Impact of model resolution on tropical cyclone simulation using theHighResMIP–PRIMAVERA multimodel ensemble

Abstract

A multimodel, multiresolution set of simulations over the period 1950–2014 using a common forcingprotocol from CMIP6 HighResMIP have been completed by six modeling groups. Analysis of tropicalcyclone performance using two different tracking algorithms suggests that enhanced resolution toward25 km typically leads to more frequent and stronger tropical cyclones, together with improvements inspatial distribution and storm structure. Both of these factors reduce typical GCM biases seen at lowerresolution. Using single ensemble members of each model, there is little evidence of systematic im-provement in interannual variability in either storm frequency or accumulated cyclone energy as comparedwith observations when resolution is increased. Changesin the relationships between large-scale drivers ofclimate variability and tropical cyclone variability in the Atlantic Ocean are also not robust to modelresolution. However, using a larger ensemble of simulations (of up to 14 members) with one model atdifferent resolutions does show evidence of increased skill at higher resolution. The ensemble mean cor-relation of Atlantic interannual tropical cyclone variability increases from;0.5 to;0.65 when resolutionincreases from 250 to 100 km. In the northwestern Pacific Ocean the skill keeps increasing with 50-kmresolution to 0.7. These calculations also suggest that more than six members are required to adequatelydistinguish the impact of resolution within the forced signal from the weather noise.