WorldWideScience

Sample records for modelling intercomparison project

  1. The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP)

    KAUST Repository

    Kravitz, Ben

    2011-01-31

    To evaluate the effects of stratospheric geoengineering with sulphate aerosols, we propose standard forcing scenarios to be applied to multiple climate models to compare their results and determine the robustness of their responses. Thus far, different modeling groups have used different forcing scenarios for both global warming and geoengineering, complicating the comparison of results. We recommend four experiments to explore the extent to which geoengineering might offset climate change projected in some of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project 5 experiments. These experiments focus on stratospheric aerosols, but future experiments under this framework may focus on different means of geoengineering. © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society.

  2. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP): Overview and Progress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, C.; Hatfield, J.; Jones, J. W.; Ruane, A. C.

    2012-12-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) is an international effort to assess the state of global agricultural modeling and to understand climate impacts on the agricultural sector. AgMIP connects the climate science, crop modeling, and agricultural economic modeling communities to generate probabilistic projections of current and future climate impacts. The goals of AgMIP are to improve substantially the characterization of risk of hunger and world food security due to climate change and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. This presentation will describe the general approach of AgMIP and highlight its findings and activities. AgMIP crop model intercomparisons have been established for wheat (27 models participating), maize (25 models), and rice (15+ models), and are being established for sugarcane, soybean, sorghum/millet, and peanut. In coordination with these pilots, methodologies to utilize weather generators and downscaled climate simulations for agricultural applications are under development. An AgMIP global agricultural economics model intercomparison with participation of 11 international groups is ongoing, and a number of global biophysical models are currently being evaluated for future climate impacts on agricultural lands both as part of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP) and for contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). AgMIP is also organizing regional research efforts, and has already held workshops in South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Europe, and North America. Outcomes from these meetings have informed AgMIP activities, and 10 research teams from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have been selected for project funding. Additional activities are planned for Australia and East Asia. As the AgMIP research community continues to work towards its goals, three key cross-cutting scientific challenges have emerged and are being

  3. Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (ISMIP6) contribution to CMIP6

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nowicki, Sophie M J; Payne, Anthony; Larour, Eric; Seroussi, Helene; Goelzer, Heiko|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/412549123; Lipscomb, William; Gregory, Jonathan; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Shepherd, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Reducing the uncertainty in the past, present, and future contribution of ice sheets to sea-level change requires a coordinated effort between the climate and glaciology communities. The Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6 (ISMIP6) is the primary activity within the Coupled Model

  4. Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (ISMIP6) Contribution to CMIP6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowicki, Sophie M. J.; Payne, Tony; Larour, Eric; Seroussi, Helene; Goelzer, Heiko; Lipscomb, William; Gregory, Jonathan; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Shepherd, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Reducing the uncertainty in the past, present, and future contribution of ice sheets to sea-level change requires a coordinated effort between the climate and glaciology communities. The Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6 (ISMIP6) is the primary activity within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. In this paper, we describe the framework for ISMIP6 and its relationship with other activities within CMIP6. The ISMIP6 experimental design relies on CMIP6 climate models and includes, for the first time within CMIP, coupled ice-sheetclimate models as well as standalone ice-sheet models. To facilitate analysis of the multi-model ensemble and to generate a set of standard climate inputs for standalone ice-sheet models, ISMIP6 defines a protocol for all variables related to ice sheets. ISMIP6 will provide a basis for investigating the feedbacks, impacts, and sea-level changes associated with dynamic ice sheets and for quantifying the uncertainty in ice-sheet-sourced global sea-level change.

  5. Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (ISMIP6) contribution to CMIP6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowicki, Sophie M.J.; Payne, Tony; Larour, Eric; Seroussi, Helene; Goelzer, Heiko; Lipscomb, William; Gregory, Jonathan; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Shepherd, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    Reducing the uncertainty in the past, present and future contribution of ice sheets to sea-level change requires a coordinated effort between the climate and glaciology communities. The Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6 (ISMIP6) is the primary activity within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project – phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets. In this paper, we describe the framework for ISMIP6 and its relationship to other activities within CMIP6. The ISMIP6 experimental design relies on CMIP6 climate models and includes, for the first time within CMIP, coupled ice sheet – climate models as well as standalone ice sheet models. To facilitate analysis of the multi-model ensemble and to generate a set of standard climate inputs for standalone ice sheet models, ISMIP6 defines a protocol for all variables related to ice sheets. ISMIP6 will provide a basis for investigating the feedbacks, impacts, and sea-level changes associated with dynamic ice sheets and for quantifying the uncertainty in ice-sheet-sourced global sea-level change. PMID:29697697

  6. Model Evaluation and Uncertainty in Agricultural Impacts Assessments: Results and Strategies from the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, C.; Hatfield, J.; Jones, J. W.; Ruane, A. C.

    2012-12-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) is an international effort to assess the state of global agricultural modeling and to understand climate impacts on the agricultural sector. AgMIP connects the climate science, crop modeling, and agricultural economic modeling communities to generate probabilistic projections of current and future climate impacts. The goals of AgMIP are to improve substantially the characterization of risk of hunger and world food security due to climate change and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. This presentation will describe the general approach of AgMIP, highlight AgMIP efforts to evaluate climate, crop, and economic models, and discuss AgMIP uncertainty assessments. Model evaluation efforts will be outlined using examples from various facets of AgMIP, including climate scenario generation, the wheat crop model intercomparison, and the global agricultural economics model intercomparison being led in collaboration with the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP). Strategies developed to quantify uncertainty in each component of AgMIP, as well as the propagation of uncertainty through the climate-crop-economic modeling framework, will be detailed and preliminary uncertainty assessments that highlight crucial areas requiring improved models and data collection will be introduced.

  7. GMMIP (v1.0) contribution to CMIP6: Global Monsoons Model Inter-comparison Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Tianjun; Turner, Andrew G.; Kinter, James L.; Wang, Bin; Qian, Yun; Chen, Xiaolong; Wu, Bo; Wang, Bin; Liu, Bo; Zou, Liwei; He, Bian

    2016-10-10

    The Global Monsoons Model Inter-comparison Project (GMMIP) has been endorsed by the panel of Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP) as one of the participating model inter-comparison projects (MIPs) in the sixth phase of CMIP (CMIP6). The focus of GMMIP is on monsoon climatology, variability, prediction and projection, which is relevant to four of the “Grand Challenges” proposed by the World Climate Research Programme. At present, 21 international modeling groups are committed to joining GMMIP. This overview paper introduces the motivation behind GMMIP and the scientific questions it intends to answer. Three tiers of experiments, of decreasing priority, are designed to examine (a) model skill in simulating the climatology and interannual-to-multidecadal variability of global monsoons forced by the sea surface temperature during historical climate period; (b) the roles of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation in driving variations of the global and regional monsoons; and (c) the effects of large orographic terrain on the establishment of the monsoons. The outputs of the CMIP6 Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima experiments (DECK), “historical” simulation and endorsed MIPs will also be used in the diagnostic analysis of GMMIP to give a comprehensive understanding of the roles played by different external forcings, potential improvements in the simulation of monsoon rainfall at high resolution and reproducibility at decadal timescales. The implementation of GMMIP will improve our understanding of the fundamental physics of changes in the global and regional monsoons over the past 140 years and ultimately benefit monsoons prediction and projection in the current century.

  8. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP): Protocols and Pilot Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, C.; Jones, J. W.; Hatfield, J. L.; Ruane, A. C.; Boote, K. J.; Thorburn, P.; Antle, J. M.; Nelson, G. C.; Porter, C.; Janssen, S.; hide

    2012-01-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) is a major international effort linking the climate, crop, and economic modeling communities with cutting-edge information technology to produce improved crop and economic models and the next generation of climate impact projections for the agricultural sector. The goals of AgMIP are to improve substantially the characterization of world food security due to climate change and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. Analyses of the agricultural impacts of climate variability and change require a transdisciplinary effort to consistently link state-of-the-art climate scenarios to crop and economic models. Crop model outputs are aggregated as inputs to regional and global economic models to determine regional vulnerabilities, changes in comparative advantage, price effects, and potential adaptation strategies in the agricultural sector. Climate, Crop Modeling, Economics, and Information Technology Team Protocols are presented to guide coordinated climate, crop modeling, economics, and information technology research activities around the world, along with AgMIP Cross-Cutting Themes that address uncertainty, aggregation and scaling, and the development of Representative Agricultural Pathways (RAPs) to enable testing of climate change adaptations in the context of other regional and global trends. The organization of research activities by geographic region and specific crops is described, along with project milestones. Pilot results demonstrate AgMIP's role in assessing climate impacts with explicit representation of uncertainties in climate scenarios and simulations using crop and economic models. An intercomparison of wheat model simulations near Obregón, Mexico reveals inter-model differences in yield sensitivity to [CO2] with model uncertainty holding approximately steady as concentrations rise, while uncertainty related to choice of crop model increases with

  9. The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) for CMIP6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O' Neill, Brian C.; Tebaldi, Claudia; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Eyring, Veronika; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Hurtt, George; Knutti, Reto; Kriegler, Elmar; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Lowe, Jason; Meehl, Gerald A.; Moss, Richard; Riahi, Keywan; Sanderson, Benjamin M.

    2016-01-01

    Projections of future climate change play a fundamental role in improving understanding of the climate system as well as characterizing societal risks and response options. The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) is the primary activity within Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) that will provide multi-model climate projections based on alternative scenarios of future emissions and land use changes produced with integrated assessment models. In this paper, we describe ScenarioMIP's objectives, experimental design, and its relation to other activities within CMIP6. The ScenarioMIP design is one component of a larger scenario process that aims to facilitate a wide range of integrated studies across the climate science, integrated assessment modeling, and impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability communities, and will form an important part of the evidence base in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments. At the same time, it will provide the basis for investigating a number of targeted science and policy questions that are especially relevant to scenario-based analysis, including the role of specific forcings such as land use and aerosols, the effect of a peak and decline in forcing, the consequences of scenarios that limit warming to below 2 °C, the relative contributions to uncertainty from scenarios, climate models, and internal variability, and long-term climate system outcomes beyond the 21st century. To serve this wide range of scientific communities and address these questions, a design has been identified consisting of eight alternative 21st century scenarios plus one large initial condition ensemble and a set of long-term extensions, divided into two tiers defined by relative priority. Some of these scenarios will also provide a basis for variants planned to be run in other CMIP6-Endorsed MIPs to investigate questions related to specific forcings. Harmonized, spatially

  10. Biogeochemical protocols and diagnostics for the CMIP6 Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. C. Orr

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP focuses on the physics and biogeochemistry of the ocean component of Earth system models participating in the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6. OMIP aims to provide standard protocols and diagnostics for ocean models, while offering a forum to promote their common assessment and improvement. It also offers to compare solutions of the same ocean models when forced with reanalysis data (OMIP simulations vs. when integrated within fully coupled Earth system models (CMIP6. Here we detail simulation protocols and diagnostics for OMIP's biogeochemical and inert chemical tracers. These passive-tracer simulations will be coupled to ocean circulation models, initialized with observational data or output from a model spin-up, and forced by repeating the 1948–2009 surface fluxes of heat, fresh water, and momentum. These so-called OMIP-BGC simulations include three inert chemical tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF6 and biogeochemical tracers (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, alkalinity, nutrients, and oxygen. Modelers will use their preferred prognostic BGC model but should follow common guidelines for gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. Simulations include both natural and total carbon tracers. The required forced simulation (omip1 will be initialized with gridded observational climatologies. An optional forced simulation (omip1-spunup will be initialized instead with BGC fields from a long model spin-up, preferably for 2000 years or more, and forced by repeating the same 62-year meteorological forcing. That optional run will also include abiotic tracers of total dissolved inorganic carbon and radiocarbon, CTabio and 14CTabio, to assess deep-ocean ventilation and distinguish the role of physics vs. biology. These simulations will be forced by observed atmospheric histories of the three inert gases and CO2 as well as carbon isotope ratios of CO2. OMIP-BGC simulation

  11. Biogeochemical Protocols and Diagnostics for the CMIP6 Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orr, James C.; Najjar, Raymond G.; Aumont, Olivier; Bopp, Laurent; Bullister, John L.; Danabasoglu, Gokhan; Doney, Scott C.; Dunne, John P.; Dutay, Jean-Claude; Graven, Heather; hide

    2017-01-01

    The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) focuses on the physics and biogeochemistry of the ocean component of Earth system models participating in the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). OMIP aims to provide standard protocols and diagnostics for ocean models, while offering a forum to promote their common assessment and improvement. It also offers to compare solutions of the same ocean models when forced with reanalysis data (OMIP simulations) vs. when integrated within fully coupled Earth system models (CMIP6). Here we detail simulation protocols and diagnostics for OMIP's biogeochemical and inert chemical tracers. These passive-tracer simulations will be coupled to ocean circulation models, initialized with observational data or output from a model spin-up, and forced by repeating the 1948-2009 surface fluxes of heat, fresh water, and momentum. These so-called OMIP-BGC simulations include three inert chemical tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF [subscript] 6) and biogeochemical tracers (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, alkalinity, nutrients, and oxygen). Modelers will use their preferred prognostic BGC model but should follow common guidelines for gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. Simulations include both natural and total carbon tracers. The required forced simulation (omip1) will be initialized with gridded observational climatologies. An optional forced simulation (omip1-spunup) will be initialized instead with BGC fields from a long model spin-up, preferably for 2000 years or more, and forced by repeating the same 62-year meteorological forcing. That optional run will also include abiotic tracers of total dissolved inorganic carbon and radiocarbon, CTabio and 14CTabio, to assess deep-ocean ventilation and distinguish the role of physics vs. biology. These simulations will be forced by observed atmospheric histories of the three inert gases and CO2 as well as carbon isotope ratios of CO2. OMIP-BGC simulation

