Descriptions of the models available in FACTS

AM3

Model:
AM3
Source:
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.9ox1.9o (192x92)
Vertical Resolution:
48 layers
References:
Donner, Leo J., Bruce Wyman, Richard S Hemler, Larry W Horowitz, Yi Ming, Ming Zhao, J-C Golaz, Paul Ginoux, Shian-Jiann Lin, M Daniel Schwarzkopf, John Austin, G Alaka, W F Cooke, Thomas L Delworth, Stuart Freidenreich, C Tony Gordon, Stephen M Griffies, Isaac M Held, William J Hurlin, Stephen A Klein, Thomas R Knutson, Amy R Langenhorst, H C Lee, Y Lin, B I Magi, Sergey Malyshev, P C D Milly, Vaishali Naik, Mary Jo Nath, R Pincus, Jeff J Ploshay, V Ramaswamy, Charles J Seman, Elena Shevliakova, Joseph J Sirutis, William F Stern, Ronald J Stouffer, R John Wilson, Michael Winton, Andrew T Wittenberg, and Fanrong Zeng, July 2011: The dynamical core, physical parameterizations, and basic simulation characteristics of the atmospheric component AM3 of the GFDL Global Coupled Model CM3. Journal of Climate, 24(13), doi:10.1175/2011JCLI3955.1.

Bretherton, Christopher S., James R McCaa, Herve Grenier, 2004: A New Parameterization for Shallow Cumulus Convection and Its Application to Marine Subtropical Cloud-Topped Boundary Layers. Part I: Description and 1D Results. Monthly Weather Review, 132, 864-882.

Donner, Leo J., Charles J Seman, Richard S Hemler, and Song-Miao Fan, 2001: A Cumulus Parameterization Including Mass Fluxes, Convective Vertical Velocities, and Mesoscale Effects: Thermodynamic and Hydrological Aspects in a General Circulation model. Journal of Climate, 14(16), 3444-3463.

Golaz, J-C, M Salzmann, Leo J Donner, Larry W Horowitz, Yi Ming, and Ming Zhao, July 2011: Sensitivity of the Aerosol Indirect Effect to Subgrid Variability in the Cloud Parameterization of the GFDL Atmosphere General Circulation Model AM3. Journal of Climate, 24(13), DOI:10.1175/2010JCLI3945.1.

Ming, Yi, V Ramaswamy, Leo J Donner, and V T J Phillips, 2006: A new parameterization of cloud droplet activation applicable to general circulation models. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 63(4), DOI:10.1175/JAS3686.1.

Wilcox, E M., and Leo J Donner, 2007: The Frequency of Extreme Rain Events in Satellite Rain-Rate Estimates and an Atmospheric General Circulation Model. Journal of Climate, 20(1), DOI:10.1175/JCLI3987.1

CAM4

Model:
CCSM4.0 CAM
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.0oX1.0o (288x192)
Vertical Resolution:
25 layers
References:
Neale, R. B., et al., (2010a), Description of the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 4.0), NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-XXX+STR, 206 pp., Natl. Cent. for Atmos. Res, Boulder, Colo.

CAM5.1

Model:
CAM-5.1.1 (CESM-1.0)
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.0oX1.0o (288x192)
Vertical Resolution:
25 layers
References:
Neale, R. B., et al., (2012), Description of the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 5.0), NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-486+STR, 289 pp., Natl. Cent. for Atmos. Res, Boulder, Colo.

CanESM2

Model:
CanESM2
Source:
Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis
Horizontal Resolution:
~2.8oX2.8o (128x64)
Vertical Resolution:
35 layers
Large Ensemble Experiment References and Licensing

CESM1-CAM5

Model:
CESM1.0-CAM5
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.0oX1.0o (288x192)
Vertical Resolution:
25 layers
References:
Kay, J. E., Deser, C., Phillips, A., Mai, A., Hannay, C., Strand, G., Arblaster, J., Bates, S., Danabasoglu, G., Edwards, J., Holland, M. Kushner, P., Lamarque, J.-F., Lawrence, D., Lindsay, K., Middleton, A., Munoz, E., Neale, R., Oleson, K., Polvani, L., and M. Vertenstein (2015), The Community Earth System Model (CESM) Large Ensemble Project: A Community Resource for Studying Climate Change in the Presence of Internal Climate Variability, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00255.1, 96, 1333-1349.

