ModelE CMIP6 Climate Simulations

Configurations for CMIP6 Simulations

GISS has submitted a number of different configurations to the CMIP6 model data repository via the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). A local dataportal for all these results is available here. In addition, we have archived some key derived data (MSU/SSU diagnostics, ocean heat content, some key indices) here.

The following configurations will be used for the DECK, historical and various MIP simulations:

  • GISS-E2.1-G: ModelE/GISS Ocean 2×2.5×L40. This is an updated and improved version of GISS-E2-R used in CMIP5. It uses the ModelE atmospheric code on a lat-lon grid, with 40 layers in the vertical, a model top at 0.1 hPa and is coupled to the GISS ocean model (1×1.25×L40). There are four possible versions of this model that vary in how aerosols and atmospheric chemistry are handled:
    • physics_version=1 (NINT), aerosols and ozone are read in via pre-computed transient aerosol and ozone fields. The aerosol indirect effect is parameterized.
    • physics_version=3 (TCADI), atmospheric composition is calculated using the OMA scheme including the aerosol impacts on clouds.
    • physics_version=4 (TOMAS), atmospheric composition is calculated using the TOMAS scheme including the aerosol impacts on clouds (Lee et al, 2012).
    • physics_version=5 (MATRIX), atmospheric composition is calculated using the MATRIX scheme including the aerosol impacts on clouds (Bauer et al, 2008).
    (Note that physics_version=2 corresponded to the CMIP5 TCAD configuration which is not being used in CMIP6). Data available here.
  • GISS-E2.1-H: ModelE/Hycom 2×2.5×L32. This uses the same ModelE atmospheric code as above but is coupled to the HYCOM ocean model (tripolar grid ~1×1×L32 - Note that HYCOM output diagnostics are made available remapped to a 1x1 grid with a uniform 33 levels). There are also four possible physics versions as described above. Data available here.
  • GISS-E2.1-G/H-CC: As above but with an interactive Carbon Cycle As for GISS-E2.1-G/H with interactive terrestrial carbon cycle and oceanic bio-geochemistry. Data available here.
  • GISS-E2.2-G/H: As above but with L102 in the atmosphere and a higher model top (0.002 hPa). Additional vertical resolution sufficient to self-generate a QBO and with improved strat/trop exchange and different tuning. Data available here.

Our newest updated configurations will soon be available:

  • GISS-E3: ModelE Cubed Sphere C90;L106; model top 0.002 hPa New atmospheric dynamical core and grid based on a Cubed-Sphere topology. New moist physics (including updates to cloud and aerosol microphysics). Options for composition and ocean models will be as above.

As in CMIP5 we will perform the experiments with variations in the forcings. Unlike CMIP5, these variation will be denoted using the 'f' number which will be documented here. 'f' numbers in different experiments are not related. This page will be updated with further information as the CMIP6 process proceeds.

Experiment: Simulations from 1850 to 2014 ("historical")

In the NINT (p1) version of the model, variations between f1 and f2 are restricted to the stratosphere, but in the troposphere, there are no detectable changes, and thus for tropospheric fields, f1 and f2 simulations can be combined for a larger (20 member) ensemble. The f3 runs have improved ozone fields since they were calculated using the higher-top model version (E2.2 AMIP OMA). In the NINT (p1) hist-nat simulations, f1 and f3 correspond to all natural forcings (solar, volcanic and orbital) corresponding to historical f1 and f2 respectively. Simulations f2 and f4 are orbital-only historical simulations.

Historical simulations for E2.1-G/H, E2.2-G/H and E2.1-G-CC all inadvertently used the CMIP5 specification of land cover change. Additionally, there was a discontinuity in lake levels at the start of the simulations (in 1850) which impacts the ability to use the PIcontrols to adjust for long-term drift in water mass diagnostics, notably lake levels, volume, and sea level. The ensemble member GISS-E2.1-G r11i1p1f2 was subsequently run and is correct.

Concentration-driven simulations with a carbon cycle are listed under the GISS-E2-1-G model, with 'r' numbers above 100.

Experiment: SSP simulations from 2015 onwards ("ssp*")

Because of the LULC misspecification noted above, there is a small discontinuity in 2015 in the ssp simulations of land cover. This only makes a difference in the CC simulations where it leads to a small anomalous downward flux of CO2 in 2015.

All NINT (p1) ssp* runs for GISS-E2-1-G and GISS-E2-1-H that were uploaded in Feb 2020 have been withdrawn because of an inadvertent discontinuity in forcings between them and the historical runs. They were replaced.

Single forcing/forcing subset experiments: Simulations from 1850 to 2014

Unlike in CMIP5 where the "historicalMisc" experiment was used for our single forcing runs, in CMIP6 they are spread around the different experiments. These will be added to over time, and note that the definition of the simulation will vary depending on the physics version. Extensions to 2020 used in the DAMIP project are also available.

*Note that hist-O3 and hist-ant are not standard CMIP6 experiments, but are needed for completeness of the single forcing suite. This data is fully CMOR-ized and available on our dataportal.