  12. Biogeochemical protocols and diagnostics for the CMIP6 Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orr, James C.; Najjar, Raymond G.; Aumont, Olivier; Bopp, Laurent; Bullister, John L.; Danabasoglu, Gokhan; Doney, Scott C.; Dunne, John P.; Dutay, Jean-Claude; Graven, Heather; Griffies, Stephen M.; John, Jasmin G.; Joos, Fortunat; Levin, Ingeborg; Lindsay, Keith; Matear, Richard J.; McKinley, Galen A.; Mouchet, Anne; Oschlies, Andreas; Romanou, Anastasia; Schlitzer, Reiner; Tagliabue, Alessandro; Tanhua, Toste; Yool, Andrew

    2017-06-01

    The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) focuses on the physics and biogeochemistry of the ocean component of Earth system models participating in the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). OMIP aims to provide standard protocols and diagnostics for ocean models, while offering a forum to promote their common assessment and improvement. It also offers to compare solutions of the same ocean models when forced with reanalysis data (OMIP simulations) vs. when integrated within fully coupled Earth system models (CMIP6). Here we detail simulation protocols and diagnostics for OMIP's biogeochemical and inert chemical tracers. These passive-tracer simulations will be coupled to ocean circulation models, initialized with observational data or output from a model spin-up, and forced by repeating the 1948-2009 surface fluxes of heat, fresh water, and momentum. These so-called OMIP-BGC simulations include three inert chemical tracers (CFC-11, CFC-12, SF6) and biogeochemical tracers (e.g., dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, alkalinity, nutrients, and oxygen). Modelers will use their preferred prognostic BGC model but should follow common guidelines for gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. Simulations include both natural and total carbon tracers. The required forced simulation (omip1) will be initialized with gridded observational climatologies. An optional forced simulation (omip1-spunup) will be initialized instead with BGC fields from a long model spin-up, preferably for 2000 years or more, and forced by repeating the same 62-year meteorological forcing. That optional run will also include abiotic tracers of total dissolved inorganic carbon and radiocarbon, CTabio and 14CTabio, to assess deep-ocean ventilation and distinguish the role of physics vs. biology. These simulations will be forced by observed atmospheric histories of the three inert gases and CO2 as well as carbon isotope ratios of CO2. OMIP-BGC simulation protocols are

  13. National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy (NCEP-DOE) Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-II Reanalysis (Reanalysis-2)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The NCEP-DOE Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-II) reanalysis is a follow-on project to the "50-year" (1948-present) NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis Project....

  14. IPRT polarized radiative transfer model intercomparison project - Three-dimensional test cases (phase B)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emde, Claudia; Barlakas, Vasileios; Cornet, Céline; Evans, Frank; Wang, Zhen; Labonotte, Laurent C.; Macke, Andreas; Mayer, Bernhard; Wendisch, Manfred

    2018-04-01

    Initially unpolarized solar radiation becomes polarized by scattering in the Earth's atmosphere. In particular molecular scattering (Rayleigh scattering) polarizes electromagnetic radiation, but also scattering of radiation at aerosols, cloud droplets (Mie scattering) and ice crystals polarizes. Each atmospheric constituent produces a characteristic polarization signal, thus spectro-polarimetric measurements are frequently employed for remote sensing of aerosol and cloud properties. Retrieval algorithms require efficient radiative transfer models. Usually, these apply the plane-parallel approximation (PPA), assuming that the atmosphere consists of horizontally homogeneous layers. This allows to solve the vector radiative transfer equation (VRTE) efficiently. For remote sensing applications, the radiance is considered constant over the instantaneous field-of-view of the instrument and each sensor element is treated independently in plane-parallel approximation, neglecting horizontal radiation transport between adjacent pixels (Independent Pixel Approximation, IPA). In order to estimate the errors due to the IPA approximation, three-dimensional (3D) vector radiative transfer models are required. So far, only a few such models exist. Therefore, the International Polarized Radiative Transfer (IPRT) working group of the International Radiation Commission (IRC) has initiated a model intercomparison project in order to provide benchmark results for polarized radiative transfer. The group has already performed an intercomparison for one-dimensional (1D) multi-layer test cases [phase A, 1]. This paper presents the continuation of the intercomparison project (phase B) for 2D and 3D test cases: a step cloud, a cubic cloud, and a more realistic scenario including a 3D cloud field generated by a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model and typical background aerosols. The commonly established benchmark results for 3D polarized radiative transfer are available at the IPRT website (http

  15. The Agriculture Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, C.

    2010-12-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) is a distributed climate-scenario simulation exercise for historical model intercomparison and future climate change conditions with participation of multiple crop and world agricultural trade modeling groups around the world. The goals of AgMIP are to improve substantially the characterization of risk of hunger and world food security due to climate change and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. Historical period results will spur model improvement and interaction among major modeling groups, while future period results will lead directly to tests of adaptation and mitigation strategies across a range of scales. AgMIP will consist of a multi-scale impact assessment utilizing the latest methods for climate and agricultural scenario generation. Scenarios and modeling protocols will be distributed on the web, and multi-model results will be collated and analyzed to ensure the widest possible coverage of agricultural crops and regions. AgMIP will place regional changes in agricultural production in a global context that reflects new trading opportunities, imbalances, and shortages in world markets resulting from climate change and other driving forces for food supply. Such projections are essential inputs from the Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation (VIA) research community to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment (AR5), now underway, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. They will set the context for local-scale vulnerability and adaptation studies, supply test scenarios for national-scale development of trade policy instruments, provide critical information on changing supply and demand for water resources, and elucidate interactive effects of climate change and land use change. AgMIP will not only provide crucially-needed new global estimates of how climate change will affect food supply and hunger in the

  16. A River Model Intercomparison Project in Preparation for SWOT

    Science.gov (United States)

    David, C. H.; Andreadis, K.; Famiglietti, J. S.; Beighley, E.; Boone, A. A.; Yamazaki, D.; Paiva, R. C. D.; Fleischmann, A. S.; Collischonn, W.; Fisher, C. K.; Kim, H.; Biancamaria, S.

