An overview of BCC climate system model development and application for climate change studies

• Published in: Acta Meteorologica Sinica
• Main Authors: Wu, Tongwen, Song, Lianchun, Li, Weiping, Wang, Zaizhi, Zhang, Hua, Xin, Xiaoge, Zhang, Yanwu, Zhang, Li, Li, Jianglong, Wu, Fanghua, Liu, Yiming, Zhang, Fang, Shi, Xueli, Chu, Min, Zhang, Jie, Fang, Yongjie, Wang, Fang, Lu, Yixiong, Liu, Xiangwen, Wei, Min, Liu, Qianxia, Zhou, Wenyan, Dong, Min, Zhao, Qigeng, Ji, Jinjun, Li, Laurent, Zhou, Mingyu
• Other Authors: China Meteorological Administration (CMA), National Meteorological Information Center, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD), Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-École polytechnique (X)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.CL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Climatology; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hal-polytechnique.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01082604; https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-014-3041-7

International audience This paper reviews recent progress in the development of the Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model (BCC_CSM) and its four component models (atmosphere, land surface, ocean, and sea ice). Two recent versions are described: BCC_CSM1.1 with coarse resolution (approximately 2.8125°×2.8125°) and BCC_CSM1.1(m) with moderate resolution (approximately 1.125°×1.125°). Both versions are fully coupled climate-carbon cycle models that simulate the global terrestrial and oceanic carbon cycles and include dynamic vegetation. Both models well simulate the concentration and temporal evolution of atmospheric CO2 during the 20th century with anthropogenic CO2 emissions prescribed. Simulations using these two versions of the BCC_CSM model have been contributed to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase five (CMIP5) in support of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). These simulations are available for use by both national and international communities for investigating global climate change and for future climate projections.Simulations of the 20th century climate using BCC_CSM1.1 and BCC_CSM1.1(m) are presented and validated, with particular focus on the spatial pattern and seasonal evolution of precipitation and surface air temperature on global and continental scales. Simulations of climate during the last millennium and projections of climate change during the next century are also presented and discussed. Both BCC_CSM1.1 and BCC_CSM1.1(m) perform well when compared with other CMIP5 models. Preliminary analyses indicate that the higher resolution in BCC_CSM1.1(m) improves the simulation of mean climate relative to BCC_CSM1.1, particularly on regional scales.