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Effective control parameters in a deep convection scheme for improved simulation of the Madden–Julian oscillation

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Abstract

This work seeks to find the most effective parameters in a deep convection scheme (relaxed Arakawa–Schubert scheme) of the National Centers of Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System model for improved simulation of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). A suite of sensitivity experiments are performed by changing physical components such as the relaxation parameter of mass flux for adjustment of the environment, the evaporation rate from large-scale precipitation, the moisture trigger threshold using relative humidity of the boundary layer, and the fraction of re-evaporation of convective (subgrid-scale) rainfall. Among them, the last two parameters are found to produce a significant improvement. Increasing the strength of these two parameters reduces light rainfall that inhibits complete formation of the tropical convective system or supplies more moisture that help increase a potential energy to large-scale environment in the lower troposphere (especially at 700 hPa), leading to moisture preconditioning favorable for further development and eastward propagation of the MJO. In a more humid environment, more organized MJO structure (i.e., space–time spectral signal, eastward propagation, and tilted vertical structure) is produced.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive and helpful comments that improved the manuscript. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grants funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (Nos. NRF-2014R1A2A1A11051818 & NRF-2015R1A2A2A01006663). The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI).

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  1. Division of Earth Environmental System, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, 609-735, South Korea

    Jin-Ho Choi & Kyong-Hwan Seo

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  1. Jin-Ho Choi
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Correspondence to Kyong-Hwan Seo.

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Choi, JH., Seo, KH. Effective control parameters in a deep convection scheme for improved simulation of the Madden–Julian oscillation. Clim Dyn 48, 3583–3597 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3285-2

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