Multi-model evaluation of the sensitivity of the global energy budget and hydrological cycle to resolution

• DOI: 10.1007/s00382-018-4547-y
• Publication Date: 2018-12-17T11:14:46Z
• Authors: Benoît Vannière; Marie-Estelle Demory; Pier Luigi Vidale; Reinhard Schiemann; Malcolm J. Roberts; Christopher D. Ro...; Mio Matsueda; Laurent Terray; Torben Koenigk; Retish Senan
• Keywords: Energy budget; Water cycle; Shortwave; Shortwave radiation; Outgoing longwave radiation; Atmospheric models; Cloud fraction

This study undertakes a multi-model comparison with the aim to describe and quantify systematic changes of global energy water budgets when horizontal resolution atmospheric models is increased identify common factors these among models. To do so, we analyse an ensemble twelve atmosphere-only six coupled GCMs, different model formulations resolutions spanning those state-of-the-art i.e. from coarser than 100 km finer 25 km. The main in budget are increase outgoing longwave radiation decrease shortwave due cloud properties, surface latent heat flux; km, magnitude change fluxes can be as large 5 W m−2. Moreover, all but one simulate poleward transport at higher resolution, mainly explained by reduction equator-to-pole tropospheric temperature gradient. Regarding hydrological processes, our results following: (1) there precipitation increasing (up 40 × 103 km3 year−1) partitioning between land ocean varies models; (2) fraction total that falls on average 10% larger grid point models, it smaller spectral (3) points moisture convergence twice (4) which have better resolved orography, show orographic up 13 year−1 explains most precipitation; (5) regional scale, pattern amplitude improved simulated seasonal mean circulation. We discuss against several observational estimates Earth's cycle they support recent high precipitation.