Annual Precipitation Cycle in Regional Climate Models: the Influence of Horizontal Resolution

0393359 - ÚCHP 2014 RIV AT eng J - Journal Article
Zíková, Naděžda - Holtanová, E. - Kalvová, J.
Annual Precipitation Cycle in Regional Climate Models: the Influence of Horizontal Resolution.
Theoretical and Applied Climatology. Roč. 112, 3-4 (2013), s. 521-533. ISSN 0177-798X. E-ISSN 1434-4483
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 505539 - ENSEMBLES
Grant - others:GA MŽP(CZ) SP/1A6/108/07; CECILIA(XE) GOCE 037005; MFF UK(CZ) SVV-2012-265308
Program: SP
Institutional support: RVO:67985858
Keywords : central europe * simulations * temperature
Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry
Impact factor: 1.742, year: 2013

The influence of increased horizontal resolution on regional climate models simulations of 1961–1990 period was investigated with a focus on precipitation. The main attention was paid to the annual cycle of precipitation described by a special characteristic, precipitation half-time. Two models (RegCM3 and ALADIN-CLIMATE/CZ), both of them in two horizontal resolutions (25 and 10 km), were used. An evaluation of model simulations with 25 km resolution on the European domain is presented as well as a more detailed evaluation of both 25 and 10 km versions on the area of the Czech Republic. Generally, the effects of increased horizontal resolution vary with climate model and evaluated characteristic. For the precipitation amount and the dependence of precipitation amount on altitude, the increase in horizontal resolution decreases the accuracy of results in both models. For the simulation of annual precipitation cycle and the precipitation half-time, RegCM3 results improved with the increased horizontal resolution, whereas ALADIN-CLIMATE/CZ results worsened.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0222079