DYAMOND: the DYnamics of the Atmospheric general circulation Modeled On Non-hydrostatic Domains

TLDR

Global storm‑resolving models capture transient tropical convective dynamics, eliminating the need for convection parameterization and enabling a more accurate climate representation linked to high‑resolution satellite data. The paper reviews the experimental protocol and motivation behind DYAMOND, the first intercomparison project of global storm‑resolving models. DYAMOND comprised nine models running a 40‑day intercomparison (1 Aug–10 Sep 2016), eight of which used a uniform <5 km spherical tiling, and the models’ outputs and basic characteristics are described for future use. The ensemble’s tropical and zonal energy budgets, precipitable water, precipitation, tropical cyclone representation, and column‑water‑vapor predictability were evaluated, underscoring their relevance for tropical weather.

Abstract

Abstract A review of the experimental protocol and motivation for DYAMOND, the first intercomparison project of global storm-resolving models, is presented. Nine models submitted simulation output for a 40-day (1 August–10 September 2016) intercomparison period. Eight of these employed a tiling of the sphere that was uniformly less than 5 km. By resolving the transient dynamics of convective storms in the tropics, global storm-resolving models remove the need to parameterize tropical deep convection, providing a fundamentally more sound representation of the climate system and a more natural link to commensurately high-resolution data from satellite-borne sensors. The models and some basic characteristics of their output are described in more detail, as is the availability and planned use of this output for future scientific study. Tropically and zonally averaged energy budgets, precipitable water distributions, and precipitation from the model ensemble are evaluated, as is their representation of tropical cyclones and the predictability of column water vapor, the latter being important for tropical weather.