FAMOUS-CI, a fast Earth System GCM

• Main Authors: Smith, Robin S., Gregory, Jonathan, Osprey, Annette, Browne, Oli
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Meteorology and Climatology; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://cedadocs.ceda.ac.uk/332/; http://www.famous.ac.uk; http://cedadocs.ceda.ac.uk/332/1/FAMOUS_SmithGregory_RMetSoc-ESF.pdf

FAMOUS is a low resolution, fast version of the HadCM3 coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, which runs without flux adjustments. Basing FAMOUS on HadCM3 means its results are directly traceable to a widely used AOGCM, giving confidence in its results. As part of the UK QUEST Earth System Model project, FAMOUS has been improved and expanded to include the terrestrial and marine carbon cycles. FAMOUS has also been coupled to the GLIMMER ice-sheet model, allowing all the main influences on Quaternary climate to interact fully. The carbon cycle is represented by the HadOCC NPZD marine carbon cycle model, and the MOSES2.2 tiled land scheme. TRIFFID is used to simulate dynamic vegetation. Both the pre-industrial climate and climate sensitivity of FAMOUS compare well with HadCM3, suggesting that the lower resolution of FAMOUS is not a significant problem. FAMOUS-C can simulate over 100 years of climate per day using 8 processors of a cluster, making both millennial-scale transient runs and large ensembles feasible.