1. Region-specific performances of isotope enabled general circulation models for Indian summer monsoon and the factors controlling isotope biases.
- Author
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Nimya, S. S., Sengupta, Saikat, Parekh, Anant, Bhattacharya, Sourendra Kumar, and Pradhan, Rohit
- Subjects
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GENERAL circulation model , *MONSOONS , *ISOTOPES , *ATMOSPHERIC circulation , *CIRCULATION models , *RAINFALL - Abstract
Isotope-enabled General Circulation Models (GCMs) simulate isotope ratios 18O/16O and D/H (expressed as δ18O and δD) in precipitation. The present study evaluates the skills of seven such GCMs in simulating the monthly average precipitation δ18O and δD values over three Indian regions (west coast India WCI, east coast India ECI, and north India NI) during the summer monsoon season (June–September). Analyses show that models underestimate the mean isotope values over WCI and ECI but have variable responses over NI. The mean bias (Δ = model-observed) in the δ18O values varies from − 0.8‰ (GENESIS) to − 4.1‰ (HadAM3) over WCI and from − 0.2‰ (LMDZ4) to − 6.4‰ (GENESIS) over ECI. Overall, the IsoGSM model simulates isotopes and physical fields better. Observed isotope data show only minor dependence on the rainfall (amount effect) in WCI and ECI, but in contrast, most of the models show a substantial amount effect. The model δ18O value decreases with increasing rainfall at a rate of − 1‰/100 mm/month to − 6‰/100 mm/month. Apart from the local factors (temperature, humidity, and rainfall), isotope biases are also affected by large-scale atmospheric circulation in some models. A decomposition of the isotope biases over WCI resulting from five major processes (vapor formation, uplift, transport, condensation, and raindrop evaporation) is explored. This exercise suggests that the skill of the models depends on how proficiently the models simulate (1) mid-tropospheric vapour isotope values and (2) raindrop evaporation. A strong positive correlation between the biases in isotope values and raindrop evaporation across models shows that an increase of about 7‰ in δD bias of the models occurs for a 10% increase in the evaporation bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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