Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models: Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelfagfællebedømt

Standard

Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models : Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps. / Frei, Christoph; Christensen, Jens Hesselbjerg; Déqué, Michel; Jacob, Daniela; Jones, Richard G.; Vidale, Pier Luigi.

I: Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, Bind 108, Nr. 3, 16.02.2003.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelfagfællebedømt

Harvard

Frei, C, Christensen, JH, Déqué, M, Jacob, D, Jones, RG & Vidale, PL 2003, 'Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models: Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps', Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, bind 108, nr. 3.

APA

Frei, C., Christensen, J. H., Déqué, M., Jacob, D., Jones, R. G., & Vidale, P. L. (2003). Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models: Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps. Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, 108(3).

Vancouver

Frei C, Christensen JH, Déqué M, Jacob D, Jones RG, Vidale PL. Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models: Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps. Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres. 2003 feb. 16;108(3).

Author

Frei, Christoph ; Christensen, Jens Hesselbjerg ; Déqué, Michel ; Jacob, Daniela ; Jones, Richard G. ; Vidale, Pier Luigi. / Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models : Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps. I: Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres. 2003 ; Bind 108, Nr. 3.

Bibtex

@article{b8a6dbcbefe64609ba481df6fb8c9ca9,
title = "Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models: Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps",
abstract = "An evaluation is undertaken of the statistics of daily precipitation as simulated by five regional climate models using comprehensive observations in the region of the European Alps. Four limited area models and one variable-resolution global model are considered, all with a grid spacing of 50 km. The 15-year integrations were forced from reanalyses and observed sea surface temperature and sea ice (global model from sea surface only). The observational reference is based on 6400 rain gauge records (10-50 stations per grid box). Evaluation statistics encompass mean precipitation, wet-day frequency, precipitation intensity, and quantiles of the frequency distribution. For mean precipitation, the models reproduce the characteristics of the annual cycle and the spatial distribution. The domain mean bias varies between -23% and +3% in winter and between -27% and -5% in summer. Larger errors are found for other statistics. In summer, all models underestimate precipitation intensity (by 16-42%) and there is a too low frequency of heavy events. This bias reflects too dry summer mean conditions in three of the models, while it is partly compensated by too many low-intensity events in the other two models. Similar intermodel differences are found for other European subregions. Interestingly, the model errors are very similar between the two models with the same dynamical core (but different parameterizations) and they differ considerably between the two models with similar parameterizations (but different dynamics). Despite considerable biases, the models reproduce prominent mesoscale features of heavy precipitation, which is a promising result for their use in climate change downscaling over complex topography.",
keywords = "Alps, Climate change downscaling, Climate model evaluation, Extreme events, Heavy precipitation",
author = "Christoph Frei and Christensen, {Jens Hesselbjerg} and Michel D{\'e}qu{\'e} and Daniela Jacob and Jones, {Richard G.} and Vidale, {Pier Luigi}",
year = "2003",
month = feb,
day = "16",
language = "English",
volume = "108",
journal = "Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth",
issn = "0148-0227",
publisher = "American Geophysical Union",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Daily precipitation statistics in regional climate models

T2 - Evaluation and intercomparison for the European Alps

AU - Frei, Christoph

AU - Christensen, Jens Hesselbjerg

AU - Déqué, Michel

AU - Jacob, Daniela

AU - Jones, Richard G.

AU - Vidale, Pier Luigi

PY - 2003/2/16

Y1 - 2003/2/16

N2 - An evaluation is undertaken of the statistics of daily precipitation as simulated by five regional climate models using comprehensive observations in the region of the European Alps. Four limited area models and one variable-resolution global model are considered, all with a grid spacing of 50 km. The 15-year integrations were forced from reanalyses and observed sea surface temperature and sea ice (global model from sea surface only). The observational reference is based on 6400 rain gauge records (10-50 stations per grid box). Evaluation statistics encompass mean precipitation, wet-day frequency, precipitation intensity, and quantiles of the frequency distribution. For mean precipitation, the models reproduce the characteristics of the annual cycle and the spatial distribution. The domain mean bias varies between -23% and +3% in winter and between -27% and -5% in summer. Larger errors are found for other statistics. In summer, all models underestimate precipitation intensity (by 16-42%) and there is a too low frequency of heavy events. This bias reflects too dry summer mean conditions in three of the models, while it is partly compensated by too many low-intensity events in the other two models. Similar intermodel differences are found for other European subregions. Interestingly, the model errors are very similar between the two models with the same dynamical core (but different parameterizations) and they differ considerably between the two models with similar parameterizations (but different dynamics). Despite considerable biases, the models reproduce prominent mesoscale features of heavy precipitation, which is a promising result for their use in climate change downscaling over complex topography.

AB - An evaluation is undertaken of the statistics of daily precipitation as simulated by five regional climate models using comprehensive observations in the region of the European Alps. Four limited area models and one variable-resolution global model are considered, all with a grid spacing of 50 km. The 15-year integrations were forced from reanalyses and observed sea surface temperature and sea ice (global model from sea surface only). The observational reference is based on 6400 rain gauge records (10-50 stations per grid box). Evaluation statistics encompass mean precipitation, wet-day frequency, precipitation intensity, and quantiles of the frequency distribution. For mean precipitation, the models reproduce the characteristics of the annual cycle and the spatial distribution. The domain mean bias varies between -23% and +3% in winter and between -27% and -5% in summer. Larger errors are found for other statistics. In summer, all models underestimate precipitation intensity (by 16-42%) and there is a too low frequency of heavy events. This bias reflects too dry summer mean conditions in three of the models, while it is partly compensated by too many low-intensity events in the other two models. Similar intermodel differences are found for other European subregions. Interestingly, the model errors are very similar between the two models with the same dynamical core (but different parameterizations) and they differ considerably between the two models with similar parameterizations (but different dynamics). Despite considerable biases, the models reproduce prominent mesoscale features of heavy precipitation, which is a promising result for their use in climate change downscaling over complex topography.

KW - Alps

KW - Climate change downscaling

KW - Climate model evaluation

KW - Extreme events

KW - Heavy precipitation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0042231792&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0042231792

VL - 108

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

SN - 0148-0227

IS - 3

ER -

ID: 186942884