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Table of Contents
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1. Forecast system version

Identifier code:  CanESM5.1p1bc

First operational forecast run:  30 June 2024

2. Configuration of the forecast model

Is the model coupled to an ocean model?    Yes

Coupling frequency:  3 hours

2.1 Atmosphere and land surface

Model

CanAM5.1 (atmosphere), CLASS3.6.2 (land),

CTEM (terrestrial ecosystem)

Horizontal resolution and gridT63 (~2.8° lat/lon)
Atmosphere vertical resolution49 hybrid levels
Top of atmosphere1 hPa
Soil levels

3 

Layer 1: 0-10 cm
Layer 2: 10-35 cm
Layer 3: 35-410 cm

(total soil depth can be shallower than 410 cm)

Time step15 minutes

Detailed documentation:

Cole, J. N. S., et al. 2023: The Canadian Atmospheric Model version 5 (CanAM5.0.3). Geoscientific Model Development, 16, 5427–5448, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5427-2023

Sigmond, M., et al. 2023: Improvements in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) through systematic model analysis: CanESM5.0 and CanESM5.1. Geoscientific Model Development, 16, 6553–6591, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-6553-2023

2.2 Ocean and cryosphere

Ocean model

NEMO v3.4 (physical ocean)

CMOC (ocean ecosystem)

Horizontal resolutionORCA1
Vertical resolution45 levels
Time step1 hour
Sea ice modelLIM2
Sea ice model resolutionORCA1
Sea ice model levels1
Wave modelN/A
Wave model resolutionN/A

Detailed documentation:

Swart, N. C., 2019: The Canadian Earth System Model version 5 (CanESM5.0.3). Geoscientific Model Development, 12, 4823–4873, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4823-2019.

3. Boundary

...

conditions - climate forcings

Greenhouse gasesCMIP6 historical (before 2014 inclusive); CMIP6SSP2-4.5 (2015 and after) as described in O'Neill et al. 2016
OzoneTemporally and spatially varying following Checa-Garcia et al., 2018 
Tropospheric aerosolsParameterized using a prognostic scheme for bulk concentrations of natural and anthropogenic aerosols, including sulfate, black and organic carbon, sea salt, and mineral dust; parameterizations for emissions, transport, gas-phase and aqueous-phase chemistry; and dry and wet deposition accounting for interactions with simulated meteorology
Volcanic aerosolsCMIP6 volcanic stratospheric aerosols according to Thomason et al. 2018 
Solar forcingCMIP6 solar forcing according to Matthes et al. 2017 

Detailed documentation:

Checa-Garcia et al., 2018: Historical tropospheric and stratospheric ozone radiative forcing using the CMIP6 database. Geophysical Research Letters, 45, 3264-3273, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076770

Matthes, K., et al. 2017: Solar forcing for CMIP6 (v3.2). Geoscientific Model Development, 10, 2247–2302. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd‐10‐2247‐2017

O'Neill, B. C., et al. 2016: The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) for CMIP6. Geoscientific Model Development, 9, 3461–3482, http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/3461/2016/

Thomason, L. W., et al. 2018: A global space‐based stratospheric aerosol climatology: 1979–2016. Earth System Science Data, 10, 469–492. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd‐10‐469‐2018

4. Initialization and initial condition (IC) perturbations

4.1 Atmosphere and land


HindcastForecast
Atmosphere initialization
Ensemble of coupled assimilation runs constrained by ERA5Ensemble of coupled assimilation runs constrained by ECCC GDPS analysis
Atmosphere IC perturbationsAssimilation runs begun from different initial conditionsAssimilation runs begun from different initial conditions

Land Initialization

Land component forced by assimilating atmosphereLand component forced by assimilating atmosphere
Land IC perturbationsEach ensemble member forced by slightly different atmospheric states constrained by ERA5Each ensemble member forced by slightly different atmospheric states constrained by GDPS
Soil moisture initializationSoil moisture forced by assimilating atmosphereSoil moisture forced by assimilating atmosphere
Snow initializationSnow forced by assimilating atmosphereSnow forced by assimilating atmosphere
Unperturbed control forecast?NoNo

Data assimilation method for control analysis: 

Nudging to (re)analysis 6-hourly temperature, specific humidity and horizontal wind components with 24-hour time constant, filtered to remove spatial scales <~1000 km.

