CMFMC = Deep + shallow convection mass flux?

[woelfle@atmos_washington_edu]

I am trying to look at convection in CESM1.1.1. I am using CAM5.

The variable CMFMC is listed as the "Moist shallow convection mass flux" in the history files table. However, it appears to be the sum of the deep and shallow convective mass fluxes as per lines 623-627 and 675 of convect_shallow.F90:

623 ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- !
624 ! Combine cumulus updraft mass flux : 'cmfmc2'(shallow) + 'cmfmc'(deep) !
625 ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- !
626
627 cmfmc(:ncol,:pver) = cmfmc(:ncol,:pver) + cmfmc2(:ncol,:pver)

675 call outfld( 'CMFMC' , cmfmc , pcols , lchnk )

Am I reading the code correctly that CMFMC is deep + shallow mass flux, or is CMFMC truly the mass flux due solely to shallow convection as stated in the history files list? Does this same consideration apply to convective tendency terms such as CMFDT/ZMDT and CMFDQ/ZMDQ?

 

[rdeitrick]

Ok, I know this post is ancient but I'm going to throw this out there in hopes that someone sees it...

Did you ever uncover or receive a definitive answer to your question? I am using CESM1.2 and have noticed the same apparent discrepancy between the definition of CMFMC in the documentation/netCDF files and the source code. It also seems that newer documents (e.g., for CESM2) describe CMFMC as "deep+shallow".

Based on the code and CESM2 docs, I suspect this is indeed the sum of deep and shallow fluxes. But I would appreciate it very much if someone could confirm this--just for my own peace of mind. :)

Thanks!

 

[peverley]

Hi Russell,

You are correct that CMFMC is deep+shallow for CESM1.2 (and CESM1.1.1, which the other user was using). The documentation/netCDF files are wrong and have been corrected, as you have found, for CESM2.

Apologies for the confusion,
Courtney

 

[rdeitrick]

Hi Courtney,

No worries at all--I'm just happy to have a definitive answer. :)

Thanks x10^6!
Russell