Unique calibration technique uncovers details of precipitation in a climate model
Friday, April 5, 2013 - 06:30
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org) —Not all precipitation is created equal. Using a unique uncertainty quantification (UQ) technique, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Nanjing University calibrated the ratio between showery and stormy rain for simulations in a popular atmospheric model. Although current model results depict total precipitation fairly well, the details of precipitation type or origin does not compare well to real-life observations. The team, led by PNNL's Dr. Yun Qian, tested the sensitivity of precipitation and atmospheric circulation to several key variables used in the model. The new model results matched observations in both cases.