    2017-12-01

    The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is currently scheduled to launch at the beginning of next decade. SWOT is expected to retrieve unprecedented measurements of water extent, elevation, and slope in the largest terrestrial water bodies. Such potential transformative information motivates the investigation of our ability to ingest the associated data into continental-scale models of terrestrial hydrology. In preparation for the expected SWOT observations, an inter-comparison of continental-scale river models is being performed. This comparison experiment focuses on four of the world's largest river basins: the Amazon, the Mississippi, the Niger, and the Saint-Lawrence. This ongoing project focuses on two main research questions: 1) How can we best prepare for the expected SWOT continental to global measurements before SWOT even flies?, and 2) What is the added value of including SWOT terrestrial measurements into global hydro models for enhancing our understanding of the terrestrial water cycle and the climate system? We present here the results of the second year of this project which now includes simulations from six numerical models of rivers over the Mississippi and sheds light on the implications of various modeling choices on simulation quality as well as on the potential impact of SWOT observations.

  17. The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package: Version 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swales, Dustin J.; Pincus, Robert; Bodas-Salcedo, Alejandro

    2018-01-01

    The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package (COSP) gathers together a collection of observation proxies or satellite simulators that translate model-simulated cloud properties to synthetic observations as would be obtained by a range of satellite observing systems. This paper introduces COSP2, an evolution focusing on more explicit and consistent separation between host model, coupling infrastructure, and individual observing proxies. Revisions also enhance flexibility by allowing for model-specific representation of sub-grid-scale cloudiness, provide greater clarity by clearly separating tasks, support greater use of shared code and data including shared inputs across simulators, and follow more uniform software standards to simplify implementation across a wide range of platforms. The complete package including a testing suite is freely available.

  18. Large-Scale Features of Pliocene Climate: Results from the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haywood, A. M.; Hill, D.J.; Dolan, A. M.; Otto-Bliesner, B. L.; Bragg, F.; Chan, W.-L.; Chandler, M. A.; Contoux, C.; Dowsett, H. J.; Jost, A.; hide

    2013-01-01

    Climate and environments of the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.264 to 3.025 Ma) have been extensively studied.Whilst numerical models have shed light on the nature of climate at the time, uncertainties in their predictions have not been systematically examined. The Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project quantifies uncertainties in model outputs through a coordinated multi-model and multi-mode data intercomparison. Whilst commonalities in model outputs for the Pliocene are clearly evident, we show substantial variation in the sensitivity of models to the implementation of Pliocene boundary conditions. Models appear able to reproduce many regional changes in temperature reconstructed from geological proxies. However, data model comparison highlights that models potentially underestimate polar amplification. To assert this conclusion with greater confidence, limitations in the time-averaged proxy data currently available must be addressed. Furthermore, sensitivity tests exploring the known unknowns in modelling Pliocene climate specifically relevant to the high latitudes are essential (e.g. palaeogeography, gateways, orbital forcing and trace gasses). Estimates of longer-term sensitivity to CO2 (also known as Earth System Sensitivity; ESS), support previous work suggesting that ESS is greater than Climate Sensitivity (CS), and suggest that the ratio of ESS to CS is between 1 and 2, with a "best" estimate of 1.5.

  19. The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package: Version 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. J. Swales

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package (COSP gathers together a collection of observation proxies or satellite simulators that translate model-simulated cloud properties to synthetic observations as would be obtained by a range of satellite observing systems. This paper introduces COSP2, an evolution focusing on more explicit and consistent separation between host model, coupling infrastructure, and individual observing proxies. Revisions also enhance flexibility by allowing for model-specific representation of sub-grid-scale cloudiness, provide greater clarity by clearly separating tasks, support greater use of shared code and data including shared inputs across simulators, and follow more uniform software standards to simplify implementation across a wide range of platforms. The complete package including a testing suite is freely available.

  20. New Results from the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robock, A.; Kravitz, B.

    2013-12-01

    The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) was designed to determine robust climate system model responses to Solar Radiation Management (SRM). While mitigation (reducing greenhouse gases emissions) is the most effective way of reducing future climate change, SRM (the deliberate modification of incoming solar radiation) has been proposed as a means of temporarily alleviating some of the effects of global warming. For society to make informed decisions as to whether SRM should ever be implemented, information is needed on the benefits, risks, and side effects, and GeoMIP seeks to aid in that endeavor. GeoMIP has organized four standardized climate model simulations involving reduction of insolation or increased amounts of stratospheric sulfate aerosols to counteract increasing greenhouse gases. Thirteen comprehensive atmosphere-ocean general circulation models have participated in the project so far. GeoMIP is a 'CMIP Coordinated Experiment' as part of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) and has been endorsed by SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate). GeoMIP has held three international workshops and has produced a number of recent journal articles. GeoMIP has found that if increasing greenhouse gases could be counteracted with insolation reduction, the global average temperature could be kept constant, but global average precipitation would reduce, particularly in summer monsoon regions around the world. Temperature changes would also not be uniform. The tropics would cool, but high latitudes would warm, with continuing, but reduced sea ice and ice sheet melting. Temperature extremes would still increase, but not as much as without SRM. If SRM were halted all at once, there would be rapid temperature and precipitation increases at 5-10 times the rates from gradual global warming. SRM combined with CO2 fertilization would have small impacts on rice production in China, but would increase maize production

  1. Reproducibility in cyclostratigraphy: initiating an intercomparison project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinnesael, Matthias; De Vleeschouwer, David; Zeeden, Christian; Claeys, Philippe

    2017-04-01

    The study of astronomical climate forcing and the application of cyclostratigraphy have experienced a spectacular growth over the last decades. In the field of cyclostratigraphy a broad range in methodological approaches exist. However, comparative study between the different approaches is lacking. Different cases demand different approaches, but with the growing importance of the field, questions arise about reproducibility, uncertainties and standardization of results. The radioisotopic dating community, in particular, has done far-reaching efforts to improve reproducibility and intercomparison of radioisotopic dates and their errors. To satisfy this need in cyclostratigraphy, we initiate a comparable framework for the community. The aims are to investigate and quantify reproducibility of, and uncertainties related to cyclostratigraphic studies and to provide a platform to discuss the merits and pitfalls of different methodologies, and their applicabilities. With this poster, we ask the feedback from the community on how to design this comparative framework in a useful, meaningful and productive manner. In parallel, we would like to discuss how reproducibility should be tested and what uncertainties should stand for in cyclostratigraphy. On the other hand, we intend to trigger interest for a cyclostratigraphic intercomparison project. This intercomparison project would imply the analysis of artificial and genuine geological records by individual researchers. All participants would be free to determine their method of choice. However, a handful of criterions will be required for an outcome to be comparable. The different results would be compared (e.g. during a workshop or a special session), and the lessons learned from the comparison could potentially be reported in a review paper. The aim of an intercomparison project is not to rank the different methods according to their merits, but to get insight into which specific methods are most suitable for which

  2. Consistency of climate change projections from multiple global and regional model intercomparison projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, J.; Frías, M. D.; Cabos, W. D.; Cofiño, A. S.; Domínguez, M.; Fita, L.; Gaertner, M. A.; García-Díez, M.; Gutiérrez, J. M.; Jiménez-Guerrero, P.; Liguori, G.; Montávez, J. P.; Romera, R.; Sánchez, E.

    2018-03-01

    We present an unprecedented ensemble of 196 future climate projections arising from different global and regional model intercomparison projects (MIPs): CMIP3, CMIP5, ENSEMBLES, ESCENA, EURO- and Med-CORDEX. This multi-MIP ensemble includes all regional climate model (RCM) projections publicly available to date, along with their driving global climate models (GCMs). We illustrate consistent and conflicting messages using continental Spain and the Balearic Islands as target region. The study considers near future (2021-2050) changes and their dependence on several uncertainty sources sampled in the multi-MIP ensemble: GCM, future scenario, internal variability, RCM, and spatial resolution. This initial work focuses on mean seasonal precipitation and temperature changes. The results show that the potential GCM-RCM combinations have been explored very unevenly, with favoured GCMs and large ensembles of a few RCMs that do not respond to any ensemble design. Therefore, the grand-ensemble is weighted towards a few models. The selection of a balanced, credible sub-ensemble is challenged in this study by illustrating several conflicting responses between the RCM and its driving GCM and among different RCMs. Sub-ensembles from different initiatives are dominated by different uncertainty sources, being the driving GCM the main contributor to uncertainty in the grand-ensemble. For this analysis of the near future changes, the emission scenario does not lead to a strong uncertainty. Despite the extra computational effort, for mean seasonal changes, the increase in resolution does not lead to important changes.

  3. The Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project (CDRMIP): rationale and experimental protocol for CMIP6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, David P.; Lenton, Andrew; Scott, Vivian; Vaughan, Naomi E.; Bauer, Nico; Ji, Duoying; Jones, Chris D.; Kravitz, Ben; Muri, Helene; Zickfeld, Kirsten

    2018-03-01

    The recent IPCC reports state that continued anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are changing the climate, threatening severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts. Slow progress in emissions reduction to mitigate climate change is resulting in increased attention to what is called geoengineering, climate engineering, or climate intervention - deliberate interventions to counter climate change that seek to either modify the Earth's radiation budget or remove greenhouse gases such as CO2 from the atmosphere. When focused on CO2, the latter of these categories is called carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Future emission scenarios that stay well below 2 °C, and all emission scenarios that do not exceed 1.5 °C warming by the year 2100, require some form of CDR. At present, there is little consensus on the climate impacts and atmospheric CO2 reduction efficacy of the different types of proposed CDR. To address this need, the Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project (or CDRMIP) was initiated. This project brings together models of the Earth system in a common framework to explore the potential, impacts, and challenges of CDR. Here, we describe the first set of CDRMIP experiments, which are formally part of the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). These experiments are designed to address questions concerning CDR-induced climate reversibility, the response of the Earth system to direct atmospheric CO2 removal (direct air capture and storage), and the CDR potential and impacts of afforestation and reforestation, as well as ocean alkalinization.>

  4. Intercomparison and biokinetic model validation of radionuclide intake assessment. Report of a co-ordinated research project. 1996-1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-03-01

    This TECDOC presents the results of a Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) on Intercomparison and Biokinetic Model Validation of Radionuclide Intake Assessment, including the conclusions of a Research Co-ordination Meeting held from 6 to 8 July 1998. The present CRP on Intercomparison and Biokinetic Model Validation of Radionuclide Intake Assessment is part of the activities of the IAEA's Occupational Protection programme. The objective of this programme is to promote an internationally harmonized approach for optimizing occupational radiation protection through: the development of guides, within the IAEA's activities for establishing standards for radiation protection, for restricting radiation exposures in the workplace and for applying current occupational radiation protection techniques; and the promotion of application of these guidelines

  5. Radiative-convective equilibrium model intercomparison project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wing, Allison A.; Reed, Kevin A.; Satoh, Masaki; Stevens, Bjorn; Bony, Sandrine; Ohno, Tomoki

    2018-03-01

    RCEMIP, an intercomparison of multiple types of models configured in radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE), is proposed. RCE is an idealization of the climate system in which there is a balance between radiative cooling of the atmosphere and heating by convection. The scientific objectives of RCEMIP are three-fold. First, clouds and climate sensitivity will be investigated in the RCE setting. This includes determining how cloud fraction changes with warming and the role of self-aggregation of convection in climate sensitivity. Second, RCEMIP will quantify the dependence of the degree of convective aggregation and tropical circulation regimes on temperature. Finally, by providing a common baseline, RCEMIP will allow the robustness of the RCE state across the spectrum of models to be assessed, which is essential for interpreting the results found regarding clouds, climate sensitivity, and aggregation, and more generally, determining which features of tropical climate a RCE framework is useful for. A novel aspect and major advantage of RCEMIP is the accessibility of the RCE framework to a variety of models, including cloud-resolving models, general circulation models, global cloud-resolving models, single-column models, and large-eddy simulation models.

  6. The Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project (CDRMIP: rationale and experimental protocol for CMIP6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. P. Keller

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The recent IPCC reports state that continued anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are changing the climate, threatening severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts. Slow progress in emissions reduction to mitigate climate change is resulting in increased attention to what is called geoengineering, climate engineering, or climate intervention – deliberate interventions to counter climate change that seek to either modify the Earth's radiation budget or remove greenhouse gases such as CO2 from the atmosphere. When focused on CO2, the latter of these categories is called carbon dioxide removal (CDR. Future emission scenarios that stay well below 2 °C, and all emission scenarios that do not exceed 1.5 °C warming by the year 2100, require some form of CDR. At present, there is little consensus on the climate impacts and atmospheric CO2 reduction efficacy of the different types of proposed CDR. To address this need, the Carbon Dioxide Removal Model Intercomparison Project (or CDRMIP was initiated. This project brings together models of the Earth system in a common framework to explore the potential, impacts, and challenges of CDR. Here, we describe the first set of CDRMIP experiments, which are formally part of the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6. These experiments are designed to address questions concerning CDR-induced climate reversibility, the response of the Earth system to direct atmospheric CO2 removal (direct air capture and storage, and the CDR potential and impacts of afforestation and reforestation, as well as ocean alkalinization.>

  7. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP): Progress and Preliminary Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, C.

