DOE OSTI · 3001794
Simulating Hurricane Katrina in the Simple Cloud‐Resolving E3SM Atmosphere Model v1
Abstract
Climate models are important tools for advancing understanding and prediction of tropical cyclones (TCs). Traditional global climate models, however, do not have the ability to properly simulate TC intensity due to their coarse horizontal resolution. Regional models can be run at convection‐permitting resolutions, but these models are often strongly influenced by the data used in the lateral boundary forcing, and domain choice can have a large impact on the simulation. Cloud‐resolving global climate models have demonstrated great potential for realism in TC simulations, and in this study we focus specifically on the Simple Cloud‐Resolving Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Atmosphere Model (SCREAM) v1 configuration. We evaluate SCREAMv1 against the observational record and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model run at a convection‐permitting resolution with Hurricane Katrina as our case study. We found that both models produced realistic simulations of Hurricane Katrina. SCREAMv1 demonstrated skill in simulating TC track, size, and intensity, while the model produced an excessive amount of precipitation. In comparison, WRF more accurately simulated TC precipitation and intensity, although the TC wind extent was smaller than the observations.
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Bercos‐Hickey, Emily [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000249356556), Mahfouz, Naser [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)], Keen, Noel D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)], Patricola‐DiRosario, Christina M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000233870307), Hannah, Walter M. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000248111928), Beydoun, Hassan [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000340948173), Wehner, Michael F. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000159910082), Lin, Wuyin [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000233929954), Terai, Christopher R. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000224330472), Hillman, Benjamin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)] (ORCID:0000000292649872). 2025-10-21. Simulating Hurricane Katrina in the Simple Cloud‐Resolving E3SM Atmosphere Model v1. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025ms005210
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