Exploring a lower-resolution physics grid in CAM-SE-CSLAM

The dry dynamics is represented by the spectral element dynamical core, and tracer transport is computed using the Conservative Semi-Lagrangian Finite Volume Method (CAM-SE-CSLAM). Algorithms are presented that map fields between the dynamics and physics grids while maintaining numerical properties ideal for atmospheric simulations such as mass conservation and mixing ratio shape and linear-correlation preservation.

The results of experiments using the lower-resolution physics grid are compared to the conventional method in which the physics and dynamical grids coincide. The lower-resolution physics grid provides a volume mean state to the physics computed from an equal sampling of the different types of nodal solutions arising in the spectral-element method and effectively mitigates grid imprinting in regions with steep topography.