The community Noah land surface model with multiparameterization options (Noah-MP): 1. Model description and evaluation with local-scale measurements

Abstract

[1] This first paper of the two-part series describes the objectives of the community efforts in improving the Noah land surface model (LSM), documents, through mathematical formulations, the augmented conceptual realism in biophysical and hydrological processes, and introduces a framework for multiple options to parameterize selected processes (Noah-MP). The Noah-MP's performance is evaluated at various local sites using high temporal frequency data sets, and results show the advantages of using multiple optional schemes to interpret the differences in modeling simulations. The second paper focuses on ensemble evaluations with long-term regional (basin) and global scale data sets. The enhanced conceptual realism includes (1) the vegetation canopy energy balance, (2) the layered snowpack, (3) frozen soil and infiltration, (4) soil moisture-groundwater interaction and related runoff production, and (5) vegetation phenology. Sample local-scale validations are conducted over the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE) site, the W3 catchment of Sleepers River, Vermont, and a French snow observation site. Noah-MP shows apparent improvements in reproducing surface fluxes, skin temperature over dry periods, snow water equivalent (SWE), snow depth, and runoff over Noah LSM version 3.0. Noah-MP improves the SWE simulations due to more accurate simulations of the diurnal variations of the snow skin temperature, which is critical for computing available energy for melting. Noah-MP also improves the simulation of runoff peaks and timing by introducing a more permeable frozen soil and more accurate simulation of snowmelt. We also demonstrate that Noah-MP is an effective research tool by which modeling results for a given process can be interpreted through multiple optional parameterization schemes in the same model framework.

Comparison of a very-fine-resolution GCM with RCM dynamical downscaling in simulating climate in China

“…The planetary boundary layer was depicted by the Yonsei University scheme . The land surface model employed the Noah land surface model with multi-parameterization options (Niu et al, 2011). Notably, different sets of physical options may produce different simulated results (Yu et al, 2011).…”

Downslope Windstorms of San Diego County. Part I: A Case Study

“…Clearly, other variables such as temperature and humidity are also important for fire weather, and our experience has been that the Noah-based schemes, including Noah-MP (Niu et al 2011), generally emerge as better with respect to MAE and bias (not shown). This motivates us to further investigate the difference among LSMs in predicting winds.…”

Comparison of Snow Water Equivalent Estimated in Central Japan by High-Resolution Simulations Using Different Land-Surface Models

“…Additionally, it described that developing a multilayer snow model to capture metamorphism of snow and intrasnow heat exchange would be able to provide immediate improvements in simulations. Niu et al (2011) reported that the Noah land-surface model with multiparameterization options (Noah MP; Niu et al 2011), which can consider a three-layer snowpack, provides better estimates of observed h s , snow density (ρ s ), and SWE than the Noah LSM. Nevertheless, the performance of Noah MP to simulate snowpack has not been validated in heavy-snowfall area in Japan.…”