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Objectives
Objectives
CFMIP has been contributing to the WCRP Coupled Model Intercoparison Project (CMIP) from its third phase (CMIP3), and is one of the important satellite MIPs in the distributed structure of CMIP6. The third phase of CFMIP (CFMIP3) experiments has two major objectives:
Objective 1: Inform improved assessments of climate change cloud feedbacks by (a) improving our understanding of cloud-climate feedback mechanisms, and (b) improving evaluation of clouds and cloud feedbacks in climate models.
Objective 2: Use the CFMIP experimental hierarchy and process diagnostics to better understand other aspects of the climate response, such as changes in circulation, regional-scale precipitation and non-linear change.
CFMIP3 family
CFMIP3 family
There are three categories of GCM experiments relevant to CFMIP3 (see also summary diagram below).
DECK+CMIP6 historical (piControl, historical, AMIP, 1%CO2, abrupt 4xCO2): Mandatory to CMIP6.
Tier 1 : Required in CFMIP3
Tier 2 : Optional
So far, 15 modeling groups have proposed contribution to CFMIP3 using their GCMs: BCC-CSM2-MR, CanESM5, CESM2, CIESM, CNRM-CM6, GFDL-CM4, GISS-E2.1, HadGEM3-GC31-LL, IPSL-CM6, MIROC6, MPI-ESM1.2-LR, MRI-ESM2, NICAM, NorESM2, TaiESM1. They will participate via CMIP6 activity following its timescale (2017-2020), and the CFMIP3 Tier 1 experiments are expected to be published by the end of 2018, Tier 2 by mid 2019. Outputs of the CFMIP3 experiments will be available on the Earth System Grid (ESG) as a part of the CMIP6 archives.
Description of CFMIP3 experiments
Description of CFMIP3 experiments
Each of the CFMIP3 experiments has scientific questions to be addressed with, and can be done using either AGCM or CGCM. Here is the list of the CFMIP3 experiments.
Tier 1
Tier 1
AMIP and Aquaplanet runs
Experiment names: amip-p4K, amip-4xCO2, amip-future4K, aqua-control, aqua-p4K, aqua-4xCO2
Science question: What are the physical mechanisms underlying the range of cloud feedbacks and cloud adjustments predicted by climate models, and which models have the most credible cloud feedbacks?
Model: AGCM
Length of integration: 174 yrs (36 yrs each for amip and 10 yrs each for aqua)
Tier 2
Tier 2
AMIP minus uniform 4K SST
Experiment names: amip-m4K
Science question: Are cloud feedbacks consistent for climate warming and cooling, and if not, why?
Model: AGCM
Length of integration: 36 yrs
Lead PIs: Mark Webb and Bjorn Stevens
AMIP/Aquaplanet experiments with clouds transparent to longwave radiation (COOKIE LW off)
Experiment names: amip-lwoff, amip-p4K-lwoff, aqua-control-lwoff, aqua-p4K-lwoff
Science question: How do cloud-radiative effects impact the structure, the strength and the variability of the general atmospheric circulation in present and future climates?
Model: AGCM
Length of integration: 92 yrs (36 yrs each for amip and 10 yrs each for aqua)
Lead PIs: Sandrine Bony and Bjorn Stevens
Abrupt +/-4% solar forcing
Experiment names: abrupt-solp4p, abrupt-solm4p
Science question: How do responses in the climate system due to changes in solar forcing differ from changes due to CO2, and is the response sensitive to the sign of the forcing?
Model: CGCM
Length of integration: 300 yrs (150 yrs each)
Lead PIs: Chris Bretherton, Roger Marchangd, and Bjorn Stevens
Abrupt 2x and 0.5xCO2 (NonlinMIP)
Experiment names: abrupt-2xCO2, abrupt-0p5xCO2
Science question: To what extent is regional-scale climate change per CO2 doubling state-dependent (nonlinear); what are the associated mechanisms; and how does this affect our understanding of climate model uncertainty?
Model: CGCM
Length of integration: 300 yrs (150 yrs each)
Lead PIs: Peter Good
AMIP with preindustrial forcing 1870-present
Experiment names: amip-piForcing
Science question: Are climate feedbacks during the 20th century different to those acting on long term climate change?
Model: AGCM
Length of integration: 145 yrs
Lead PIs: Tim Andrews
Time slice experiments forced with CO2 and SSTs from AMIP, piControl, and abrupt 4xCO2 runs
Experiment names: piSST (preindustrial SST), piSST-4xCO2, piSST-4xCO2-rad, piSST-pxK, a4SST, a4SSTice, a4SSTice-4xCO2, amip-a4SST-4xCO2
Science question: How do regional climate responses (e.g. in precipitation) and their uncertainties in coupled models arise from the combination of different aspects of CO2 forcing and sea surface warming?
Model: AGCM
Length of integration: 307 yrs
Lead PIs: Rob Chadwick, Herve Douville, and Chris Skinner
Diagnostic packages
Diagnostic packages
COSP
COSP simulator outputs for various instruments (ISCCP, CALIPSO, PARASOL, CloudSat, MODIS, MISR) are requested in DECK AMIP
A lighter set of ISCCP and CALIPSO simulator outputs are also requested to interpret and assess the credibility of cloud feedbacks (monthly, daily) in DECK + CMIP6 historical, CFMIP Tier 1, Abrupt +/- 4% solar forcing, AMIP -4K, COOKIE LW off
Lead PIs: Steve Klein and Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo
See COSP page for more information.
Instanteneous high-fequency outputs at cfSites locations
3-hourly instanteneous outputs at several locations are requested in amip, amip-p4K, and amip-4xCO2
St. Helena Eastern Tropical Ocean (Paquita Zuidema), DYNAMO & ARM MJO Experiments (Simon deSzoeke) (Optional), ARM site location for GoAmazon2014/5 (David Neelin) (Optional), and EUREC4A locations? (Sandrine Bony, Bjorn Stevens TBC)
Lead PIs: Mark Webb
The CFMIP/CMIP6 experimental protocol is now fully described in the CFMIP3/CMIP6 paper in a GMD Special Issue on CMIP6.
The original CFMIP proposal for CMIP6 was endorsed by the CMIP Panel in September 2015 and minor updates to experiment names, descriptions and lengths were made in Feb 2016.
For details of the CFMIP experiments and diagnostics proposed for CMIP6 please refer to the CFMIP/CMIP6 experiment and diagnostic specification (Updated Feb 26th 2016). This information is currently being incorporated into the Central CMIP6 Data Request.
Please raise any issues with mark.webb (at) metoffice.gov.uk
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