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GISS Model E2.2: A Climate Model Optimized for the Middle Atmosphere—2. Validation of Large-Scale Transport and Evaluation of Climate Response

Publication ,  Journal Article
Orbe, C; Rind, D; Jonas, J; Nazarenko, L; Faluvegi, G; Murray, LT; Shindell, DT; Tsigaridis, K; Zhou, T; Kelley, M; Schmidt, GA
Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
December 27, 2020

Here we examine the large-scale transport characteristics of the new “Middle Atmosphere” NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) climate model (E2.2). First, we evaluate the stratospheric transport circulation in historical atmosphere-only simulations integrated with interactive trace gas and aerosol chemistry. Compared to lower vertical resolution model versions, E2.2 exhibits improved tropical ascent and older stratospheric mean ages that are more consistent with observed values. In the troposphere, poleward transport to the Arctic and interhemispheric mean ages in E2.2 are comparable to models participating in the Chemistry Climate Modeling Initiative. In addition to validating E2.2, we also assess its “transport sensitivity” using the coupled atmosphere-ocean abrupt 4xCO2 and transient 1%CO2 simulations submitted to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 6, along with a 2xCO2 simulation used to evaluate the linearity of the transport circulation's response to increased CO2. We show that decreases (increases) in a stratospheric mean age (idealized surface loss) tracer scale linearly with increased lower stratospheric upwelling, which also increases linearly with warming tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Abrupt 2xCO2 and 4xCO2 experiments constrained with (fixed) pre-industrial SSTs are also used to quantify the relative importance of rapid adjustments versus SST feedbacks to the transport circulation responses in the model. Finally, sensitivity experiments are presented to illustrate the impact of changes in the convective parameterization on stratospheric transport.

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Published In

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI

EISSN

2169-8996

ISSN

2169-897X

Publication Date

December 27, 2020

Volume

125

Issue

24

Related Subject Headings

  • 3702 Climate change science
  • 3701 Atmospheric sciences
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

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MLA
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Orbe, C., Rind, D., Jonas, J., Nazarenko, L., Faluvegi, G., Murray, L. T., … Schmidt, G. A. (2020). GISS Model E2.2: A Climate Model Optimized for the Middle Atmosphere—2. Validation of Large-Scale Transport and Evaluation of Climate Response. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 125(24). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033151
Orbe, C., D. Rind, J. Jonas, L. Nazarenko, G. Faluvegi, L. T. Murray, D. T. Shindell, et al. “GISS Model E2.2: A Climate Model Optimized for the Middle Atmosphere—2. Validation of Large-Scale Transport and Evaluation of Climate Response.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 125, no. 24 (December 27, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033151.
Orbe C, Rind D, Jonas J, Nazarenko L, Faluvegi G, Murray LT, et al. GISS Model E2.2: A Climate Model Optimized for the Middle Atmosphere—2. Validation of Large-Scale Transport and Evaluation of Climate Response. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2020 Dec 27;125(24).
Orbe, C., et al. “GISS Model E2.2: A Climate Model Optimized for the Middle Atmosphere—2. Validation of Large-Scale Transport and Evaluation of Climate Response.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, vol. 125, no. 24, Dec. 2020. Scopus, doi:10.1029/2020JD033151.
Orbe C, Rind D, Jonas J, Nazarenko L, Faluvegi G, Murray LT, Shindell DT, Tsigaridis K, Zhou T, Kelley M, Schmidt GA. GISS Model E2.2: A Climate Model Optimized for the Middle Atmosphere—2. Validation of Large-Scale Transport and Evaluation of Climate Response. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2020 Dec 27;125(24).

Published In

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI

EISSN

2169-8996

ISSN

2169-897X

Publication Date

December 27, 2020

Volume

125

Issue

24

Related Subject Headings

  • 3702 Climate change science
  • 3701 Atmospheric sciences
  • 0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences