The Open Atmospheric Science Journal

2011, 5 : 96-105
Published online 2011 October 25. DOI: 10.2174/1874282301105010096
Publisher ID: TOASCJ-5-96

Regional Climate Model Simulations of the 1998 Summer China Flood: Dependence on Initial and Lateral Boundary Conditions

Shuyan Liu , Xin-Zhong Liang , Wei Gao , Yuxiang He and Tiejun Ling
Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, 5825 University Research Court Suite 4001, College Park, MD 20740, USA.

ABSTRACT

The dependence of the RegCM3 (Regional Climate Model version 3) downscaling skill on initial conditions (ICs) and lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) are investigated for the 1998 summer flood along the Yangtze River Basin in China. The effect of IC uncertainties is depicted by 15 realizations starting on each consecutive day from April 1 to 15 while all ending on September 1, 1998 with identical driving LBCs, analyses are based on June, July and August simulations. The result reveals certain IC effect on precipitation for daily evolution but little for summer mean geographical distribution. In contrast, the effect of LBCs uncertainties as represented by four different reanalyses are notably larger in both daily evolution and summer mean distribution. The ensemble average among either 15 IC realizations or 4 LBC runs does not show important skill improvement over the individuals. None of the RegCM3 simulations (including the ensemble means) captured the observed main rain band along the Yangtze River Basin. This general failure suggests the need for further model physics improvement.