Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

On the effect of boundary conditions on the Canadian Regional Climate Model: use of process tendencies

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate simulations results can be very different when the regional climate model used is driven by different data. In this paper, the fifth generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) response is assessed when driven by various boundary conditions. The latter are provided by outputs from the second-generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology’s Earth System Model (MPI-ESM-LR) and also from ERA-Interim reanalysis. Physical and dynamical tendencies are analysed when the regional model is well spun up and is sufficiently affected by the lateral forcing data. The results indicate that the model is very sensitive to those imposed lateral conditions. Compared to observations, the CRCM5 exhibits excessive heating in the lower levels and cooling above when driven by the three driving data. It is also found that the two global models contribute to these anomalies but with different effects. Temperature tendencies revealed a cooling in lower layers when CRCM5 is driven by CanESM2 while a heating is noted when the model is forced by MPI-ESM-LR. Specific humidity tendencies also showed different effects depending on the driving data used.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arakawa A, Lamb WR (1977) Computational design of the basic dynamical processes of the UCLA general circulation model. In: General circulation models of the atmosphere (A78–1066201-47). Academic Press Inc, New York, pp 173–265

  • Arora VK, Scinocca JF, Boer GJ, Christian JR, Denman KL, Flato GM, Kharin VV, Lee WG, Merryfield WJ (2011) Carbon emission limits required to satisfy future representative pathways of greenhouse gases. Geophys Res Lett 38:L05805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chikhar K, Gauthier P (2014) Impact of analyses on the dynamical balance of global and limited-area atmospheric models. Q J R Meteorol Soc. 140:2535–2545. doi:10.1002/qj.2319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Côté J, Gravel S, Méthot A, Patoine A, Roch M, Staniforth A (1998) The operational CMC-MRB global environmental multiscale (GEM) model. Part I: design considerations and formulation. Mon Weather Rev 126:1373–1395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies HC (1976) A lateral boundary formulation for multi-level prediction models. Q J R Meteorol Soc 102:405–418

    Google Scholar 

  • Dee DP et al (2011) The ERA-interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q J R Meteorol Soc 137:553–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denis D, Laprise R, Caya D (2003) Sensitivity of a regional climate model to the resolution of the lateral boundary conditions. Clim Dyn 20:107–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Diaconescu EP, Laprise R, Sushama L (2007) The impact of lateral boundary data errors on the simulated climate of a nested regional climate model. Clim Dyn 28:333–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gauthier P, Tanguay M, Laroche S, Pellerin S, Morneau J (2007) Extension of 3D-Var to 4D-Var : implementation of 4D-Var at the Meteorological Service of Canada. Mon Weather Rev 135:2339–2354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giorgetta MA et al (2013) Climate and carbon cycle changes from 1850 to 2100 in MPI-ESM simulations for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5. J Adv Model Earth Syst 5:572597. doi:10.1002/jame.20038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez-Diaz L, Laprise R, Sushama L, Martynov A, Winger K, Dugas B (2012) Climate simulation over CORDEX Africa domain using the fifth-generation Canadian regional climate model (CRCM5). Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1387-z

  • Kain JS, Fritsch JM (1993) Convective parameterization for mesoscale models: the Kain–Fritsch scheme. The representation of cumulus convection in numerical models. Meteor Monogr 24:165–170; Am Meteorol Soc

  • Kain JS, Fritsch JM (1990) A one-dimensional entraining/detraining plume model and its application in convective parameterization. J Atmos Sci 47:2784–2802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo HL (1974) Further studies on the parameterization of the influence of cumulus convection on large-scale flow. J Atmos Sci 31:1232–1240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laprise R et al (2013) Climate projections over CORDEX Africa domain using the fifth-generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5). Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1651-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Laprise R (1992) The Euler equation of motion with hydrostatic pressure as independent coordinate. Mon Weather Rev 120:197–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Barker HW (2005) A radiation algorithm with correlated k-distribution. Part I : local thermal equilibrium. J Atmos Sci 62:286–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mailhot J, Benoit R (1982) A finite-element model of the atmospheric boundary layer suitable for use with numerical weather prediction models. J Atmos Sci 39:2249–2266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mailhot J, Bélair S, Benoit R, Bilodeau B, Delage Y, Fillion L, Garand L, Girard C, Tremblay A (1998) Scientific Description of RPN Physics Library (Version 3.6). Recherche en Prévision Numérique, Service de l’environnement atmosphérique, Dorval (Québec)

  • Martynov A, Laprise R, Sushama L, Winger K, Separovic L, Dugas B (2013) Reanalysis-driven climate simulation over CORDEX North America domain using the Canadian Regional Climate Model, version 5: model performance evaluation. Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-013-1778-9

    Google Scholar 

  • Noilhan J, Planton S (1989) A simple parameterization of land surface processes for meteorological models. Mon Weather Rev 117:536–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robert A, Yakimiw E (1986) Identification and elimination of an inflow boundary computational solution in limited area model integrations. Atmos Ocean 24:369–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodwell MJ, Palmer TN (2007) Using numerical weather prediction to assess climate models. Q J R Meteorol Soc 133:129–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodwell MJ, Jung T (2008) Understanding the local and global impacts of model physics changes: an aerosol example. Q J R Meteorol Soc 134:1479–1497

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šeparović L et al (2013) Present climate and climate change over North America as simulated by the fifth-generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5). Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-013-1737-5

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens B et al (2013) Atmospheric component of the MPI-M Earth System Model: ECHAM6. J Adv Model Earth Syst 5(2):146–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundqvist H (1978) A parameterization scheme for non-convective condensation including prediction of cloud water content. Q J R Meteorol Soc 104:677–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verseghy LD (2008) The Canadian land surface scheme: technical documentationversion 3.4. Climate Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada

  • Verseghy LD (2000) The Canadian land surface scheme (CLASS): its history and future. Atmos Ocean 38:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warner TT, Peterson RA, Treadon RE (1997) A tutorial on lateral boundary conditions as a basic and potentially serious limitation to regional numerical weather prediction. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 78:25992617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu W, Lynch AH, Rivers A (2005) Estimating the uncertainty in a regional climate model related to initial and lateral boundary conditions. J Clim 18:917–933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zadra A, Caya D, Côté J, Dugas B, Jones C, Laprise R, Winger K, Caron LP (2008) The next Canadian regional climate model. Phys Can 64:75–83

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mrs. Katja Winger and Dr. Bernard Dugas for their support through numerous discussions and advice. Comments from Dr. Oumarou Nikiema and Prof. René Laprise on early results helped us to better understand the implications of our results. This research was funded by the Canadian Network for Regional Climate and Weather Processes (CNRCWP) funded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Climate Change and Atmosphere Research (CCAR) program, the Québec’s Ministère du Développement Économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation (MDEIE), the Grants and Contribution program of Environment Canada and NSERC’s Discovery Grant program. High performance computing resources were provided by Compute Canada on the Guillimin platform of the Calcul Québec regional consortium. The first author benefited from a scholarship form the Faculty of Science of the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre ESCER, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), P.O. Box 8888, Downtown Station, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Kamel Chikhar & Pierre Gauthier

Authors
  1. Kamel Chikhar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pierre Gauthier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kamel Chikhar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chikhar, K., Gauthier, P. On the effect of boundary conditions on the Canadian Regional Climate Model: use of process tendencies. Clim Dyn 45, 2515–2526 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-015-2488-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-015-2488-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation