HR4 and SFS baseline update: Improve convection/radiation interaction in the GFS physics suite

[lisa-bengtsson]

Commit Queue Requirements:

• Fill out all sections of this template.
• All sub component pull requests have been reviewed by their code managers.
• Run the full Intel+GNU RT suite (compared to current baselines) on either Hera/Derecho/Hercules
• Commit 'test_changes.list' from previous step

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Description:

The GFS physics suite at 100km yields too large cloud cover and optical depth, causing too much cloud shielding and a drift in Sea Surface Temperatures, SST for seasonal prediction. This is an issue for the Seasonal Forecast System baseline. The issue was identified to be related to too much convective cloud condensate passed in from the cumulus convection scheme.

A scale adaptive solution is proposed and tested for SFS and GFS resolutions, outputting updraft values of in-cloud condensate. We propose to add this change to SFS baselines as well as the HR4 prototype of the GFS. In testing we also tune the minimum background diffusivity in the inversion layer near the PBL top (xkinv1) from xkinv1=0.4 to xkinv1=0.15 in order to not reduce convective clouds too much in marine stratocumulus.

Commit Message:

  * FV3 - update pointer to ccpp-physics
    * ccpp-physics - update convection and PBL schemes to improve cloud/convection interaction
   

Priority:

• High: Time-sensitive project (HR4 of GFS and SFS baselines)

Git Tracking

UFSWM:

Sub component Pull Requests:

• FV3: HR4 and SFS baseline update: Improve convection/radiation interaction in the GFS physics suite NOAA-EMC/fv3atm#851
  • ccpp-physics: HR4 and SFS baseline update: Improve convection/radiation interaction in the GFS physics suite ccpp-physics#216

UFSWM Blocking Dependencies:

• None

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Changes

Regression Test Changes (Please commit test_changes.list):

• PR Updates/Changes Baselines.

Input data Changes:

• None.

Library Changes/Upgrades:

• No Updates

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Testing Log:

• RDHPCS
  • Hera
  • Orion
  • Hercules
  • Jet
  • Gaea
  • Derecho
• WCOSS2
  • Dogwood/Cactus
  • Acorn
• CI
• opnReqTest (complete task if unnecessary)