Errata

  • For the non-CC simulations, variables nbp, nep, cSoil, cSoilAbove1m, rh were retracted for all dataset versions earlier than 2019-09-16.
  • Initial submissions to hist-sol and hist-volc using E2.1-G (p1f1) have been replaced with p1f2.

The original RFMIP simulation piclim-4xCO2 for the GISS-E2-1(-G) run has been withdrawn (since it used the wrong SST file) and was replaced with the correct simulation.

Data License

The standard data license that the CMIP6 data was released under was CC-BY-SA (which is noted within the metadata of each netcdf file). This has proved a little awkward with respect to derived products and use, for instance, with the IPCC reports. Additionally, work output produced by US Government agencies does not have any restrictions on its use. Consequently, GISS is relicensing all of its output using CC0 (no restrictions). This will be explicitly noted in all data published after December 1, 2021, and for earlier data, the restrictions can be assumed to be waived.

References

Bauer, S.E., K. Tsigaridis, G. Faluvegi, M. Kelley, K.K. Lo, R.L. Miller, L. Nazarenko, G.A. Schmidt, and J. Wu, 2020: Historical (1850-2014) aerosol evolution and role on climate forcing using the GISS ModelE2.1 contribution to CMIP6. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 12, no. 8, e2019MS001978, doi:10.1029/2019MS001978.

Kelley, M., G.A. Schmidt, L. Nazarenko, S.E. Bauer, R. Ruedy, G.L. Russell, A.S. Ackerman, I. Aleinov, M. Bauer, R. Bleck, V. Canuto, G. Cesana, Y. Cheng, T.L. Clune, B.I. Cook, C.A. Cruz, A.D. Del Genio, G.S. Elsaesser, G. Faluvegi, N.Y. Kiang, D. Kim, A.A. Lacis, A. Leboissetier, A.N. LeGrande, K.K. Lo, J. Marshall, E.E. Matthews, S. McDermid, K. Mezuman, R.L. Miller, L.T. Murray, V. Oinas, C. Orbe, C. Pérez García-Pando, J.P. Perlwitz, M.J. Puma, D. Rind, A. Romanou, D.T. Shindell, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, K. Tsigaridis, G. Tselioudis, E. Weng, J. Wu, and M.-S. Yao, 2020: GISS-E2.1: Configurations and climatology. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 12, no. 8, e2019MS002025, doi:10.1029/2019MS002025.

Miller, R.L., G.A. Schmidt, L. Nazarenko, S.E. Bauer, M. Kelley, R. Ruedy, G.L. Russell, A. Ackerman, I. Aleinov, M. Bauer, R. Bleck, V. Canuto, G. Cesana, Y. Cheng, T.L. Clune, B. Cook, C.A. Cruz, A.D. Del Genio, G.S. Elsaesser, G. Faluvegi, N.Y. Kiang, D. Kim, A.A. Lacis, A. Leboissetier, A.N. LeGrande, K.K. Lo, J. Marshall, E.E. Matthews, S. McDermid, K. Mezuman, L.T. Murray, V. Oinas, C. Orbe, C. Pérez García-Pando, J.P. Perlwitz, M.J. Puma, D. Rind, A. Romanou, D.T. Shindell, S. Sun, N. Tausnev, K. Tsigaridis, G. Tselioudis, E. Weng, J. Wu, and M.-S. Yao, 2021: CMIP6 historical simulations (1850-2014) with GISS-E2.1, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 13, no. 1, e2019MS002034, doi:10.1029/2019MS002034.

Orbe, C., D. Rind, J. Jonas, L. Nazarenko, G. Faluvegi, L.T. Murray, D.T. Shindell, K. Tsigaridis, T. Zhou, M. Kelley, and G. Schmidt, 2020: GISS Model E2.2: A climate model optimized for the middle atmosphere. Part 2: Validation of large-scale transport and evaluation of climate response. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos.,

Rind, D., C. Orbe, J. Jonas, L. Nazarenko, T. Zhou, M. Kelley, A. Lacis, D. Shindell, G. Faluvegi, G. Russell, M. Bauer, G. Schmidt, A. Romanou, and N. Tausnev, 2020: GISS Model E2.2: A climate model optimized for the middle atmosphere — Model structure, climatology, variability and climate sensitivity. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 125, no. 10, e2019JD032204, doi:10.1029/2019JD032204.

Lerner, P., A. Romanou, M. Kelley, J. Romanski, R. Ruedy, and G. Russell, 2021: Drivers of air-sea CO2 flux seasonality and its long-term changes in the NASA-GISS model CMIP6 submission. J. Adv. Model Earth Syst., 13, no. 2, e2019MS002028, doi:10.1029/2019MS002028.

Ito, G., A. Romanou, N.Y. Kiang, G. Faluvegi, I. Aleinov, R. Ruedy, G. Russell, P. Lerner, M. Kelley, and K. Lo, 2020: Global carbon cycle and climate feedbacks in the NASA GISS ModelE2.1. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 12, no. 10, e2019MS002030, doi:10.1029/2019MS002030.

Contact

Please notify us about any additional issues or anomalies that you come across and we will endeavour to deal with them.

Dr. Gavin Schmidt
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 USA
gavin.a.schmidt@nasa.gov

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