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The ExtremeX global climate model experiment : investigating thermodynamic and dynamic processes contributing to weather and climate extremes

Wehrli, Kathrin ; Luo, Fei ; Hauser, Mathias ; Shiogama, Hideo ; Tokuda, Daisuke ; Kim, Hyungjun ; Coumou, Dim ; May, Wilhelm LU orcid ; Le Sager, Philippe and Selten, Frank , et al. (2022) In Earth System Dynamics 13(3). p.1167-1196
Abstract

The mechanisms leading to the occurrence of extreme weather and climate events are varied and complex. They generally encompass a combination of dynamic and thermodynamic processes, as well as drivers external to the climate system, such as anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and land use change. Here we present the ExtremeX multi-model intercomparison experiment, which was designed to investigate the contribution of dynamic and thermodynamic processes to recent weather and climate extremes. The numerical experiments are performed with three Earth system models: CESM, MIROC, and EC-Earth. They include control experiments with interactive atmosphere and land surface conditions, as well as experiments wherein the atmospheric... (More)

The mechanisms leading to the occurrence of extreme weather and climate events are varied and complex. They generally encompass a combination of dynamic and thermodynamic processes, as well as drivers external to the climate system, such as anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and land use change. Here we present the ExtremeX multi-model intercomparison experiment, which was designed to investigate the contribution of dynamic and thermodynamic processes to recent weather and climate extremes. The numerical experiments are performed with three Earth system models: CESM, MIROC, and EC-Earth. They include control experiments with interactive atmosphere and land surface conditions, as well as experiments wherein the atmospheric circulation, soil moisture, or both are constrained using observation-based data. The temporal evolution and magnitude of temperature anomalies during heatwaves are well represented in the experiments with a constrained atmosphere. However, the magnitude of mean climatological biases in temperature and precipitation are not greatly reduced in any of the constrained experiments due to persistent or newly introduced biases. This highlights the importance of error compensations and tuning in the standard model versions. To show one possible application, ExtremeX is used to identify the main drivers of heatwaves and warm spells. The results reveal that both atmospheric circulation patterns and soil moisture conditions substantially contribute to the occurrence of these events. Soil moisture effects are particularly important in the tropics, the monsoon areas, and the Great Plains of the United States, whereas atmospheric circulation effects are major drivers in other midlatitude and high-latitude regions.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Earth System Dynamics
volume
13
issue
3
pages
30 pages
publisher
Copernicus GmbH
external identifiers
  • scopus:85137843320
ISSN
2190-4979
DOI
10.5194/esd-13-1167-2022
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fa010a3f-482d-4026-9563-7fce0b81f0f0
date added to LUP
2022-11-30 15:54:45
date last changed
2024-08-21 02:01:08
@article{fa010a3f-482d-4026-9563-7fce0b81f0f0,
  abstract     = {{<p>The mechanisms leading to the occurrence of extreme weather and climate events are varied and complex. They generally encompass a combination of dynamic and thermodynamic processes, as well as drivers external to the climate system, such as anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and land use change. Here we present the ExtremeX multi-model intercomparison experiment, which was designed to investigate the contribution of dynamic and thermodynamic processes to recent weather and climate extremes. The numerical experiments are performed with three Earth system models: CESM, MIROC, and EC-Earth. They include control experiments with interactive atmosphere and land surface conditions, as well as experiments wherein the atmospheric circulation, soil moisture, or both are constrained using observation-based data. The temporal evolution and magnitude of temperature anomalies during heatwaves are well represented in the experiments with a constrained atmosphere. However, the magnitude of mean climatological biases in temperature and precipitation are not greatly reduced in any of the constrained experiments due to persistent or newly introduced biases. This highlights the importance of error compensations and tuning in the standard model versions. To show one possible application, ExtremeX is used to identify the main drivers of heatwaves and warm spells. The results reveal that both atmospheric circulation patterns and soil moisture conditions substantially contribute to the occurrence of these events. Soil moisture effects are particularly important in the tropics, the monsoon areas, and the Great Plains of the United States, whereas atmospheric circulation effects are major drivers in other midlatitude and high-latitude regions.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wehrli, Kathrin and Luo, Fei and Hauser, Mathias and Shiogama, Hideo and Tokuda, Daisuke and Kim, Hyungjun and Coumou, Dim and May, Wilhelm and Le Sager, Philippe and Selten, Frank and Martius, Olivia and Vautard, Robert and Seneviratne, Sonia I.}},
  issn         = {{2190-4979}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{1167--1196}},
  publisher    = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
  series       = {{Earth System Dynamics}},
  title        = {{The ExtremeX global climate model experiment : investigating thermodynamic and dynamic processes contributing to weather and climate extremes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1167-2022}},
  doi          = {{10.5194/esd-13-1167-2022}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}