CESM2 (Large Ensemble)

Model:
CESM2 (Large Ensemble)
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.0oX1.0o (288x192)
Additional Notes:
The CESM2 Large Ensemble (LENS2) consists of 100 members at 1-degree spatial resolution covering the period 1850-2100 under CMIP6 historical and SSP370 future radiative forcing scenarios. We follow the ensemble numbering scheme noted on the CESM2-LE webpage (see above)

  1. Members 1-10: These begin from years 1001, 1021, 1041, 1061, 1081, 1101, 1121, 1141, 1161, and 1181 of the 1400-year pre-industrial control simulation. This segment of the control simulation was chosen to minimize drift.
  2. Members 11-90: These begin from 4 pre-selected years of the pre-industrial control simulation based on the phase of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). For each of the 4 initial states, there are 20 ensemble members created by randomly perturbing the atmospheric potential temperature field by order 10^-14K. The chosen start dates (model years 1231, 1251, 1281, and 1301) sample AMOC and sea surface height (SSH) in the Labrador Sea at their maximum, minimum, and transition states.
  3. Members 91-100: These begin from years 1011, 1031, 1051, 1071, 1091, 1111, 1131, 1151, 1171, and 1191 of the 1400-year pre-industrial control simulation. This group includes an extensive / comprehensive set of output fields -- referred to as the mother of all runs, "MOAR" outputs, which can be used to drive regional climate models, in addition to COSP output.

LENS2 is divided into two 50-member sub-ensembles: one which uses the original CMIP6 Biomass Burning protocol (BMB) and one which uses a smoothed version of the CMIP6 BMB protocol (11-year running means) that is more comparable to the treatment of CMIP6 BMB emissions used before 1997 and after 2014.

Recent publications document the sizeable effect that the different treatments have on the climate of the model, including the hydrological cycle, Arctic sea ice, climate variability, and global surface temperature. Because the greatest impact is on the recent climate, this difference affects both attribution of extreme events relative to past climates, and the projections of the future climate relative to the present. Therefore we treat these two as separate model ensembles. Data is available for download for those who wish to combine the two biomass burning ensembles into a single 100-member ensemble.

CESM2-CAM6

Model:
CESM2-CAM6
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.0oX1.0o (288x192)
Additional Notes:
For the Tropical AMIP Ensemble: SST's from 28S:28N are set to time-varying SST's from ERSSTv5. A transition/linear interpolation zone exists from 28:35 degree latitudes. From 35 degrees polewards full-period climatological SSTs (ERSSTv5)/sea-ice (HadISST1) are set.

For the Global AMIP Ensemble: Global SST's (ERSSTv5) and sea-ice (HadISST1) are specified.

All simulations from both ensembles were initialized from the 11th CESM2 historical member on January 1st, 1880, with each ensemble member receiving a small change in the initial air temperature via namelist setting PERTLIM. All CMIP6 time-varying external, natural and anthropogenic forcings were specified in these ensembles.

ECHAM5

Model:
ECHAM5.4
Source:
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI)
Horizontal Resolution:
0.75ox0.75o (480x240)
Vertical Resolution:
31 layers
References:
Roeckner, E., G. Bäuml, L. Bonaventura, R. Brokopf, M. Esch, M. Giorgetta, S. Hagemann, I. Kirchner, L. Kornblueh, E. Manzini, A. Rhodin, U. Schlese, U. Schulzweida, and A. Tompkins, 2003: The atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM5. Part I: Model description. Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Rep. 349, 127 pp.

ESRL-CAM5HR

Model:
ESRL-CAM5HR
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~0.5oX0.5o (576x384)
Vertical Resolution:
26 layers
References:
Kay, J. E., Deser, C., Phillips, A., Mai, A., Hannay, C., Strand, G., Arblaster, J., Bates, S., Danabasoglu, G., Edwards, J., Holland, M. Kushner, P., Lamarque, J.-F., Lawrence, D., Lindsay, K., Middleton, A., Munoz, E., Neale, R., Oleson, K., Polvani, L., and M. Vertenstein (2015), The Community Earth System Model (CESM) Large Ensemble Project: A Community Resource for Studying Climate Change in the Presence of Internal Climate Variability, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00255.1, 96, 1333-1349.

