Full Description
Many key issues in dynamical meteorology and physical oceanography depend on interactions among diverse spatial scales. Atmospheric examples are the role of small-scale gravity waves in the zonal-mean momentum balance in the middle atmosphere, the role of tropical cyclones in the large scale energy and momentum balances of the troposphere, or even the direction of spectral cascades of variance in the mesoscale. In the ocean issues of this type include: understanding the detailed physics of the very narrow boundary currents that occur along many coastlines, and the role of mesoscale eddies in determining the strength of the large-scale circulations and meridional ocean heat transports.
Truly comprehensive observational diagnostic studies of these issues are essentially impossible, since they would require the global observational overage at extremely high spatial resolution. An alternative is to study such issues in high resolution models that may span 3 or more orders of magnitude in terms of spatial scales.
There has been a great deal of progress recently on development and application of such fine resolution models. This had been spurred in part by the recent availability of exceptionally powerful computers. Noteworthy in this respect is the Earth Simulator in Yokohama, Japan, which commenced operations in 2002 and provides a peak performance of 40 Terraflops, but competitive supercomputers for scientific applications are now becoming available in the USA and Europe as well. There has developed in the last few years an increased understanding of the scientific value of results from very high resolution comprehensive numerical simulations.
This book documents the first international meeting focused specifically on high-resolution atmospheric and oceanic modeling held at the Earth Simulator Center. Rather than producing a standard conference proceedings it includes papers written by invited speakers at the meeting reporting on their most exciting recent results involving high resolution modeling.
Contents
Numerical Resolution and Modeling of the Global Atmospheric Circulation: A Review of Our Current Understanding and Outstanding Issues.- The Rationale for Why Climate Models Should Adequately Resolve the Mesoscale.- Project TERRA: A Glimpse into the Future of Weather and Climate Modeling.- An Updated Description of the Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model.- Description of AFES 2: Improvements for High-Resolution and Coupled Simulations.- Precipitation Statistics Comparison Between Global Cloud Resolving Simulation with NICAM and TRMM PR Data.- Global Warming Projection by an Atmospheric General Circulation Model with a 20-km Grid.- Simulations of Forecast and Climate Modes Using Non-Hydrostatic Regional Models.- High-Resolution Simulations of High-Impact Weather Systems Using the Cloud-Resolving Model on the Earth Simulator.- An Eddy-Resolving Hindcast Simulation of the Quasiglobal Ocean from 1950 to 2003 on the Earth Simulator.- Jets and Waves in the Pacific Ocean.- The Distribution of the Thickness Diffusivity Inferred from a High-Resolution Ocean Model.- High Resolution Kuroshio Forecast System: Description and its Applications.- High-Resolution Simulation of the Global Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean System: Description and Preliminary Outcomes of CFES (CGCM for the Earth Simulator).- Impact of Coupled Nonhydrostatic Atmosphere-Ocean-Land Model with High Resolution.
