Recent advances in high-performance computing have enabled climate models to resolve processes at smaller scales, leading to a new generation of simulations that can explicitly capture km-scale atmospheric and oceanic dynamics like storms and eddies. Traditional low-resolution climate models rely on the use of eddy parameterizations in the ocean, and convective parameterizations in the atmosphere that can partially interrupt the coupling between small and large scale dynamics. Global storm- and eddy- resolving models, by largely removing the need for such parameterizations, allow us to probe the rectified effect of small-scale processes on the large-scale climate system. This new modeling frontier offers unprecedented opportunities to uncover the importance of small-scale processes in the ocean, atmosphere, and at the air-sea interface in Earth’s climate.
In this session, we welcome submissions on the added value of high-resolution ocean, atmosphere, or coupled modeling, and the importance of small-scale processes in shaping the Earth’s climate. This includes studies at global to regional scales and over all timescales, from multidecadal variability to extreme events. We also welcome contributions addressing current limitations and challenges in km-scale modeling, such as persistent model biases, computational costs, and the complexities of initializing and validating models. Studies using models from coordinated projects such as NextGEMS, EERIE, DestinE and WarmWorld, and other similar efforts are encouraged.