Brief Description

From UKCA
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Climate Models used by UKCA

The UKCA model runs within the Hadley Centre version of the Unified Model. There are a number of different versions of this climate model at a number of resolutions which are used for UKCA development.

UM Version Model Horizontal Resolution Vertical Levels Model Top Scheme Used
6.1 HadGAM1a N48 (2.5°×3.75°) L60 ~84km Tropospheric Chemistry
6.1 HadGAM2 N48 L60 ~84km Stratospheric Chemistry
6.6.4 HadGEM2-ES N96 L38 ~40km Hadley Centre Earth System Model
7.1 HadGEM3-A N96 (1.25°×1.875°) L38 ~40km Tropospheric Chemistry
7.3 HadGEM3-A r2.0 N96 L38 ~40km Tropospheric Chemistry
7.3 HadGEM3-A r2.0 N96 L63 ~40km Tropospheric Chemistry
7.3 HadGEM3-A r2.0 N96 L85   85km Stratospheric Chemistry
7.3 HadGEM3-A r2.0 N48 L60 ~84km Stratospheric Chemistry
7.3 HadGEM3-AO r2.0 N48 L60 ~84km QUEST Earth System Model

UKCA: Currently Available Chemistry Schemes

UKCA Aerosol Scheme: GLOMAP-mode

Nudging

UKCA Development Timeline

If you are interested in using UKCA, and there is a particular piece of functionality that you would like or need, but are not sure if it is available, please contact Luke Abraham for further information.

Short-Term Development

  • Stratospheric Chemistry at UM7.3 HadGEM3-A (N96L85 and N48L60) - Luke Abraham
  • ASAD Flux Diagnostics at UM7.3 - Luke Abraham
  • Improved representation of isoprene oxidation at UM6.1 - Alex Archibald
  • Chemistry of Stratosphere and Troposphere - CheST at UM7.3 - Alex Archibald
  • Flight track emulator to compare to campaign data at UM7.3 - Paul Telford
  • Fast-JX photolysis code validation at UM7.3 - Paul Telford
  • Emissions Profiling from ExTC at 7.3- Paul Telford & Maria Russo
  • Interactive biogenic emissions from ExTC at 7.3- Paul Telford

Medium-Term Development

  • HadGEM3-AO UKCA - Luke Abraham
  • Satellite emulator, including averaging kernels, to improve validation at UM7.3 - Paul Telford
  • Couple mode aerosols and fast-jx code at UM7.3 - Paul Telford and ?
  • Shift UKCA emissions from Section 0 (user-defined) to Section 34 - Mohit Dalvi Sec34 emissions
  • Extend Weseley scheme dry deposition to match 2D scheme - Paul Telford

Long-Term Development

  • Coupled UKCA Stratosphere-Troposphere Chemistry with MODE

UKCA: Model Outline

Development of UKCA consists of the following subprojects:

Tropospheric model development

Stratospheric model development

Aerosols

  • New aerosol species and microphysics
  • Aerosol chemistry
  • Integrated Climate Programme report (Mar10) comparing CLASSIC and GLOMAP-mode in HadGEM3 Pdficon small.png ICP Report M3 Info circle.png.
  • Integrated Climate Programme report (Mar11) describing latest UKCA developments for HadGEM3 Pdficon small.png UKCA ICP March 2011 Info circle.png.
  • Scoping document for HadGEM3 recommends including GLOMAP-mode in UKCA for HadGEM3 Pdficon small.png HadGEM3-ES Scoping document Info circle.png.
  • Coupling of GLOMAP-mode aerosol to UM radiation scheme Pdficon small.png UKCA RADAER Info circle.png.
  • UKCA internal report: Comparison of UKCA modal dust scheme against the 6-bin CLASSIC scheme within MetUM Pdficon small.png UKCAdust Info circle.png.
  • Integrated Climate Programme report (Feb12): UKCA merged code ready to form part of version 8.2 of the Unified Model Pdficon small.png UKCA ICP Feb12 (merged code) Info circle.png.
  • MACC Deliverable report (Dec11): Implementation and evaluation of GLOMAP-mode in the IFS Pdficon small.png MACC Deliverable report D_G-AER1.8 Dec11 Info circle.png.
  • MACC-II Deliverable report (May13): Evaluation of aerosol optical depth in IFS-GLOMAPPdficon small.png MACC Deliverable report D_AER_62.3 May13 Info circle.png.

Aerosols Cloud Coupling

Aerosol Cloud Coupling: the modal UKCA scheme [Mann et al., 2010] has been coupled by Oxford and the MetOffice to the PC2 cloud scheme [Wilson et al., 2008] via an explicit Köhler theory based activation scheme [Abdul-Razzak & Ghan, 2000].

  • Features:
    • Sub-grid scale probability density function for updraft velocities coupled to turbulent kinetic energy
    • Coupling to cloud radiative properties (i.e. cloud albedo effects)
    • Coupling to precipitation formation scheme (i.e. cloud lifetime effects)
  • Publications:
    • West et al. (in preparation)

New features

  • Coupled chemistry, aerosols and climate model
  • Based on new dynamics
  • Combined troposphere-stratosphere chemistry
  • Improved aerosol microphysics and chemistry
  • Capability to interact with surface, radiation and biosphere
  • Modular structure