Presentation and Evaluation of the IPSL‐CM6A‐LR Climate Model

Abstract

Abstract This study presents the global climate model IPSL‐CM6A‐LR developed at Institut Pierre‐Simon Laplace (IPSL) to study natural climate variability and climate response to natural and anthropogenic forcings as part of the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). This article describes the different model components, their coupling, and the simulated climate in comparison to previous model versions. We focus here on the representation of the physical climate along with the main characteristics of the global carbon cycle. The model's climatology, as assessed from a range of metrics (related in particular to radiation, temperature, precipitation, and wind), is strongly improved in comparison to previous model versions. Although they are reduced, a number of known biases and shortcomings (e.g., double Intertropical Convergence Zone [ITCZ], frequency of midlatitude wintertime blockings, and El Niño–Southern Oscillation [ENSO] dynamics) persist. The equilibrium climate sensitivity and transient climate response have both increased from the previous climate model IPSL‐CM5A‐LR used in CMIP5. A large ensemble of more than 30 members for the historical period (1850–2018) and a smaller ensemble for a range of emissions scenarios (until 2100 and 2300) are also presented and discussed.

Keywords

Affiliated Institutions

• Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate IT
• Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace FR
• Milieux environnementaux, transferts et interactions dans les hydrosystèmes et les sols FR
• Institut Polytechnique de Paris FR
• Sorbonne Université FR
• École Polytechnique FR
• Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines FR
• Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement FR
• École Pratique des Hautes Études FR
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique FR
• Université Grenoble Alpes FR
• Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique FR
• Météo-France FR
• Institut de Recherche pour le Développement FR
• Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques FR
• Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux FR
• Université de Bordeaux FR
• Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières FR
• Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques FR
• Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement FR
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam NL
• Université Paris Sciences et Lettres FR
• École Normale Supérieure - PSL FR
• Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives FR
• Laboratoire atmosphères, milieux, observations spatiales FR

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