GCM Reality Intercomparison Project for SPARC

The GCM Reality Project for SPARC (GRIPS) was initiated to examine model simulations of the coupled troposphere-middle atmosphere system. First results were published in Pawson et al. (2000). Further details and references regarding GRIPS can be found here. Questions regarding the project should be directed to Steven Pawson.

Fourteen research groups are participating in GRIPS. The individual groups supplied monthly mean three-dimensional horizontally gridded data sets and two-dimensional zonal averages of several atmospheric variables. Monthly mean temperature and geopotential height (or in one case Geopotential) are generally available as three-dimensional fields. The two-dimensional data sets contain between 2 and 22 variables. Temperature and the zonal wind component are generally found in each set. The data sets can be downloaded from the SPARC-DC either as binary files with GrADS ctl-file description or in NetCDF with the COARDS convention. The original owner of the data sets should be consulted prior to the data being used for publication.

A list of research groups, the resolution of their models, and their variables is given below. Data are available on CEDA and can be accessed anonymously via:

sparc-ftp.ceda.ac.uk/sparc/grips

Please use an ftp client such as FileZilla to connect to the ftp server as many browsers, including chrome, no longer support urls using the ftp protocol.

 Horizontally Gridded Data

Sources Country P.I. Dimensions Variables
lon lat lev time # Names
CMAM Canada T. G. Shepherd 64 32 24 120 2 T Phi
CNRM France P. Simon 64 32 9 240 2 T z
FUB Germany U. Langematz 64 32 13 120 2 T z
GFDL USA K. P. Hamilton 100 60 24 144 2 T z
GISS USA D. Rind 72 46 11 120 2 T z
GSFC USA L. Coy 144 91 5 60 2 T z
LARC USA W. R. Grose 128 64 24 48 2 T z
MPI-HH Germany E. Manzini 96 48 26 120 4 T z u v
MRI-LRF Japan K. Shibata 64 32 24 120 2 T z
MRI-CLIM Japan A. Kitoh 72 46 2 120 1 z
NCAR USA B. A. Boville 64 64 21 60 2 T z
UCLA USA C. R. Mechoso 72 44 10 12 2 T z
UKMO UK R. Swinbank 36 37 22 60 2 T z

 Zonally Gridded Data

Sources Country P.I. Variables
lat lev time # Names
CMAM Canada T. G. Shepherd 32 24 120 12 u v w others
CNRM France P. Simon 32 17 240 2 u
FUB Germany U. Langematz 32 27 120 2 u
GFDL USA K. P. Hamilton 60 24 144 2 u
GISS USA D. Rind 46 24 120 3 u v
GSFC USA L. Coy 91 29 60 22 u v others
LARC USA W. R. Grose 64 24 48 4 u v q
MPI-HH Germany E. Manzini 48 26 120 4 u v z
MRI-LRF Japan K. Shibata 32 24 120 18 u v w others
MRI-CLIM Japan A. Kitoh 46 16 120 2 u
NCAR USA B. A. Boville 64 21 60 2 u
NCEP/NCAR-RA USA W. J. Randel 40 17 207 5 u others
UCLA USA C. R. Mechoso 44 16 12 2 u
UKMO UK R. Swinbank 37 25 60 15 u v w others

T-temperature (K); z-geopotential height (m); Phi-geopotential (m2/s2); u-zonal wind component (m/s); v-meridional wind component (m/s); w-vertical wind component (m/s);lon-longitude (degrees); lat-latitude (degrees); lev-pressure levels (mb); time-time steps (months)

References

Pawson, S., et al. (2000), The GCM-Reality Intercomparison Project for SPARC (GRIPS): Scientific Issues and Initial Results, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 81, 781-796, doi:10.1175/1520-0477(2000)081<0781:TGIPFS>2.3.CO;2.