    2011-12-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) is a distributed climate-scenario simulation exercise for historical model intercomparison and future climate change conditions with participation of multiple crop and agricultural trade modeling groups around the world. The goals of AgMIP are to improve substantially the characterization of risk of hunger and world food security due to climate change and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. Recent progress and the current status of AgMIP will be presented, highlighting three areas of activity: preliminary results from crop pilot studies, outcomes from regional workshops, and emerging scientific challenges. AgMIP crop modeling efforts are being led by pilot studies, which have been established for wheat, maize, rice, and sugarcane. These crop-specific initiatives have proven instrumental in testing and contributing to AgMIP protocols, as well as creating preliminary results for aggregation and input to agricultural trade models. Regional workshops are being held to encourage collaborations and set research activities in motion for key agricultural areas. The first of these workshops was hosted by Embrapa and UNICAMP and held in Campinas, Brazil. Outcomes from this meeting have informed crop modeling research activities within South America, AgMIP protocols, and future regional workshops. Several scientific challenges have emerged and are currently being addressed by AgMIP researchers. Areas of particular interest include geospatial weather generation, ensemble methods for climate scenarios and crop models, spatial aggregation of field-scale yields to regional and global production, and characterization of future changes in climate variability.

  8. Design and results of the ice sheet model initialisation initMIP-Greenland: an ISMIP6 intercomparison

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Goelzer

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections (e.g. those run during the ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives have shown that ice sheet initial conditions have a large effect on the projections and give rise to important uncertainties. The goal of this initMIP-Greenland intercomparison exercise is to compare, evaluate, and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties in modelled mass changes. initMIP-Greenland is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6, which is the primary activity within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6 focusing on the ice sheets. Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of (1 the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and (2 the response in two idealised forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without additional forcing and in response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly; they should not be interpreted as sea-level projections. We present and discuss results that highlight the diversity of data sets, boundary conditions, and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet. We find good agreement across the ensemble for the dynamic response to surface mass balance changes in areas where the simulated ice sheets overlap but differences arising from the initial size of the ice sheet. The model drift in the control experiment is reduced for models that participated in earlier intercomparison exercises.

  9. The GRENE-TEA model intercomparison project (GTMIP) Stage 1 forcing data set

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sueyoshi, T.; Saito, K.; Miyazaki, S.; Mori, J.; Ise, T.; Arakida, H.; Suzuki, R.; Sato, A.; Iijima, Y.; Yabuki, H.; Ikawa, H.; Ohta, T.; Kotani, A.; Hajima, T.; Sato, H.; Yamazaki, T.; Sugimoto, A.

    2016-01-01

    Here, the authors describe the construction of a forcing data set for land surface models (including both physical and biogeochemical models; LSMs) with eight meteorological variables for the 35-year period from 1979 to 2013. The data set is intended for use in a model intercomparison study, called GTMIP, which is a part of the Japanese-funded Arctic Climate Change Research Project. In order to prepare a set of site-fitted forcing data for LSMs with realistic yet continuous entries (i.e. without missing data), four observational sites across the pan-Arctic region (Fairbanks, Tiksi, Yakutsk, and Kevo) were selected to construct a blended data set using both global reanalysis and observational data. Marked improvements were found in the diurnal cycles of surface air temperature and humidity, wind speed, and precipitation. The data sets and participation in GTMIP are open to the scientific community (doi:10.17592/001.2015093001).

  10. Design and results of the ice sheet model initialisation experiments initMIP-Greenland: an ISMIP6 intercomparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goelzer, Heiko; Nowicki, Sophie; Edwards, Tamsin; Beckley, Matthew; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Aschwanden, Andy; Calov, Reinhard; Gagliardini, Olivier; Gillet-Chaulet, Fabien; Golledge, Nicholas R.; Gregory, Jonathan; Greve, Ralf; Humbert, Angelika; Huybrechts, Philippe; Kennedy, Joseph H.; Larour, Eric; Lipscomb, William H.; Le clec'h, Sébastien; Lee, Victoria; Morlighem, Mathieu; Pattyn, Frank; Payne, Antony J.; Rodehacke, Christian; Rückamp, Martin; Saito, Fuyuki; Schlegel, Nicole; Seroussi, Helene; Shepherd, Andrew; Sun, Sainan; van de Wal, Roderik; Ziemen, Florian A.

    2018-04-01

    Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections (e.g. those run during the ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives) have shown that ice sheet initial conditions have a large effect on the projections and give rise to important uncertainties. The goal of this initMIP-Greenland intercomparison exercise is to compare, evaluate, and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties in modelled mass changes. initMIP-Greenland is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6), which is the primary activity within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the ice sheets. Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of (1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and (2) the response in two idealised forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without additional forcing) and in response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly); they should not be interpreted as sea-level projections. We present and discuss results that highlight the diversity of data sets, boundary conditions, and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet. We find good agreement across the ensemble for the dynamic response to surface mass balance changes in areas where the simulated ice sheets overlap but differences arising from the initial size of the ice sheet. The model drift in the control experiment is reduced for models that participated in earlier intercomparison exercises.

  11. Results of the 1999. Intercomparison of Individual Monitoring Systems under the IAEA Model Project RLA/9/030

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Da Silva, Teogenes

    2000-01-01

    In this report the results of the second phase of the intercomparison program within the framework of the IAEA model project RLA/9/030 are presented. In this second phase the objective was to evaluate the performance in terms of the quantity personal dose equivalent, Hp (10) for x and gamma radiation in the energy range form 20 KeV to 1.25 MeV. The main purpose of phase II should be the verification of the quality and reliability of the personnel monitoring system of each participating country. The Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear was the reference laboratory that verified the performance of the participant laboratories. The following countries were invited to participate in the 1999 intercomparison: Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, el Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay

  12. Ocean response to volcanic eruptions in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 simulations

    KAUST Repository

    Ding, Yanni

    2014-09-01

    We examine the oceanic impact of large tropical volcanic eruptions as they appear in ensembles of historical simulations from eight Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 models. These models show a response that includes lowering of global average sea surface temperature by 0.1–0.3 K, comparable to the observations. They show enhancement of Arctic ice cover in the years following major volcanic eruptions, with long-lived temperature anomalies extending to the middepth and deep ocean on decadal to centennial timescales. Regional ocean responses vary, although there is some consistent hemispheric asymmetry associated with the hemisphere in which the eruption occurs. Temperature decreases and salinity increases contribute to an increase in the density of surface water and an enhancement in the overturning circulation of the North Atlantic Ocean following these eruptions. The strength of this overturning increase varies considerably from model to model and is correlated with the background variability of overturning in each model. Any cause/effect relationship between eruptions and the phase of El Niño is weak.

  13. Results of the Marine Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project, MISMIP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Pattyn

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Predictions of marine ice-sheet behaviour require models that are able to robustly simulate grounding line migration. We present results of an intercomparison exercise for marine ice-sheet models. Verification is effected by comparison with approximate analytical solutions for flux across the grounding line using simplified geometrical configurations (no lateral variations, no effects of lateral buttressing. Unique steady state grounding line positions exist for ice sheets on a downward sloping bed, while hysteresis occurs across an overdeepened bed, and stable steady state grounding line positions only occur on the downward-sloping sections. Models based on the shallow ice approximation, which does not resolve extensional stresses, do not reproduce the approximate analytical results unless appropriate parameterizations for ice flux are imposed at the grounding line. For extensional-stress resolving "shelfy stream" models, differences between model results were mainly due to the choice of spatial discretization. Moving grid methods were found to be the most accurate at capturing grounding line evolution, since they track the grounding line explicitly. Adaptive mesh refinement can further improve accuracy, including fixed grid models that generally perform poorly at coarse resolution. Fixed grid models, with nested grid representations of the grounding line, are able to generate accurate steady state positions, but can be inaccurate over transients. Only one full-Stokes model was included in the intercomparison, and consequently the accuracy of shelfy stream models as approximations of full-Stokes models remains to be determined in detail, especially during transients.