Horizontal and vertical resolution of perturbations:  

Perturbations are primarily on spatial scales <1000 km, vertical structure not directly specified.

Perturbations in +/- pairs: 

No, all perturbations represent random samples from a distribution.

Detailed documentation:

MerryfieldW. J., et al. 2013The Canadian seasonal to interannual prediction system. Part I: Models and initializationMonthly Weather Review14129102945https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-12-00216.1

Sospedra-Alfonso, R., et al. 2024: Evaluation of soil moisture in the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System, Version 2.1 (CanSIPSv2.1). Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 63, 143-164, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-23-0034.1

Sospedra-Alfonso, R., et al. 2016: Representation of snow in the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System: Part I. Initialization. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 17, 14671488, https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-14-0223.1 

4.2 Ocean and cryosphere


HindcastForecast
Ocean initialization
  • SST nudged to OISSTv2 with 3 day time constant
  • Subsurface potential temperature and salinity nudged to ORAS5 with 30 day time constant near surface, transitioning to 360 days at large depths
  • Sea ice concentration nudged to merged HadISST2.2 and Canadian Ice Service chart data with 3 day time constant
  • Sea ice thickness nudged to Dirkson et al. (2017) SMv3 statistical model with 3 day time constant
  • Ocean surface forced by assimilating atmosphere in coupled assimilation runs
  • SST nudged to ECCC GDPS SST analysis with 3 day time constant
  • Subsurface potential temperature and salinity nudged to ECCC GIOPS with 30 day time constant near surface, transitioning to 360 days at large depths
  • Sea ice concentration nudged to merged HadISST2.2 and Canadian Ice Service chart data with 3 day time constant
  • Sea ice thickness nudged to Dirkson et al. (2017) SMv3 statistical model with 3 day time constant
  • Ocean surface forced by assimilating atmosphere in coupled assimilation runs
Ocean IC perturbationsAssimilation runs begun from different initial conditionsAssimilation runs begun from different initial conditions
Unperturbed control forecast?NoNo

Detailed documentation:

 Dirkson, A., et al. 2017: Impacts of sea ice thickness initialization on seasonal Arctic sea ice predictions. Journal of Climate30, 10011017, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0437.1

Lin, H., et al. 2020: The Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System Version 2 (CanSIPSv2). Weather and Forecasting, 35, 1317–1343, https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-19-0259.1 

Sospedra-Alfonso, R., et al. 2021: Decadal climate predictions with the Canadian Earth System Model version 5 (CanESM5). Geoscientific Model Development, 14, 6863–6891, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6863-2021

5. Model Uncertainties perturbations:

Model dynamics perturbationsNo
Model physics perturbationsNo

If there is a control forecast, is it perturbed?

No control forecast

Detailed documentation: 

6. Forecast system and hindcasts

Forecast frequency12-month forecast is produced on the last day of each month
Forecast ensemble size20 (ensemble members 1-10 initialized at 00Z on last day of month, 11-20 at 00Z on 5th to last day of month)
Hindcast years1980-2023
Hindcast ensemble size20 (ensemble members 1-10 initialized at 00Z on first day of month, 11-20 at 00Z on 5th to last day of previous month)
On-the-fly or static hindcast set?static
Calibration (bias correction) period1991-2020

7. Other relevant information

In forecast model version name CanESM5.1p1bc,

Horizontal interpolation from the native model grids to the C3S 1x1-degree grid: bilinear interpolation with filling/masking for land-only and ocean-only fields

Vertical interpolation pressure levels: 

  • For temp/phi near the surface, log-linear interpolation (linear in ln(eta)) with the lapse rate of 6.5e-3 deg/m
  • For remaining variables near the surface and all variables near the top, constant extrapolation, i.e. keep same value from the closest model level

8. Where to find more information

https://weather.gc.ca/saisons/index_e.html

https://climate-scenarios.canada.ca/?page=seasonal-forecasts 

https://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/cmc/cmoi/product_guide/docs/tech_notes/technote_cansips-300_20240611_e.pdf