Simulations of idealised 3D atmospheric flows on terrestrial planets using LFRic-Atmosphere
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Published:2023-10-10
Issue:19
Volume:16
Page:5601-5626
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ISSN:1991-9603
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Container-title:Geoscientific Model Development
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Geosci. Model Dev.
Author:
Sergeev Denis E.ORCID, Mayne Nathan J., Bendall Thomas, Boutle Ian A.ORCID, Brown Alex, Kavčič Iva, Kent James, Kohary Krisztian, Manners James, Melvin Thomas, Olivier Enrico, Ragta Lokesh K., Shipway Ben, Wakelin Jon, Wood Nigel, Zerroukat Mohamed
Abstract
Abstract. We demonstrate that LFRic-Atmosphere, a model built using the Met Office's GungHo dynamical core, is able to reproduce idealised large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns specified by several widely used benchmark recipes.
This is motivated by the rapid rate of exoplanet discovery and the ever-growing need for numerical modelling and characterisation of their atmospheres.
Here we present LFRic-Atmosphere's results for the idealised tests imitating circulation regimes commonly used in the exoplanet modelling community.
The benchmarks include three analytic forcing cases: the standard Held–Suarez test, the Menou–Rauscher Earth-like test, and the Merlis–Schneider tidally locked Earth test.
Qualitatively, LFRic-Atmosphere agrees well with other numerical models and shows excellent conservation properties in terms of total mass, angular momentum, and kinetic energy.
We then use LFRic-Atmosphere with a more realistic representation of physical processes (radiation, subgrid-scale mixing, convection, clouds) by configuring it for the four TRAPPIST-1 Habitable Atmosphere Intercomparison (THAI) scenarios.
This is the first application of LFRic-Atmosphere to a possible climate of a confirmed terrestrial exoplanet.
LFRic-Atmosphere reproduces the THAI scenarios within the spread of the existing models across a range of key climatic variables.
Our work shows that LFRic-Atmosphere performs well in the seven benchmark tests for terrestrial atmospheres, justifying its use in future exoplanet climate studies.
Funder
UK Research and Innovation Leverhulme Trust Science and Technology Facilities Council
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
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