  14. The Palaeoclimate and Terrestrial Exoplanet Radiative Transfer Model Intercomparison Project (PALAEOTRIP: experimental design and protocols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Goldblatt

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Accurate radiative transfer calculation is fundamental to all climate modelling. For deep palaeoclimate, and increasingly terrestrial exoplanet climate science, this brings both the joy and the challenge of exotic atmospheric compositions. The challenge here is that most standard radiation codes for climate modelling have been developed for modern atmospheric conditions and may perform poorly away from these. The palaeoclimate or exoclimate modeller must either rely on these or use bespoke radiation codes, and in both cases rely on either blind faith or ad hoc testing of the code. In this paper, we describe the protocols for the Palaeoclimate and Terrestrial Exoplanet Radiative Transfer Model Intercomparison Project (PALAEOTRIP to systematically address this. This will compare as many radiation codes used for palaeoclimate or exoplanets as possible, with the aim of identifying the ranges of far-from-modern atmospheric compositions in which the codes perform well. This paper describes the experimental protocol and invites community participation in the project through 2017–2018.

  15. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project: Phase I Activities by a Global Community of Science. Chapter 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, Cynthia E.; Jones, James W.; Hatfield, Jerry L.; Antle, John M.; Ruane, Alexander C.; Mutter, Carolyn Z.

    2015-01-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) was founded in 2010. Its mission is to improve substantially the characterization of world food security as affected by climate variability and change, and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. The objectives of AgMIP are to: Incorporate state-of-the-art climate, crop/livestock, and agricultural economic model improvements into coordinated multi-model regional and global assessments of future climate impacts and adaptation and other key aspects of the food system. Utilize multiple models, scenarios, locations, crops/livestock, and participants to explore uncertainty and the impact of data and methodological choices. Collaborate with regional experts in agronomy, animal sciences, economics, and climate to build a strong basis for model applications, addressing key climate related questions and sustainable intensification farming systems. Improve scientific and adaptive capacity in modeling for major agricultural regions in the developing and developed world, with a focus on vulnerable regions. Improve agricultural data and enhance data-sharing based on their intercomparison and evaluation using best scientific practices. Develop modeling frameworks to identify and evaluate promising adaptation technologies and policies and to prioritize strategies.

  16. Assessment of the results of the 1998 Intercomparison of Individual Monitoring Systems under IAEA Model Project RLA/9/030

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Da Silva, Teogenes

    1999-01-01

    In this report the results of an intercomparison program within the framework of the IAEA model project RLA/9/030 are presented. This is the first phase of the study the main purpose was to establish a mechanism to identify and improve the current situation of each country as far as the performance of each individual monitoring system is concerned. This phase as was coordinated by Brazil through the Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear that verified the performance of the participant laboratories. The following countries were invited to participate in the 1998 intercomparison: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Jamaica and Paraguay. The performance of the laboratories was evaluated for dose assessment in terms of photon dose equivalent Hx

  17. International intercomparison on the neutron flux density spectrum just before the REAL-80 project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ertek, C.

    1981-06-01

    This work briefly presents the results of the international intercomparison on the neutron flux density spectrum just before the REAL-80 intercomparison project. Some of the results of this intercomparison with a smaller number of laboratories will be also reflected in the REAL-80 project, therefore, it has some significant issues. This work is performed within the IAEA programme on standardization of reactor radiation measurements, one of the important objectives of which is the assistance of laboratories in Member States to implement or intercompare the multiple foil activation techniques for different neutron field measurements

  18. Assessing Agricultural Risks of Climate Change in the 21st Century in a Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, Cynthia E.; Elliott, Joshua; Deryng, Delphine; Ruane, Alex C.; Mueller, Christoph; Arneth, Almut; Boote, Kenneth J.; Folberth, Christian; Glotter, Michael; Khabarov, Nikolay

    2014-01-01

    Here we present the results from an intercomparison of multiple global gridded crop models (GGCMs) within the framework of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project and the Inter-Sectoral Impacts Model Intercomparison Project. Results indicate strong negative effects of climate change, especially at higher levels of warming and at low latitudes; models that include explicit nitrogen stress project more severe impacts. Across seven GGCMs, five global climate models, and four representative concentration pathways, model agreement on direction of yield changes is found in many major agricultural regions at both low and high latitudes; however, reducing uncertainty in sign of response in mid-latitude regions remains a challenge. Uncertainties related to the representation of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and high temperature effects demonstrated here show that further research is urgently needed to better understand effects of climate change on agricultural production and to devise targeted adaptation strategies.

  19. Cloud radiative effects and changes simulated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Sun-Hee; Kim, Ok-Yeon; Kim, Dongmin; Lee, Myong-In

    2017-07-01

    Using 32 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) models, this study examines the veracity in the simulation of cloud amount and their radiative effects (CREs) in the historical run driven by observed external radiative forcing for 1850-2005, and their future changes in the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 4.5 scenario runs for 2006-2100. Validation metrics for the historical run are designed to examine the accuracy in the representation of spatial patterns for climatological mean, and annual and interannual variations of clouds and CREs. The models show large spread in the simulation of cloud amounts, specifically in the low cloud amount. The observed relationship between cloud amount and the controlling large-scale environment are also reproduced diversely by various models. Based on the validation metrics, four models—ACCESS1.0, ACCESS1.3, HadGEM2-CC, and HadGEM2-ES—are selected as best models, and the average of the four models performs more skillfully than the multimodel ensemble average. All models project global-mean SST warming at the increase of the greenhouse gases, but the magnitude varies across the simulations between 1 and 2 K, which is largely attributable to the difference in the change of cloud amount and distribution. The models that simulate more SST warming show a greater increase in the net CRE due to reduced low cloud and increased incoming shortwave radiation, particularly over the regions of marine boundary layer in the subtropics. Selected best-performing models project a significant reduction in global-mean cloud amount of about -0.99% K-1 and net radiative warming of 0.46 W m-2 K-1, suggesting a role of positive feedback to global warming.

  20. Evaluation and intercomparison of Ozone and PM10 simulations by several chemistry transport models over four European cities within the CityDelta project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vautard, R.; Builtjes, P.H.J.; Thunis, P.; Cuvelier, C.; Bedogni, M.; Bessagnet, B.; Honoré, C.; Moussiopoulos, N.; Pirovano, G.; Schaap, M.; Stern, R.; Tarrason, L.; Wind, P.

