9.3 Assessing the WRF model with CAM5 physics (WRF-CAM5): Model implementation, evaluation, and resolution sensitivity

Ma, Po-Lun, Philip Rasch, Jerome Fast, Richard Easter, William Gustafson, Xiaohong Liu, Steve Ghan, and Balwinder Singh, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A nearly complete suite of physical parameterizations (deep and shallow convection, turbulent boundary layer, aerosols, cloud microphysics, and fractional clouds) from the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) version 5.1 (CAM5) has been implemented in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model version 3.5. A downscaling modeling framework with consistent physics between CAM5 and WRF has been established of which simulations are driven by the same initial and boundary conditions, emissions, and surface fluxes. The WRF model with the CAM5 physics suite (WRF-CAM5) has been run successfully at multiple resolutions for an Aerosol Model Testbed (AMT) case in April, 2008, when three field campaigns, ARCPAC, ARCTAS, and ISDAC, took place. The WRF-CAM5 simulations are compared with simulations that adopt traditional WRF parameterizations, and evaluated against field campaign data, satellite retrieval, and ground based measurements. In this workshop, we will give an overview on the model implementation and capability, followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the simulated meteorology, clouds, and aerosols. The resolution dependence of the physical parameterizations will be highlighted that some of the biases in the global climate model can be reduced with increasing resolution. The potential sources for the remaining bias will also be discussed.