US CLIVAR Process Study & Model Improvement Panel (PSMIP) 2007 Summary Presentation

1. US CLIVAR Process Study & Model Improvement Panel(PSMIP) 2007 Summary Presentation Meghan Cronin, co-chair (NOAA - PMEL) Raffaele Ferrari (MIT) Jim Hack, co-chair (NCAR) Dick Johnson (Colorado State University) Terry Joyce (WHOI) Bill Large (NCAR) Sonya Legg (Princeton) Hua Lu Pan (NOAA - NCEP) Paul Schopf, ex-co-chair (GMU/COLA) Ken Sperber (Lawrence Livermore) S.-P. Xie (University of Hawaii)

2. US CLIVAR Process Study & Model Improvement Panel(PSMIP) 2007 Summary Presentation 2. Meghan Cronin, co-chair (NOAA - PMEL) 3. Raffaele Ferrari (MIT) 3. Jim Hack, co-chair (NCAR) 1. Dick Johnson (Colorado State University) 3. Terry Joyce (WHOI) 2. Bill Large (NCAR) 4. Sonya Legg (Princeton) 2. Hua Lu Pan (NOAA - NCEP) 1. Paul Schopf, ex-co-chair (GMU/COLA) 2. Ken Sperber (Lawrence Livermore) 1. S.-P. Xie (University of Hawaii)

3. U.S. CLIVAR Process Study & Model Improvement Panel (PSMIP) Mission: Research on underlying uncertainties in models and physics to improve the delivery of climate science.

4. PSMIP Action Items • Goal 1. Reduce major systematic errors and biases and uncertainties in GCMs used for climate variability prediction and climate change projection • Attend Tropical Bias Meeting (Schopf, Large, Pan, Hack), February 2007 • Initiate TB (Coupled Atmosphere and Oceans Processes) working group, develop TOR, resource request (Schopf, Kirtman) • Develop WG prospectus to plan for future CPTs: Ocean Processes WG (Large,…), Atmospheric Processes WG (Hack) • Review Process Studies Science &Implementation plans as needed. • Encourage assessment of IPCC-class model errors through analysis of CMEP results and develop strategy for responding to results (Legg)

5. PSMIP Action Items • Goal 2: Use process studies to quantify climatically important processes and to provide guidance for extending long-term in situ and satellite observations • Add AMMA to U.S. CLIVAR process studies figures, website, etc. (Stephens) Jointly with POS: • Form connections with OceanSITES group (all) by Feb 2007 • Compile assessments of satellite and remote sensing products (all) by Summit 2007 • Establish connection with NASA and NPOESS to enhance opportunities for constructive observing system design

6. PSMIP Action Items • Goal 3: Ensure that process studies lead to climate model improvements • Formalize & publish a Best Practices for process studies • Review best practices and modeling activities in funded process studies (EPIC, KESS: Cronin; CLIMODE: Joyce; NAME, MESA: Sperber; AMMA: TBD) by Summit2007 • Develop prospectus for Extratropical Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions (KESS-CLIMODE) WG (Cronin, Kelly, Alexander) • Compile master list & website of climatologically important process studies and integrated data sets that can be used for model development activities (Legg, Stephens) by Summit2007 • Develop strategy for long-term data stewardship of process study data (Johnson, Legler, Joyce, Cronin) • Continue to discuss and develop strategy for facilitating infrastructure, especially manpower resources, for model development activities (Large, Pan, Hack, Legg,…) by Summit2007

7. PSMIP Action Items • Goal 4: Facilitate collaborations with other national and international partners such as international CLIVAR, GEWEX, OCCC • Meet with IAG for planning PSMIP activities (Hack, Cronin) as needed • Contribute text to BAMS article on US CLIVAR PSMIP goals and activities (Cronin, Hack et al) by Spring 2007 • Determine potential for collaboration/coordination of process studies (OCCC: Cronin, Joyce, GEWEX: Sperber) • Explore joint CLIVAR/GEWEX WG on Diurnal Cycle of Convection, develop TOR, request for resources (Sperber)

8. IAG question #6.    What concerns does your Panel have about its activities and its role in US CLIVAR? Our panel has undertaken many activities and ~9 hours per year is insufficient to cover all aspects sufficiently. Possible Strategies: • Mid-year meetings at national conferences (AGU, AMS,…) • More telecons? • Have PSMIP meet a day early at Summit

9. Working Group Suggestions • Ocean Processes (Large,…) • Update mixing white paper including other processes (e.g. cryosphere,…) • Identify ocean processes for future CPTs • Atmospheric Process Studies (Hack,…) • High impact processes pacing atmospheric/climate modeling • - shallow cloud problem, air sea interaction, diurnal cycle • Identify atmospheric processes for future CPTs • Coupled Atmosphere & Oceans Interaction Processes (Kirtman, Schopf) • warm tropical oceans vs. cold tropical oceans • model & obs (physical hypotheses) • Extratropical Ocean-Atmosphere interactions (Kelly, Cronin, Alexander, Joyce) • KESS & CLIMODE Working Group • Data Management for historic process studies (Joyce, Legler, Johnson, Cronin)

10. CLIVAR Theme Suggestions * Decadal variability, climate trends and predictability* Improved prediction of weather extremes (e.g., drought, hurricanes, …)* Climate nowcasting Observations and synthesis of climate Explain the state of the climate system