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RegCM3 regional climatologies for South America using reanalysis and ECHAM global model driving fields

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Abstract

To enable downscaling of seasonal prediction and climate change scenarios, long-term baseline regional climatologies which employ global model forcing are needed for South America. As a first step in this process, this work examines climatological integrations with a regional climate model using a continental scale domain nested in both reanalysis data and multiple realizations of an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM). The analysis presents an evaluation of the nested model simulated large scale circulation, mean annual cycle and interannual variability which is compared against observational estimates and also with the driving GCM for the Northeast, Amazon, Monsoon and Southeast regions of South America. Results indicate that the regional climate model simulates the annual cycle of precipitation well in the Northeast region and Monsoon regions; it exhibits a dry bias during winter (July–September) in the Southeast, and simulates a semi-annual cycle with a dry bias in summer (December–February) in the Amazon region. There is little difference in the annual cycle between the GCM and renalyses driven simulations, however, substantial differences are seen in the interannual variability. Despite the biases in the annual cycle, the regional model captures much of the interannual variability observed in the Northeast, Southeast and Amazon regions. In the Monsoon region, where remote influences are weak, the regional model improves upon the GCM, though neither show substantial predictability. We conclude that in regions where remote influences are strong and the global model performs well it is difficult for the regional model to improve the large scale climatological features, indeed the regional model may degrade the simulation. Where remote forcing is weak and local processes dominate, there is some potential for the regional model to add value. This, however, will require improvments in physical parameterizations for high resolution tropical simulations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Filippo Giorgi for the use of RegCM3 and Dave Dewitt for assistance with the ECHAM global model. Dr. Xunqiang Bi provided guidance with the model pre- and post-processing. Huilan Li helped to develop the interface between ECHAM and RegCM3. The comments from three anonymous reviewers improved the quality and presentation of these results and are much appreciated. This research was funded in part by NOAA, Award # NA16GP2029, and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society # NA050AR4311004. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Monell Building, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA

    Anji Seth, Sara A. Rauscher, Suzana J. Camargo & Jian-Hua Qian

  2. Department of Geography, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Anji Seth

  3. Earth Systems Physics, International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy

    Sara A. Rauscher & J. S. Pal

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  1. Anji Seth
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Correspondence to Anji Seth.

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Seth, A., Rauscher, S.A., Camargo, S.J. et al. RegCM3 regional climatologies for South America using reanalysis and ECHAM global model driving fields. Clim Dyn 28, 461–480 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-006-0191-z

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