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Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Observation Simulator Package

Overview

The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Observation Simulator Package (COSP; Bodas-Salcedo et al., 2011;1 Swales et al., 2018;2 Zhang et al., 2019;3 Zhang et al., 20244) was developed to improve the consistency between model clouds and satellite observations. COSP contains several independent satellite simulators for better comparing model clouds with satellite measurements collected by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), and CloudSat. The use of satellite simulators will not only make a fairer comparison between model clouds and satellite data but also allow a more in-depth analysis of clouds. For example, clouds can be assessed in terms of their optical properties and vertical location, which dictate their radiative effects.

Namelist parameters

COSP Namelist Parameters

To turn on COSP outputs

Run (add to the run script) the following command before running ./case.setup

./xmlchange --id CAM_CONFIG_OPTS --append --val='-cosp'

Related Outputs Description
FISCCP1_COSP Grid-box fraction covered by each ISCCP D level cloud type
CLMODIS MODIS Cloud Area Fraction
CLD_MISR Cloud Fraction from MISR Simulator
CLDTOT_CAL Calipso Total Cloud Fraction
CLDHGH_CAL Calipso High-level Cloud Fraction
CLDMED_CAL Calipso Mid-level Cloud Fraction
CLDLOW_CAL Calipso Low-level Cloud Fraction
CLD_CAL_TMPLIQ Calipso Liquid Cloud Fraction as a function of temperature
CLD_CAL_TMPICE Calipso Ice Cloud Fraction as a function of temperature

  1. A. Bodas-Salcedo, M. J. Webb, S. Bony, H. Chepfer, J.-L. Dufresne, S. A. Klein, Y. Zhang, R. Marchand, J. M. Haynes, R. Pincus, and V. O. John. COSP: Satellite simulation software for model assessment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 92(8):1023–1043, August 2011. URL: https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/2011BAMS2856.1 (visited on 2024-03-29), doi:10.1175/2011BAMS2856.1. ↩

  2. Dustin J. Swales, Robert Pincus, and Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo. The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package: Version 2. Geoscientific Model Development, 11(1):77–81, January 2018. URL: https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/11/77/2018/ (visited on 2024-03-29), doi:10.5194/gmd-11-77-2018. ↩

  3. Yuying Zhang, Shaocheng Xie, Wuyin Lin, Stephen A. Klein, Mark Zelinka, Po‐Lun Ma, Philip J. Rasch, Yun Qian, Qi Tang, and Hsi‐Yen Ma. Evaluation of Clouds in Version 1 of the E3SM Atmosphere Model With Satellite Simulators. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 11(5):1253–1268, May 2019. URL: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2018MS001562 (visited on 2024-03-29), doi:10.1029/2018MS001562. ↩

  4. Yuying Zhang, Shaocheng Xie, Yi Qin, Wuyin Lin, Jean-Christophe Golaz, Xue Zheng, Po-Lun Ma, Yun Qian, Qi Tang, Christopher R. Terai, and Meng Zhang. Understanding changes in cloud simulations from E3SM version 1 to version 2. Geoscientific Model Development, 17(1):169–189, January 2024. URL: https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/17/169/2024/ (visited on 2024-03-29), doi:10.5194/gmd-17-169-2024. ↩