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Numerical Techniques for Global Atmospheric Models pp 495–512Cite as

Kinetic Energy Spectra and Model Filters

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering ((LNCSE,volume 80))

Abstract

We wish to maximize efficiency (accuracy/cost) in the design of atmospheric fluid-flow solvers. An important measure of accuracy for weather and climate applications is a model’s ability to resolve meteorologically important features at scales approaching the grid-scale. Simulated kinetic energy spectra provide a useful diagnostic for quantifying a model’s resolving capability. Using kinetic energy spectra we illustrate some of the issues affecting the resolution capabilities of models arising from the choice of spatial grid staggering, integration schemes and their implicit filters, and explicit filters. In both Eulerian and semi-Lagrangian formulations, C-grid staggering provides the best resolution of divergent modes that are an important part the KE spectrum in the mesoscale which the global models are now beginning to resolve. Other grid staggerings require special filtering that compromise resolution capabilities. The popular semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit formulations are shown to significantly damp resolvable high-frequency modes and adversely affect their resolving capabilities. While less costly at a given grid density, the SLSI models may well be significantly less efficient than Eulerian models.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is supported by the National Science Foundation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    William C. Skamarock

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  1. William C. Skamarock
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Correspondence to William C. Skamarock .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Atmospheric Research, Dept. Climate/Global Dyn., National Center for, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    Peter Lauritzen

  2. Dept. Atmospheric, Oceanic &, Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Hayward St. 2455, Ann Arbor, 48109, Michigan, USA

    Christiane Jablonowski

  3. Organization 1433, MS-0370, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    Mark Taylor

  4. (NCAR), Inst. for Mathematics Applied to, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    Ramachandran Nair

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Skamarock, W.C. (2011). Kinetic Energy Spectra and Model Filters. In: Lauritzen, P., Jablonowski, C., Taylor, M., Nair, R. (eds) Numerical Techniques for Global Atmospheric Models. Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering, vol 80. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11640-7_14

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