Evaluation and intercomparison of global atmospheric transport models using Rn and other short-lived tracers

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Jacob, Daniel J., Prather, Michael J., Rasch, Philip J., Shia, Run-Lie, Balkanski, Yves J., Beagley, Stephen R., Bergmann, Daniel J., Blackshear, W.T., Brown, Margaret, Chiba, Masaru, Chipperfield, Martyn P., De Grandpré, J., Dignon, Jane E., Feichter, Johann, Genthon, Christophe, Grose, W.L., Kasibhatla, Prasad S., Köhler, Ines, Kritz, Mark A., Law, Kathy, Penner, Joyce E., Ramonet, Michel, Reeves, Claire E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4071-1926, Rotman, Douglas A., Stockwell, Deianeira Z., Van Velthoven, Peter F. J., Verver, Gé, Wild, Oliver, Yang, Hu and Zimmermann, Peter (1997) Evaluation and intercomparison of global atmospheric transport models using Rn and other short-lived tracers. Journal of Geophysical Research, 102 (5). pp. 5953-5970. ISSN 0148-0227

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Abstract

Simulations of Rn and other short-lived tracers are used to evaluate and intercompare the representations of convective and synoptic processes in 20 global atmospheric transport models. Results show that most established three-dimensional models simulate vertical mixing in the troposphere to within the constraints offered by the observed mean Rn concentrations and that subgrid parameterization of convection is essential for this purpose. However, none of the models captures the observed variability of Rn concentrations in the upper troposphere, and none reproduces the high Rn concentrations measured at 200 hPa over Hawaii. The established three-dimensional models reproduce the frequency and magnitude of high- Rn episodes observed at Crozet Island in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating that they can resolve the synoptic-scale transport of continental plumes with no significant numerical diffusion. Large differences between models are found in the rates of meridional transport in the upper troposphere (interhemispheric exchange, exchange between tropics and high latitudes). The four two-dimensional models which participated in the intercomparison tend to underestimate the rate of vertical transport from the lower to the upper troposphere but show concentrations of Rn in the lower troposphere that are comparable to the zonal mean values in the three-dimensional models.

Item Type: Article
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (former - to 2017)
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Atmospheric Chemistry (former - to 2018)
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Climate, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (former - to 2017)
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Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2013 11:02
Last Modified: 20 Mar 2023 09:35
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/44339
DOI: 10.1029/96JD02955

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