Publication Abstracts

Rind 2010

Rind, D., 2010: The use of tracers as diagnostics for model development. In ECMWF Seminar on Diagnosis of Forecasting and Data Assimilation Systems, 7-10 Sep. 2009, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, pp. 201-220.

The use of tracers in the development of the NASA/GISS global climate and middle atmosphere models (GCMs) is explained as responses to a series of questions. Tracers are valuable as adjuncts to other more common methods of model evaluation, since their transports are often the result of hard to observe wind fields, wave- mean flow interaction, convection, and turbulence. Discrepancies can suggest closer examination of specific physics parameterizations and dynamical or chemical numerical solutions. Their use is hindered to some degree by inexact specification of sources/sinks and incomplete observational data sets. In addition, the importance of models' transport capabilities vis-a-vis other priorities (e.g., radiative balance) depends on the impact the relevant processes have on the intended model use. Nevertheless, given that many aspects in the model must be acting properly to provide reasonable tracer distributions, tracers can provide a unique perspective on a model's capabilities.

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BibTeX Citation

@inproceedings{ri06800b,
  author={Rind, D.},
  title={The use of tracers as diagnostics for model development},
  booktitle={ECMWF Seminar on Diagnosis of Forecasting and Data Assimilation Systems, 7-10 Sep. 2009},
  year={2010},
  pages={201--220},
  publisher={European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts},
  address={Reading, United Kingdom},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - CPAPER
ID  - ri06800b
AU  - Rind, D.
PY  - 2010
TI  - The use of tracers as diagnostics for model development
BT  - ECMWF Seminar on Diagnosis of Forecasting and Data Assimilation Systems, 7-10 Sep. 2009
SP  - 201
EP  - 220
PB  - European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
CY  - Reading, United Kingdom
ER  -

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