Comparison
between the ECMWF T511 Nature Run against climatology.
20050601-20060531, exp=eskb, cycle=31r1
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A large number of standard diagnostic plots
have been produced with the 'climplot' software (Adrian Tompkins), at ECMWF.
Climplot compares monthly (and longer) averages of model fields against
multi-year accumulations of available validation data sets. The length of each
validation data set varies, and is indicated in the label of the second panel
of each plot. The validation has been done for each of the 12 individual
months, for three-monthly, and for yearly averages. The Nature Run integration
started 20060501 and the first month has been disregarded as a 'warm-up'
period.
The resulting plots are stored in
directories:
Yearly/200506
Quarterly/200506
Quarterly/200509 Quarterly/200512
Quarterly/200603
Monthly/200506
Monthly/200507 Monthly/200508 Monthly/200509 Monthly/200510
Monthly/200511 Monthly/200512 Monthly/200601 Monthly/200602 Monthly/200603
Monthly/200604 Monthly/200605
In some cases validation data sets were
available for the actual period of the Nature Run. The NR has also been compared to these data;
the resulting plots are in the same directories as the validations against
climatological data sets, with different file names. See below.
There is a similar set of plots in each
directory. The following comments are
general, but the given file names refer to the yearly averages. In the description
below known model biases are highlighted that we are aware of, and will receive
attention in upcoming physics revisions. Known deficiencies in retrieval
products are also mentioned. For a thorough discussion of model systematic
errors see ECMWF TechMemo 452 Tompkins et al. (2004) and Jung et al. (2005) TechMemo
471.
**DESCRIPTION, VALIDATION AGAINST
CLIMATOLOGY**
**Winds at 10m level against QuikSCAT
vector winds and SSMI wind speeds.
clim_eskb_climatol_10wind_quikscat_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_10wind_ssmi_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- Quikscat does not provide winds in rainy
areas
- Shows known bias in the W Pacific. Model
winds are too low in
deep convective areas.
**Ice water path
clim_eskb_climatol_iwp_noaa_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- the NOAA product
is only for thin cirrus clouds, with a narrow
optical septh range, which makes the comparison unreliable
**Top of the atmosphere long-wave radiation
clim_eskb_climatol_lw_ceres_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_lw_ceres_np_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_lw_ceres_sp_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_lw_noaa_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps --- DEAD
file ---
- Shows lack of deep convection over the
tropical land masses. This agrees with evidence from other data sets. Also
agrees with earlier comparisons with ERBE data. A
long-standing bias that has improved with recent model changes, but require
further attention.
**Top of the atmosphere long-wave cloud
forcing??
clim_eskb_climatol_lwcf_ceres_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_lwcf_ceres_np_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_lwcf_ceres_sp_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- No product where continually cloudy.
- Proves that the IR biases in net
radiation are due to clouds.
**Total precipitation, against GPCP, SSMI,
TRMM and XieArkin
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_gpcp_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_gpcp_np_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_gpcp_sp_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_ssmi_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_trmm_nasda_3b43_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_trmm_rss_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_precip_xiearkin_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- These comparisons confirm the lack of
rainfall over the tropical
land masses.
- We have an overestimation of precip over
the high-SST regions in the tropics.
- There is a tendency for deep convection
to become locked in with the highest SSTs, which in the east Pacific results in
a narrow ITCZ
- The TRMM NASDA-3b43 algorithm is presumed
to be the most accurate of the two TRMM retrieval products.
**Surface heat fluxes
clim_eskb_climatol_sflux_ds_SLH_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- latent
clim_eskb_climatol_sflux_ds_SNET_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- net
clim_eskb_climatol_sflux_ds_SSH_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- sensible
clim_eskb_climatol_sflux_ds_SSR_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- solar
clim_eskb_climatol_sflux_ds_STR_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- infrared
- Surface fluxes observations are indirect
measurements and are less
reliable on a month-by-month basis. Ask Anton Beljaars.
**Top of the atmosphere short-wave
radiation
clim_eskb_climatol_sw_ceres_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_sw_ceres_np_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_sw_ceres_sp_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- This is now dramatically improved compred
to earlier cycle of the
model, and compared to ERA-40 (for example).
- Still small problem in the stratocumulus
regions close to the coasts,
despite of recent improvements.
**Top of the atmosphere short-wave cloud
forcing
clim_eskb_climatol_swcf_ceres_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_swcf_ceres_np_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_swcf_ceres_sp_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- See above, for sw-radiation.
**Total cloud cover
clim_eskb_climatol_tcc_isccp_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_tcc_modis_np_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_tcc_modis_sp_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_tcc_modis_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- This has improved greatly in recent
cycles of the model. In particular, the stratocumulus regions have improved.
- The apparent underestimation relative to
ISCCP over the
thought to overestimate cloud cover there. MODIS shows
better agreement with the model over the deserts.
- The MODIS product over sea ice is
unreliable
**Liquid water path
clim_eskb_climatol_tclw_ssmi_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_tclw_trmm_rss_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- This is now much better in the trade
cumulus regions, than in previous model cycles.
- Clear underestimation in western Pacific
**Total-column water vapour
clim_eskb_climatol_tcwv_ssmi_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_climatol_tcwv_trmm_rss_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
- Remarkable agreement in the
extra-tropics. Underestimation in the ITCZ.
**DESCRIPTION, VALIDATION AGAINST
JUNE05-MAY06 DATA SETS**
clim_eskb_iwp_noaa_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_precip_trmm_nasda_3b43_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
**Surface sensible heat flux
clim_eskb_sflux_ds_SLH_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_sflux_ds_SNET_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_sflux_ds_SSH_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_sflux_ds_SSR_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_sflux_ds_STR_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
**Total cloud cover
clim_eskb_tcc_isccp_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_tcc_modis_np_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_tcc_modis_sp_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps
clim_eskb_tcc_modis_tcc_nens1_200506_nmon12.ps