temperature of the soil, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: not filled
Attribute description
eastward_wind-at2m
Descriptor

eastward_wind-at2m [CF-Standard Name-vertical_coordinate]; unit: not filled
File identifier
wdc-climate.de:3889796 XML
Metadata language

eng; USA
Hierarchy level
collection
Hierarchy level name

SaWaM_WRF_phys_par_comb_r1
Date stamp
2021-07-08T17:50:09
Metadata standard name

ISO 19115
Metadata standard version

ISO 19115-2:2009
Point of contact
  Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - Dr. Patrick Laux
not filled
Point of contact
  Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - Dr. Patrick Laux
not filled
 
 

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