Basic Convective and Mesoscale Research
Other Agency – System for Atmospheric Modeling with Explicit Microphysics – SAMEX
Funding Type: Office of Naval Research
Objectives
Develop a large eddy simulation (LES) model with explicit microphysics
capable of running on advanced, distributed-parallel computing architectures.
Accomplishments
We completed the transition of the CIMMS LES with explicit microphysics
to a new dynamical core capable of running on distributed-parallel
computing architectures. The model dynamical core consists of the System
for Atmospheric Modeling (SAM), version 6.4, developed by Marat Khairoutdinov,
a Colorado State University research scientist and formerly a CIMMS/OU
PhD graduate. The similarity of the numerics in SAM and the CIMMS LES
made this transition rather straightforward. The new model, called
SAMEX, was tested extensively for marine stratocumulus (ASTEX case)
and was employed in the latest GEWEX Cloud System Study (GCSS) model
intercomparison of marine trade cumulus. Results for the ASTEX and
RICO cases compare favorably with the original CIMMS LES and community
versions of LES.
This project is completed.
Example of SAMEX microphysical output during simulation of a precipitating convective cloud system based on data from the RICO field project. The center plot depicts cloud drop spectra in a vertical cross-section through a cloud cell shown in the lower right corner. The plot in the upper left corner shows zoomed spectra at a spatial point indicated by the red arrow