Abstracts
SEARCH Open Science Meeting
October 27, 2003
Seattle, Washington, USA
Improving Arctic Snow-related Features Within Regional Climate Models
Glen E. Liston1, Matthew Sturm2
1Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, 80523, USA, Phone 970-491-8220, Fax 970-491-3314, liston@atmos.colostate.edu
2USA-CRREL-Alaska, P.O. Box 35170, Ft. Wainwright, AK, 99703-0170, USA, Phone 907-353-5183, Fax 907-353-5142, msturm@crrel.usace.army.mil
Regional climate models currently being applied to the Arctic typically use relatively simple snow energy- and mass-balance accounting procedures for their snow evolution representations. Three snow-related deficiencies have been identified that are generally common among these models. These are: 1) unrealistic subgrid-scale snow distribution representations, 2) no accounting for blowing-snow sublimation, and 3) an oversimplified representation of snow-vegetation interactions.
To develop parameterizations or submodels to correct these three deficiencies, and their interactions among each other, we have implemented a collection of field-based observations and off-line atmosphere-snow-vegetation interaction models. We used this collection of observations and models to improve our understanding of the governing Earth-system components, and to develop improved representations of those components and associated processes within the context of ClimRAMS, a climate version of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). Testing and validation simulations were performed over Northwestern Alaska. Ultimately, the improved modeling system will be able to address issues related to potential future arctic climate system changes, such as regional temperature and precipitation changes, and increases in arctic shrub stature and abundance.
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