Vorticity–divergence mass-conserving semi-Lagrangian shallow-water model using the reduced grid on the sphere

Abstract

The semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit shallow water model on the sphere using the reduced latitude–longitude grid is presented. The key feature of the model is the vorticity–divergence formulation on the unstaggered grid. The new algorithm for the reconstruction of wind components from vorticity and divergence is described. The mass-conservative version of the model is developed. The conservative cascade scheme (CCS) by Nair et al. is modified to provide a locally-conservative semi-Lagrangian advection algorithm for the reduced grid. Some numerical advection tests are carried out to demonstrate the accuracy of the CCS with the reduced grid. The CCS-based discretization for the continuity equation and finite-volume Helmholtz problem solver are introduced to guarantee the mass-conservation.The results for shallow water tests on the sphere are presented. The results for different versions of the model are compared. They are also compared with the results for the same tests available in literature. The impact of the reduced grid is analyzed. The mass-conservative version of the model using the reduced grid with up to 20% reduction of grid points number has approximately the same accuracy as its non-conservative counterpart implemented on the regular latitude–longitude grid.