ESRL-GFSv2

Model:
GFSv2 run at ESRL
Source:
NOAA/NWS Environmental Modeling Center (EMC)
Horizontal Resolution:
1.0ox1.0o (360x181)
Vertical Resolution:
64 layers
References:
Suranjana Saha, Shrinivas Moorthi, Xingren Wu, Jiande Wang, Sudhir Nadiga, Patrick Tripp, David Behringer, Yu-Tai Hou, Hui-ya Chuang, Mark Iredell, Michael Ek, Jesse Meng, Rongqian Yang, Malaquías Peña Mendez, Huug van den Dool, Qin Zhang, Wanqiu Wang, Mingyue Chen, and Emily Becker, 2014: The NCEP Climate Forecast System Version 2. J. Climate, 27, 2185–2208. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00823.1

GEOS-5

Model:
GEOS-5
Source:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
Horizontal Resolution:
1.25ox1o (288x181)
Vertical Resolution:
72 layers
References:
Molod, A., L. Takacs, M. Suarez, J. Bacmeister, I. Somg, and A. Eichmann, 2012: The GEOS-5 Atmospheric General Circulation Model: Mean Climate and Development from MERRA to Fortuna. Tech. rep., NASA Technical Report Series on Global Modeling and Data Assimilation, NASA TM2012-104606, Vol. 28, 117 pp.

Siegfried D. Schubert, Hailan Wang, Randal D. Koster, Max J. Suarez, and Pavel Ya. Groisman, 2014: Northern Eurasian Heat Waves and Droughts. J. Climate, 27, 3169–3207.

GFDL-CM3

Model:
GFDL-CM3
Source:
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL)
Horizontal Resolution:
2.5ox2.0o (144x90)
Vertical Resolution:
48 layers
References:
Griffies, S. M., and Coauthors, 2011: GFDL’s CM3 coupled climate model: Characteristics of the ocean and sea ice simulations. J. Climate, 24, 3520–3544, doi: 10.1175/2011JCLI3964.1

Donner, L. J., and Coauthors, 2011: The dynamical core, physical parameterizations, and basic simulation characteristics of the atmospheric component of the GFDL global coupled model CM3. J. Climate, 24, 3484–3519, doi: 10.1175/2011JCLI3955.1

Golaz, J.-C., M. Salzmann, L. J. Donner, L. W. Horowitz, Y. Ming, and M. Zhao, 2011: Sensitivity of the aerosol indirect effect to subgrid variability in the cloud parameterization of the GFDL atmosphere general circulation model AM3. J. Climate, 24, 3145–3160, doi: 10.1175/2010JCLI3945.1

Sun, Lantao, Michael Alexander, and Clara Deser, 2018: Evolution of the global coupled climate response to Arctic sea ice loss during 1990-2090 and its contribution to climate change, J. Climate, 31, 7823-7843, doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0134.1

GFDL-SPEAR

Model:
GFDL-SPEAR (Seamless System for Prediction and EArth System Research)
Source:
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL)
Horizontal Resolution:
.5ox.5o (576x360)
Vertical Resolution:
33 layers
References:

Delworth,T.L., et al (2020). SPEAR: The Next Generation GFDL Modeling System for Seasonal to Multidecadal Prediction and Projection, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 12(3), e2019MS001895, doi: 10.1029/2019MS001895

Lu, F., et al. (2020). GFDL’s SPEAR seasonal prediction system: initialization and ocean tendency adjustment (OTA) for coupled model predictions. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, doi: 10.1029/2020MS002149

PSL CAM5 (.5 degree)

Model:
PSL-CAM5-.5degree
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~0.25oX0.25o (1152x768)
Vertical Resolution:
17 layers
References:
Kay, J. E., Deser, C., Phillips, A., Mai, A., Hannay, C., Strand, G., Arblaster, J., Bates, S., Danabasoglu, G., Edwards, J., Holland, M. Kushner, P., Lamarque, J.-F., Lawrence, D., Lindsay, K., Middleton, A., Munoz, E., Neale, R., Oleson, K., Polvani, L., and M. Vertenstein (2015), The Community Earth System Model (CESM) Large Ensemble Project: A Community Resource for Studying Climate Change in the Presence of Internal Climate Variability, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00255.1, 96, 1333-1349.

PSL CAM5 (1 degree)

Model:
CAM-5.1
Source:
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Horizontal Resolution:
~1.0oX1.0o (288x192)
Vertical Resolution:
30 layers
References:
Neale, R. B., et al., (2012), Description of the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 5.0), NCAR Tech. Note NCAR/TN-486+STR, 289 pp., Natl. Cent. for Atmos. Res, Boulder, Colo.
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CITATION REQUEST: When using model or observational data obtained through FACTS in a publication, please provide a citation in the paper to the original underlying data source. This includes both downloading data and creating analysis figures through FACTS. A list of original sources for citation is here.