SMIP2

Purpose:

to investigate 1st and 2nd season potential predictability based on initial conditions and the AGCM response to specified observed values of SST and sea-ice
background material and preliminary results from pilot SMIP integrations have been published, however, the analysis was limited due to the small sample size
recent developments indicate that newer models have better predictive skill in seasonal forecasting, suggesting that it is time to re-examine seasonal predictability through a concerted international effort

Initial conditions:

AGCM initial conditions are at the choice of the participant but must not include any information from the future

each model will determine its own best initial land conditions. Please identify how land surface conditions are initialized.

option 1: use "reanalysis" land surface data modified to your model (recommended)
option 2: use model climatologies from an AMIP run

Boundary conditions:

the observed SST and sea-ice surface boundary conditions may be obtained from PCMDI. Additional standardized conditions include orbital elements, gas concentrations, calendar etc..

Data:

Basic and optional data entries are shown in the Table below. The data in any or all entries in the "optional additional" columns is welcomed.
The four seasons used are DJF, MAM, JJA, and SON.
Some data currently available at IRI.New submissions, please contact Ben Kirtman (kirtman@cola.iges.org) for procedures.
The availability of data at local web sites is encouraged, some data currently available at the IRI.

	Basic data for SMIP2	Optional additional for SMIP2
Integrations	7 months 4 seasons 22 years (1979-2000) 6 or more members	10 member ensembles
Data	Stored at PCMDI Monthly means of: ts, tas, pr, psl Monthly means of: ta (700, 850hPa) ua, va (200, 850hPa) zg (500, 1000hPa)	Local web access Monthly means of: snc, snw, mrso, mrsos hfls, hfss, tauu, tauv clt, rlt Monthly means of: ta, ua, va, zg, hus, cl (1000, 850, 700, 500, 300, 200, 100, 70, 50, 20hPa) Daily values of: pr ua, va, (200, 850hPa) zg (500hPa)
Data definitions	ts tas pr psl ta ua va zg snc snw mrso mrsos hfls hfss tauu tauv cl clt rlt hus	ground temperature surface (2m) air temperature total precipitation rate mean sea-level pressure air temperature eastward wind northward wind geopotential height snow cover snow depth (water equivalent) total soil water content surface soil water content (upper 0.1m) surface latent heat flux (+ upward) surface sensible heat flux (+ upward) eastward wind stress (+ eastward) northward wind stress (+ northward) cloud fraction total cloud amount outgoing longwave radiation(+ downward) specific humidity	K K kg/(m2 s) N/m2 K m/s m/s m % kg/m2 kg/m2 kg/m2 W/m2 Wm2 N/m2 N/m2 % % W/m2 kg/kg