Abstract
A subgrid parameterization of infiltration and surface runoff was evaluated using a land surface model coupled to an atmospheric general circulation model. Averaged over 5 year simulations, the subgrid parameterization resulted in significantly less infiltration of water into the soil compared to a simulation without subgrid hydrologic processes. As a result, the soils were drier, latent heat flux decreased, and surface air temperature increased. These results are consistent with other studies of subgrid hydrologic parameterizations, which also resulted in drier soils, decreased latent heat flux, and warmer surface temperatures. Several river basins were studied in detail. In the Amazon and Lena basins, the subgrid parameterization resulted in better annual runoff compared to observed annual river flow; surface air temperature was unchanged in the Amazon and better, compared to observations, in the Lena. In the Ob, Yenisey, and Amur basins, the subgrid parameterization resulted in too much annual runoff; July surface air temperature was unchanged or worse (Amur). Annual runoff for the Mississippi basin was better with the subgrid parameterization, but July surface air temperature was worse. These results suggest the utility of subgrid hydrologic parameterizations vary among river basins depending on the relative importance of Horton and Dunne runoff and the geologic factors affecting runoff generation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bonan GB (1994) Comparison of two land surface process models using prescribed forcings. J Geophys Res 99:25803–25818
Bonan GB (1995a) Land-atmosphere CO2 exchange simulated by a land surface process model coupled to an atmospheric general circulation model. J Geophys Res 100:2817–2831
Bonan GB (1995b) Sensitivity of a GCM simulation to inclusion of inland water surfaces. J Clim 8:2691–2704
Bras RL (1990) Hydrology: an introduction to hydrologic science. Addison-Wesley, Reading, pp 361
Clapp RB, Homberger GM (1978) Empirical equations for some soil hydraulic properties. Water Resour Res 14:601–604
Dickinson RE, Henderson-Sellers A, Kennedy PJ (1993) Biosphere-atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS) version le as coupled to the NCAR Community Climate Model. NCAR Tech Note NCAR/TN-387 +STR, Boulder CO
Dolman AJ, Gregory D (1992) The parameterization of rainfall interception in GCMs. Q J R Meteorol Soc 118:455–467
Entekhabi D, Eagleson PS (1989) Land surface hydrology parameterization for atmospheric general circulation models including subgrid scale spatial variability. J Clim 2:816–831
Hack JJ, Boville BA, Briegleb BP, Kiehl IT, Rasch PJ, Williamson DL (1993) Description of the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM2). NCAR Tech Note NCAR/TN-382+STR, Boulder CO
Hack JJ, Boville BA, Kiehl JT, Rasch PJ, Williamson DL (1994) Climate statistics from the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM2). J Geophys Res 99:20785–20813
Johnson KD, Entekhabi D, Eagleson PS (1993) The implementation and validation of improved land-surface hydrology in an atmospheric general circulation model. J Clim 6:1009–1026
Kiehl IT (1994) Sensitivity of a GCM climate simulation to differences in continental versus maritime cloud drop size. J Geophys Res 99:23107–23115
Kiehl JT, Hack JJ, Briegleb BP (1994) The simulated Earth radiation budget of the NCAR CCM2 and comparisons with the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). J Geophys Res 99:20815–20827
Koster RD, Eagleson PS (1990) A one-dimensional interactive soil-atmosphere model for testing formulations of surface hydrology. J Clim 3:593–606
Legates DR, Willmott CJ (1990) Mean seasonal and spatial variability in global surface air temperature. Theor Appl Climatol 41:11–21
Liston GE, Sud YC, Wood EF (1994) Evaluating GCM land surface hydrology parameterizations by computing river discharges using a runoff routing model: application to the Mississippi basin. J Appl Meteor 33:394–405
Marengo JA, Miller JR, Russell GL, Rosenzweig CE, Abramopoulos F (1994) Calculations of river-runoff in the GISS GCM: impact of a new land-surface parameterization and runoff routing model on the hydrology of the Amazon River. Clim Dyn 10:349–361
Miller JR, Russell GL, Caliri G (1994) Continental-scale river flow in climate models. J Clim 7:914–928
Pitman AJ, Henderson-Sellers A, Yang Z-L (1990) Sensitivity of regional climates to localized precipitation in global models. Nature 346:734–737
Pitman AJ, Yang Z-L, Henderson-Sellers A (1993a) Sub-grid scale precipitation in AGCMs: re-assessing the land surface sensitivity using a single column model. Clim Dyn 9:33–41
Pitman AJ, Yang Z-L, Henderson-Sellers A (1993b) Project for intercomparison of land-surface parameterization schemes (PILPS): results from off-line control simulations (Phase 1a). Inter GEWEX Project Office Publ 7, Washington, DC
Stamm IF, Wood EF, Lettenmaier DP (1994) Sensitivity of a GCM simulation of global climate to the representation of land-surface hydrology. J Clim 7:1218–1239
Thompson SL, Pollard D (1995) A global climate model (GENESIS) with a land-surface transfer scheme (LSX). part 1: present climate simulations. J Clim 8:732–761
UNESCO (1969) Discharge of selected rivers of the world, vol 1, general and regime characteristics of stations selected. UNESCO, Paris
UNESCO (1974) Discharge of selected rivers of the world, vol 3, part 2, mean monthly and extreme discharges (1969–1972). UNESCO, Paris
UNESCO (1979) Discharge of selected rivers of the world, vol 3, part 3, mean monthly and extreme discharges (1972–1975). UNESCO, Paris
UNESCO (1985) Discharge of selected rivers of the world, vol 3, part 4, mean monthly and extreme discharges (1976–1979). UNESCO, Paris
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bonan, G.B. Sensitivity of a GCM simulation to subgrid infiltration and surface runoff. Climate Dynamics 12, 279–285 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219501
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00219501