HAPpy Hour Seminar : Introduction to NA-CORDEX CMIP6: Comparison of extreme events in CONUS4 and NA-CORDEX historical runs

Abstract: Earth systems models (ESMs) provide essential insights into large-scale climate trends but often lack the spatial resolution needed to capture fine-scale processes critical for regional impacts and adaptation planning. To help address this gap, we are running an updated suite of high-resolution regional climate simulations for North America, produced through dynamical downscaling of CMIP6 ESMs at 12 km grid spacing. These ongoing simulations, part of the North American branch of the CoOrdinated Regional Downscaling EXperiment (NA-CORDEX), span both historical and future periods under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP3-7.0 scenarios.

This presentation compares the NA-CORDEX ERA5-forced simulation to observational datasets, earlier NA-CORDEX CMIP5 runs (25–50 km), and the CONUS-404 convection-permitting simulations (4 km resolution). By analyzing these side-by-side, we assess how model resolution and specific regional model configurations influence projections of key climate variables and extremes.