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Multiyear simulation of the African climate using a regional climate model (RegCM3) with the high resolution ERA-interim reanalysis

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Abstract

This study examines the ability of the latest version of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) regional climate model (RegCM3) to reproduce seasonal mean climatologies, annual cycle and interannual variability over the entire African continent and different climate subregions. The new European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) ERA-interim reanalysis is used to provide initial and lateral boundary conditions for the RegCM3 simulation. Seasonal mean values of zonal wind profile, temperature, precipitation and associated low level circulations are shown to be realistically simulated, although the regional model still shows some deficiencies. The West Africa monsoon flow is somewhat overestimated and the Africa Easterly Jet (AEJ) core intensity is underestimated. Despite these biases, there is a marked improvement in these simulated model variables compared to previous applications of this model over Africa. The mean annual cycle of precipitation, including single and multiple rainy seasons, is well captured over most African subregions, in some cases even improving the quality of the ERA-interim reanalysis. Similarly, the observed precipitation interannual variability is well reproduced by the regional model over most regions, mostly following, and sometimes improving, the quality of the ERA-interim reanalysis. It is assessed that the performance of this model over the entire African domain is of sufficient quality for application to the study of climate change and climate variability over the African continent.

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Acknowledgments

Support was provided by ENEA, ICTP and AMMA-EU program (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis). The computations for this project were performed at ENEA, Casaccia Center (Roma-Italia). Therefore, authors would like to acknowledge gratefully the assistance and technical support provided by the system manager Emmanuele Lombardi (Lele). Thanks also to the two reviewers whose comments significantly improve the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Atmospheric Physics, Simeon Fongang (LPASF), Polytechnic School, Cheikh Anta Diop University, BP 5085, Dakar-Fann, Dakar, Senegal

    Mouhamadou Bamba Sylla

  2. Physics of Weather and Climate Group, Earth System Physics Section, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy

    E. Coppola, L. Mariotti, F. Giorgi & X. Bi

  3. Department of Physics, Centre of Excellence CETEMPS, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    L. Mariotti

  4. Ente per le Nuove Technologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente (ENEA), Climate Section, Casaccia Center, Rome, Italy

    P. M. Ruti & A. Dell’Aquila

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  1. Mouhamadou Bamba Sylla
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  2. E. Coppola
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  3. L. Mariotti
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  4. F. Giorgi
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  7. X. Bi
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Correspondence to Mouhamadou Bamba Sylla.

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This paper is a contribution to the special issue on West African Climate, consisting of papers from the African Multidisciplinary Monsoon Analysis (AMMA) and West African Monsoon Modeling and Evaluation (WAMME) projects, and coordinated by Y. Xue and P. M. Ruti.

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Sylla, M.B., Coppola, E., Mariotti, L. et al. Multiyear simulation of the African climate using a regional climate model (RegCM3) with the high resolution ERA-interim reanalysis. Clim Dyn 35, 231–247 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-009-0613-9

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