Abstract
Abstract. The new 3.6 version of the Louvain-la-Neuve sea ice model (LIM) is presented, as integrated in the most recent stable release of Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) (3.6). The release will be used for the next Climate Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP6). Developments focussed around three axes: improvements of robustness, versatility and sophistication of the code, which involved numerous changes. Robustness was improved by enforcing exact conservation through the inspection of the different processes driving the air–ice–ocean exchanges of heat, mass and salt. Versatility was enhanced by implementing lateral boundary conditions for sea ice and more flexible ice thickness categories. The latter includes a more practical computation of category boundaries, parameterizations to use LIM3.6 with a single ice category and a flux redistributor for coupling with atmospheric models that cannot handle multiple sub-grid fluxes. Sophistication was upgraded by including the effect of ice and snow weight on the sea surface. We illustrate some of the new capabilities of the code in two standard simulations. One is an ORCA2-LIM3 global simulation at a nominal 2° resolution, forced by reference atmospheric climatologies. The other one is a regional simulation at 2 km resolution around the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, with open boundaries and tides. We show that the LIM3.6 forms a solid and flexible base for future scientific studies and model developments.
Highlights
Sea ice covers 3–6 % of the Earth’s surface and is characterized by ample seasonal variations, making it one of the most influential geophysical features in the Earth system (Comiso, 2010)
In order to match these constraints, a number of changes have been made into the Louvain-la-Neuve sea ice model (LIM3; Vancoppenolle et al, 2009a), leading to the 3.6 version of the code
LIM was originally a B-grid sea ice model developed by Fichefet and Morales-Maqueda (1997), including ice dynamics based on the viscous-plastic (VP) rheology (Hibler III, 1979), the three-layer thermodynamic formulation of Semtner Jr. (1976), the second-order moment-conserving advection scheme of Prather (1986) and various sea ice physical parameterizations
Summary
Sea ice covers 3–6 % of the Earth’s surface and is characterized by ample seasonal variations, making it one of the most influential geophysical features in the Earth system (Comiso, 2010). Given the difficulty to observe polar regions, numerical modelling is essential to understand sea ice processes and their influence on the other components of the Earth system. A sea ice component is presently included in virtually all ocean and Earth modelling systems C. Rousset et al.: The Louvain-La-Neuve sea ice model LIM3.6 able and versatile in a wide range of scales, at a reasonable computational cost In order to match these constraints, a number of changes have been made into the Louvain-la-Neuve sea ice model (LIM3; Vancoppenolle et al, 2009a), leading to the 3.6 version of the code. Some of these developments are illustrated in two simulations using the latest stable release of NEMO-LIM: a large-scale global 2◦-resolution configuration
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
