TY  - JOUR
AU  - Ban, Nikolina
AU  - Caillaud, Cécile
AU  - Coppola, Erika
AU  - Pichelli, Emanuela
AU  - Sobolowski, Stefan
AU  - Adinolfi, Marianna
AU  - Ahrens, Bodo
AU  - Alias, Antoinette
AU  - Anders, Ivonne
AU  - Bastin, Sophie
AU  - Belušić, Danijel
AU  - Berthou, Ségolène
AU  - Brisson, Erwan
AU  - Cardoso, Rita M.
AU  - Chan, Steven C.
AU  - Christensen, Ole Bøssing
AU  - Fernández, Jesús
AU  - Fita, Lluís
AU  - Frisius, Thomas
AU  - Gašparac, Goran
AU  - Giorgi, Filippo
AU  - Görgen, Klaus
AU  - Haugen, Jan Erik
AU  - Hodnebrog, Øivind
AU  - Kartsios, Stergios
AU  - Katragkou, Eleni
AU  - Kendon, Elizabeth J.
AU  - Keuler, Klaus
AU  - Lavin-Gullon, Alvaro
AU  - Lenderink, Geert
AU  - Leutwyler, David
AU  - Lorenz, Torge
AU  - Maraun, Douglas
AU  - Mercogliano, Paola
AU  - Milovac, Josipa
AU  - Panitz, Hans-Juergen
AU  - Raffa, Mario
AU  - Remedio, Armelle Reca
AU  - Schär, Christoph
AU  - Soares, Pedro M. M
AU  - Srnec, Lidija
AU  - Steensen, Birthe Marie
AU  - Stocchi, Paolo
AU  - Tölle, Merja H.
AU  - Truhetz, Heimo
AU  - Vergara-Temprado, Jesus
AU  - de Vries, Hylke
AU  - Warrach-Sagi, Kirsten
AU  - Wulfmeyer, Volker
AU  - Zander, Mar Janne
TI  - The first multi-model ensemble of regional climate simulations at kilometer-scale resolution, part I: evaluation of precipitation
JO  - Climate dynamics
VL  - 57
SN  - 1432-0894
CY  - Heidelberg
PB  - Springer
M1  - FZJ-2021-01821
SP  - 275–302
PY  - 2021
AB  - Here we present the first multi-model ensemble of regional climate simulations at kilometer-scale horizontal grid spacing over a decade long period. A total of 23 simulations run with a horizontal grid spacing of ∼3 km, driven by ERA-Interim reanalysis, and performed by 22 European research groups are analysed. Six different regional climate models (RCMs) are represented in the ensemble. The simulations are compared against available high-resolution precipitation observations and coarse resolution (∼ 12 km) RCMs with parameterized convection. The model simulations and observations are compared with respect to mean precipitation, precipitation intensity and frequency, and heavy precipitation on daily and hourly timescales in different seasons. The results show that kilometer-scale models produce a more realistic representation of precipitation than the coarse resolution RCMs. The most significant improvements are found for heavy precipitation and precipitation frequency on both daily and hourly time scales in the summer season. In general, kilometer-scale models tend to produce more intense precipitation and reduced wet-hour frequency compared to coarse resolution models. On average, the multi-model mean shows a reduction of bias from ∼ −40% at 12 km to ∼ −3% at 3 km for heavy hourly precipitation in summer. Furthermore, the uncertainty ranges i.e. the variability between the models for wet hour frequency is reduced by half with the use of kilometer-scale models. Although differences between the model simulations at the kilometer-scale and observations still exist, it is evident that these simulations are superior to the coarse-resolution RCM simulations in the representing precipitation in the present-day climate, and thus offer a promising way forward for investigations of climate and climate change at local to regional scales.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000638541000001
DO  - DOI:10.1007/s00382-021-05708-w
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/891909
ER  -