RAPID: Evaluation of CAM4 and CCSM4 Boundary Layer Clouds, Radiation, and Precipitation over the VOCALS Region

海洋大气边界层云在大气和大气-海洋耦合模式中的重要性已经得到了广泛的认识，特别是在东南太平洋地区，2008年10月和11月在那里进行了VAMOS海洋云大气陆地研究(VAMOS Ocean Cloud Air Land Study)野外试验。NCAR(国家大气研究中心)将于2009年夏天发布新版社区气候系统模式(CCSM4)。这一模式将用于即将举行的政府间气候变化专门委员会第五次评估(AR5)。CCSM4将包括对云、辐射、降水和其他过程的模型公式进行重大修订，这些过程可能会改善与早期版本相比的整体气候模拟，但不确定它是否会继续存在当前版本的该模型以及其他主要全球气候模型中发现的一些相同的问题(在过程层面)。使用CCSM4的模拟将是美国对IPCC AR5的主要贡献。这个快速项目将为CCSM4模型组提供关于CCSM4在长期存在问题的声乐区域的表现的及时和详细的信息。来自声乐和早期实验的现场数据以及卫星测量将用于评估CCSM4的边界层云、短波和长波辐射以及降水，重点是在各个时间步长进行的预算分析。CCSM4是美国对IPCC AR5的主要贡献，对科学、社会和政策具有重大影响。该项目将涉及一名研究生的培训。结果将通过网页及时提供给研究界。

The importance of marine atmospheric boundary layer clouds in atmospheric and atmosphere-ocean coupled models has been widely recognized, particularly over the Southeast Pacific where the VOCALS (VAMOS Ocean Cloud Atmosphere Land Study) field experiment was carried out in October and November of 2008. NCAR (the National Center for Atmospheric Research) will release the new version of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM4) in the summer of 2009. This model will be used for the upcoming Fifth Assessment (AR5) of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). CCSM4 will include significantly revised model formulations for clouds, radiation, precipitation, and other processes that may improve the overall climate simulation compared with earlier versions, but it is uncertain whether it may continue to have some of the same problems (at the process level) as identified in the current version of this model, as well in as other leading global climate models. Simulations using CCSM4 will comprise a major U.S. contribution to the IPCC AR5. This RAPID project will provide CCSM4 modeling groups with timely and detailed information on how CCSM4 performs in the perennially problematic VOCALS region.In situ data from VOCALS and earlier experiments, as well as satellite measurements, will be used to evaluate the boundary layer clouds, shortwave and longwave radiation, and precipitation in CCSM4, focusing on budget analyses carried out at individual time steps.CCSM4 represents a major U.S. contribution to the IPCC AR5, with significant implications for science, society, and policy. This project will involve the training of a graduate student. Results will be made available, in a timely manner, to the research community through a web page.