Brazilian model of the global climate system

Abstract

The understanding of the interactions between the different components of the Earth system, such as ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and the capability to simulate them using numerical models is a fundamental piece in the study of projections of impacts of the increase in greenhouse gases, aerosols in the atmosphere, and changes in the land used patterns in the earth's climate. This project aims at the development of the Brazilian Model of the Global Climate System (BMGCS), a coupled ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere-biosphere-chemistry model that allows the study and simulation of global climate variability and change, incorporating expert knowledge about tropical rainforest dynamics and its interactions with the atmosphere. The project will develop an integrated land surface module with the ability to simulate land surface processes, physiology, phenology and vegetation dynamics. The model will contemplate the complete terrestrial carbon cycle, the probability of occurrence of fire disturbances, agricultural crops dynamics, flooded areas, terrestrial snow and ice dynamics. The model shall contribute with substantial improvements of the representation of biosphere-atmosphere interactions over South American biomes. The BMGCS will incorporate the expert knowledge of chemistry and aerosols from forest burning on climate. Coupled to a high resolution ocean model with biogeochemical and sea ice will allow the Brazilian community to develop centennial to millennia integration of the model for global climate research. This project will also allow fort the aggregation of the specific competencies of participating research groups and expert local knowledge, e.g., the effects of the Amazon forest and hydrology on climate. (AU)