CCMI − Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative

Activity leaders

Tatsuya Nagashima
Center for Regional Environmental Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan

David Plummer
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montreal, CA

SSC members

  • Alexander Archibald (tropospheric chemistry, modelling; United Kingdom)
  • Gabriel Chiodo (chemistry-climate interactions; Switzerland)
  • Suvarna Fadnavis (Asian monsoon – chemistry; India)
  • Hella Garny (chemistry-climate modelling; Germany)
  • Béatrice Josse (chemistry-transport modelling; France)
  • Joowan Kim (upper troposphere – lower stratosphere processes; South Korea)
  • Jean-Francois Lamarque (AerChemMIP, Earth system modelling; United States)
  • Olaf Morgenstern (chemistry-climate modelling; New Zealand)
  • Lee Murray (tropospheric chemistry, modelling; United States)
  • Clara Orbe (atmospheric chemistry and transport; United States)
  • Amos Tai (biosphere-atmosphere exchange, iLEAPS; Hong Kong

CCMI Representatives

ACAM: Clara Orbe (US), Mian Chin (China)
SPARC Temperature Activity: Martin Dameris (GE)
WMO/UNEP scientific ozone assessment: Doug Kinnison (US) and Martyn Chipperfield (UK)

Activity description

Increasingly, the chemistry and dynamics of the stratosphere and troposphere are being studied and modeled as a single entity in global models. As evidence, in support of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC AR5), several groups had performed simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) using global models with interactive chemistry spanning the surface through the stratosphere and above. In addition, tropospheric and stratospheric global chemistry-climate models are continuously being challenged by new observations and process analyses. Some recent intercomparison exercises have for example highlighted shortcomings in our understanding and/or modeling of long-term ozone trends and methane lifetime. Furthermore, there is growing interest in the impact of stratospheric ozone changes on tropospheric chemistry via both ozone fluxes (e.g. from the projected strengthening of the Brewer-Dobson circulation) and actinic fluxes. This highlights that there is a need to better coordinate activities focusing on the two domains and to assess scientific questions in the context of the more comprehensive stratosphere-troposphere resolving models with chemistry. To address the issues, the a joint IGAC/SPARC Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) was established to coordinate future (and to some extent existing) IGAC and SPARC chemistry-climate model evaluation and associated modeling activities.

Mission statement:

The Chemistry Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) seeks to improve our understanding of the role of chemistry-climate interactions within the Earth system in the past, the present, and in future projections. CCMI, supported by Future Earth’s IGAC and the WCRP’s SPARC projects, advances these goals by providing a forum for coordinated inter-model comparisons and analysis with observations, encouraging the dissemination of innovative ideas for chemistryclimate research, and building a strong and inclusive global science community.

CCMI Data Arcive

The output from participating models is stored at the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA) in the United Kingdom.

On the CCMI webpage a python script for downloading the data is provided as well as additional information on how to use it.

Published results

ACP/AMT/ESSD/GMD special issue on CCMI
Papers submitted and published to the CCMI special issue can be viewed here.

Journal publications:

Duncan, B. N., A. Gettelman, P. Hess, G. Myhre, and P. Young (eds.), 2016: Chemistry–Climate Modelling Initiative (CCMI) (ACP/AMT/ESSD/GMD inter-journal SI). Special issue Atmos. Chem. Phys.

SPARC activity updates:

SPARC Newsletter No. 46, 2016, p. 37: Report on the IGAC/SPARC Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) 2015 Science Workshop, by Hegglin, M.I., J.-F. Lamarque, B. Duncan, V. Eyring, A. Gettelman, P. Hess, G. Myhre, T. Nagashima, D. Plummer, T. Ryerson, T. Shepherd, and D. Waugh.

SPARC Newsletter No. 43, 2014, p. 32: IGAC/SPARC Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) 2014 Science Workshop, by Hegglin, M. I., J.-F. Lamarque, V. Eyring, P. Hess, P. J. Young, A. M. Fiore, G. Myhre, T. Nagashima, T. Ryerson, T. G. Shepherd, and D. W. Waugh.

Find the full publication list at:
www.met.reading.ac.uk/ccmi/?page_id=15

Website for further information

http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/ccmi/