Impact of Microphysics and Convection Schemes on the Mean‐State and Variability of Clouds and Precipitation in the E3SM Atmosphere Model

Abstract Skillful representation of tropical variability and diurnal cycle of precipitation has remained a challenge in global atmosphere models, and often improvements in the variability lead to degradation in the mean‐state. Here, we introduce a configuration of the E3SM Atmosphere Model with a new large‐scale microphysics scheme and several enhancements to the deep convective scheme that improves the variability. The new configuration improves various modes of convectively‐coupled equatorial waves, with increased strength of Kelvin waves and more coherent eastward propagation of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation from the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific Ocean. The same configuration also improves the phase of the diurnal cycle of precipitation, particularly over the continental United States in the boreal summer and over Tropical land regions. Previous studies have shown that, individually taken, some of the deep convective enhancements can improve certain aspects of the variability, and here we show that combining their effects can lead to robust improvements in the variability. This model configuration can form the basis for future studies to examine the response of tropical and diurnal variability under various climate states and their relationships with other modes of variability.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Published
2025-08-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ms004569
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.50

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Impact of Microphysics and Convection Schemes on the Mean‐State and Variability of Clouds and Precipitation in the E3SM Atmosphere Model

Yunpeng Shan, Christopher R. Terai, Chengzhu Zhang, Chih‐Chieh Chen et al.
5 citations
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
6.50
article

Impact of Microphysics and Convection Schemes on the Mean‐State and Variability of Clouds and Precipitation in the E3SM Atmosphere Model

Yunpeng Shan, Christopher R. Terai, Chengzhu Zhang, Chih‐Chieh Chen, Jean‐Christophe Golaz, Mitchell W. Moncrieff, Guang J. Zhang, Jadwiga H. Richter, Shaocheng Xie, Jacob Shpund, Vincent E. Larson, Yuying Zhang, Kai Zhang, Xiaoliang Song, Jiwen Fan, Wuyin Lin
article en
5 citations

Abstract

Abstract Skillful representation of tropical variability and diurnal cycle of precipitation has remained a challenge in global atmosphere models, and often improvements in the variability lead to degradation in the mean‐state. Here, we introduce a configuration of the E3SM Atmosphere Model with a new large‐scale microphysics scheme and several enhancements to the deep convective scheme that improves the variability. The new configuration improves various modes of convectively‐coupled equatorial waves, with increased strength of Kelvin waves and more coherent eastward propagation of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation from the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific Ocean. The same configuration also improves the phase of the diurnal cycle of precipitation, particularly over the continental United States in the boreal summer and over Tropical land regions. Previous studies have shown that, individually taken, some of the deep convective enhancements can improve certain aspects of the variability, and here we show that combining their effects can lead to robust improvements in the variability. This model configuration can form the basis for future studies to examine the response of tropical and diurnal variability under various climate states and their relationships with other modes of variability.

Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth SystemsVol. 17(8)
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US), Argonne National Laboratory (US), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (US), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (US), Brookhaven National Laboratory (US), University of California San Diego (US), University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (US)
U.S. Department of Energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
6.50
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.