The AMMA Land Surface Model Intercomparison Project (ALMIP)

Boone, Aaron; de Rosnay, Patricia; Balsamo, Gianpaolo; Beljaars, Anton; Chopin, Franck; Decharme, Bertrand; Delire, Christine; Ducharne, Agnes; Gascoin, Simon; Grippa, Manuela; Guichard, Francoise; Gusev, Yeugeniy; Harris, Phil; Jarlan, Lionel; Kergoat, Laurent; Mougin, Eric; Nasonova, Olga; Norgaard, Anette; Orgeval, Tristan; Ottlé, Catherine; Poccard-Leclercq, Isabelle; Polcher, Jan; Sandholt, Inge; Saux-Picart, Stephane; Taylor, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0120-3198; Xue, Yongkang. 2009 The AMMA Land Surface Model Intercomparison Project (ALMIP). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 90 (12). 1865-1880. 10.1175/2009BAMS2786.1

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Abstract/Summary

The rainfall over West Africa has been characterized by extreme variability in the last half-century, with prolonged droughts resulting in humanitarian crises. There is, therefore, an urgent need to better understand and predict the West African monsoon (WAM), because social stability in this region depends to a large degree on water resources. The economies are primarily agrarian, and there are issues related to food security and health. In particular, there is a need to better understand land–atmosphere and hydrological processes over West Africa because of their potential feedbacks with the WAM. This is being addressed through a multiscale modeling approach using an ensemble of land surface models that rely on dedicated satellite-based forcing and land surface parameter products, and data from the African Multidisciplinary Monsoon Analysis (AMMA) observational field campaigns. The AMMA land surface model (LSM) Intercomparison Project (ALMIP) offline, multimodel simulations comprise the equivalent of a multimodel reanalysis product. They currently represent the best estimate of the land surface processes over West Africa from 2004 to 2007. An overview of model intercomparison and evaluation is presented. The far-reaching goal of this effort is to obtain better understanding and prediction of the WAM and the feedbacks with the surface. This can be used to improve water management and agricultural practices over this region

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1175/2009BAMS2786.1
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biogeochemistry > CC01B Land-surface Feedbacks in the Climate System > CC01.8 Land-surface feedbacks through energy and water cycles CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 2 - Biogeochemistry and Climate System Processes > BGC - 2.3 - Determine land-climate feedback processes to improve climate model predictions CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biogeochemistry > CC01B Land-surface Feedbacks in the Climate System > CC01.6 Development of the Joint Unified Land Exchange Scheme (JULES) land-surface model CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry > BGC Topic 2 - Biogeochemistry and Climate System Processes > BGC - 2.2 - Measure and model surface atmosphere exchanges of energy ...
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Harding (to July 2011)
ISSN:	0003-0007
Additional Keywords:	AMMA, West Africa, Sahel, land surface
NORA Subject Terms:	Meteorology and Climatology Hydrology Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	11 Mar 2010 14:38 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/3919

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