The Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model (BCC-CSM): Main Progress from CMIP5 to CMIP6

Abstract. Main progresses of Beijing Climate Center (BCC) climate system model from the phase five of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to its phase six (CMIP6) are presented, in terms of physical parameterizations and models performance. BCC-CSM1.1 and BCC-CSM1.1m are the two models involved in CMIP5, and BCC-CSM2-MR, BCC-CSM2-HR, and BCC-ESM1.0 are the three models configured for CMIP6. Historical simulations from 1851 to 2014 from BCC-CSM2-MR (CMIP6) and from 1851 to 2005 from BCC-CSM1.1m (CMIP5) are used for models assessment. The evaluation matrices include (a) energy budget at top of the atmosphere, (b) surface air temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric circulation for global and East Asia regions, (c) sea ice extent and thickness and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and (d) climate variations at different time scales such as global warming trend in the 20th century, stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and diurnal cycle of precipitation. Compared to BCC CMIP5 models, BCC CMIP6 models show significant improvements in many aspects including: tropospheric air temperature and circulation at global and regional scale in East Asia, climate variability at different time scales such as QBO, MJO, diurnal cycle of precipitation, and long-term trend of surface air temperature.