Canadian Global Climate Model 2

Please note that monthly, seasonal and annual mean values of key atmospheric variables over Canada and North America from these GCMs can also be retrieved from the CCCSN web site.

The second generation of the coupled Canadian global climate model (CGCM2) is based on the previous version of the CGCM1 model. This last one as well as its climate control data is described in Flato et al. (2000).

The atmospheric component of this model is essentially the MCGA2 model described by McFarlane et al. (1992). It consists of a spectral model with triangular truncation at the wave number 32 (which provides a 3.75° x 3.75° surface grid resolution), and includes 10 vertical levels. The oceanic component is based on the GFDL MOM1.1 model and presents a horizontal resolution of approximately 1.8° x 1.8° with 29 vertical levels. This model uses heat flux adjustments (latent and sensitive) obtained through simulations with atmospheric and oceanic models (respectively of 10 and 4 000 years of duration); these values were then submitted to flux modifications through their integration into the coupled model for 14 years. In addition, CGCM2 uses the cavitating fluid sea-ice dynamics scheme of Flato and Hibler (1992) instead of the thermodynamic-only sea ice in CGCM1. It is equally important to note that there are some technical differences in the ocean spin-up procedure as well as in the computational procedures necessary to determine the monthly-mean heat and moisture flux adjustments. The CGCM2 simulations were provided on a global Gaussian grid (97 grid points in longitude and 48 grid points in latitude). It is also important to note that the model consists of 365 days and does not take into account the leap years.

Datasets and more details may be found on the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma) website.