Enhanced large-scale atmospheric flow interaction with ice sheets at high model resolution

Abstract

The development in supercomputing power allows running full-complexity Earth System Models (ESM) at increasingly higher spatial resolutions on a global scale. We show here a recent example where increased model resolution leads to a fundamentally different large-scale fluid dynamical adjustment of the mean wind pattern to the presence of an ice sheet over Europe compared to a coarse resolution simulation. While the higher resolution allows for a more realistic representation of atmospheric flow interaction with complex topographic features, the interpretation and prediction of the model results with a stronger bottom-up mechanical and thermal forcing on the atmosphere becomes increasingly difficult to be studied within a fully coupled model. We emphasize that interdisciplinary approaches should be pursued where the experience from engineering approaches of studying flow around objects and the influence of boundary-layer processes can help to disentangle the complexity within ESM. Ultimately, such engineering approaches will add a more fundamental theoretical understanding and prediction of expected flow interactions and will help to design full-complexity atmospheric model experiments accordingly. Keywords: Geophysical flow, Numerical simulations, Ice sheets, Atmospheric boundary layer