    2007-01-01

    The CityDelta project Cuvelier et al. [2006. CityDelta: a model intercomparison study to explore the impact of emission reductions in European cities in 2010. Atmospheric Environment] is designed to evaluate the air quality response of several emission abatement scenarios for 2010 at the scale of

  1. A protocol for the intercomparison of marine fishery and ecosystem models: Fish-MIP v1.0

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tittensor, Derek P.; Eddy, Tyler D.; Lotze, Heike K.; Galbraith, Eric D.; Cheung, William; Barange, Manuel; Blanchard, Julia L.; Bopp, Laurent; Bryndum-Buchholz, Andrea; Büchner, Matthias; Bulman, Catherine; Carozza, David A.; Christensen, Villy; Coll, Marta; Dunne, John P.; Fernandes, Jose A.; Fulton, Elizabeth A.; Hobday, Alistair J.; Huber, Veronika; Jennings, Simon; Jones, Miranda; Lehodey, Patrick; Link, Jason S.; Mackinson, Steve; Maury, Olivier; Niiranen, Susa; Oliveros-Ramos, Ricardo; Roy, Tilla; Schewe, Jacob; Shin, Yunne-Jai; Silva, Tiago; Stock, Charles A.; Steenbeek, Jeroen; Underwood, Philip J.; Volkholz, Jan; Watson, James R.; Walker, Nicola D.

    2018-04-01

    Model intercomparison studies in the climate and Earth sciences communities have been crucial to building credibility and coherence for future projections. They have quantified variability among models, spurred model development, contrasted within- and among-model uncertainty, assessed model fits to historical data, and provided ensemble projections of future change under specified scenarios. Given the speed and magnitude of anthropogenic change in the marine environment and the consequent effects on food security, biodiversity, marine industries, and society, the time is ripe for similar comparisons among models of fisheries and marine ecosystems. Here, we describe the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project protocol version 1.0 (Fish-MIP v1.0), part of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP), which is a cross-sectoral network of climate impact modellers. Given the complexity of the marine ecosystem, this class of models has substantial heterogeneity of purpose, scope, theoretical underpinning, processes considered, parameterizations, resolution (grain size), and spatial extent. This heterogeneity reflects the lack of a unified understanding of the marine ecosystem and implies that the assemblage of all models is more likely to include a greater number of relevant processes than any single model. The current Fish-MIP protocol is designed to allow these heterogeneous models to be forced with common Earth System Model (ESM) Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) outputs under prescribed scenarios for historic (from the 1950s) and future (to 2100) time periods; it will be adapted to CMIP phase 6 (CMIP6) in future iterations. It also describes a standardized set of outputs for each participating Fish-MIP model to produce. This enables the broad characterization of differences between and uncertainties within models and projections when assessing climate and fisheries impacts on marine ecosystems and the

  2. A protocol for the intercomparison of marine fishery and ecosystem models: Fish-MIP v1.0

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. P. Tittensor

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Model intercomparison studies in the climate and Earth sciences communities have been crucial to building credibility and coherence for future projections. They have quantified variability among models, spurred model development, contrasted within- and among-model uncertainty, assessed model fits to historical data, and provided ensemble projections of future change under specified scenarios. Given the speed and magnitude of anthropogenic change in the marine environment and the consequent effects on food security, biodiversity, marine industries, and society, the time is ripe for similar comparisons among models of fisheries and marine ecosystems. Here, we describe the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project protocol version 1.0 (Fish-MIP v1.0, part of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, which is a cross-sectoral network of climate impact modellers. Given the complexity of the marine ecosystem, this class of models has substantial heterogeneity of purpose, scope, theoretical underpinning, processes considered, parameterizations, resolution (grain size, and spatial extent. This heterogeneity reflects the lack of a unified understanding of the marine ecosystem and implies that the assemblage of all models is more likely to include a greater number of relevant processes than any single model. The current Fish-MIP protocol is designed to allow these heterogeneous models to be forced with common Earth System Model (ESM Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5 outputs under prescribed scenarios for historic (from the 1950s and future (to 2100 time periods; it will be adapted to CMIP phase 6 (CMIP6 in future iterations. It also describes a standardized set of outputs for each participating Fish-MIP model to produce. This enables the broad characterization of differences between and uncertainties within models and projections when assessing climate and fisheries impacts on marine ecosystems

  3. The Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP): Overview and Description of Models, Simulations and Climate Diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamarque, J.-F.; Shindell, D. T.; Naik, V.; Plummer, D.; Josse, B.; Righi, M.; Rumbold, S. T.; Schulz, M.; Skeie, R. B.; Strode, S.; hide

    2013-01-01

    The Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) consists of a series of time slice experiments targeting the long-term changes in atmospheric composition between 1850 and 2100, with the goal of documenting composition changes and the associated radiative forcing. In this overview paper, we introduce the ACCMIP activity, the various simulations performed (with a requested set of 14) and the associated model output. The 16 ACCMIP models have a wide range of horizontal and vertical resolutions, vertical extent, chemistry schemes and interaction with radiation and clouds. While anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions were specified for all time slices in the ACCMIP protocol, it is found that the natural emissions are responsible for a significant range across models, mostly in the case of ozone precursors. The analysis of selected present-day climate diagnostics (precipitation, temperature, specific humidity and zonal wind) reveals biases consistent with state-of-the-art climate models. The model-to- model comparison of changes in temperature, specific humidity and zonal wind between 1850 and 2000 and between 2000 and 2100 indicates mostly consistent results. However, models that are clear outliers are different enough from the other models to significantly affect their simulation of atmospheric chemistry.

  4. Design of the MISMIP+, ISOMIP+, and MISOMIP ice-sheet, ocean, and coupled ice sheet-ocean intercomparison projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asay-Davis, Xylar; Cornford, Stephen; Martin, Daniel; Gudmundsson, Hilmar; Holland, David; Holland, Denise

    2015-04-01

    The MISMIP and MISMIP3D marine ice sheet model intercomparison exercises have become popular benchmarks, and several modeling groups have used them to show how their models compare to both analytical results and other models. Similarly, the ISOMIP (Ice Shelf-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project) experiments have acted as a proving ground for ocean models with sub-ice-shelf cavities.As coupled ice sheet-ocean models become available, an updated set of benchmark experiments is needed. To this end, we propose sequel experiments, MISMIP+ and ISOMIP+, with an end goal of coupling the two in a third intercomparison exercise, MISOMIP (the Marine Ice Sheet-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project). Like MISMIP3D, the MISMIP+ experiments take place in an idealized, three-dimensional setting and compare full 3D (Stokes) and reduced, hydrostatic models. Unlike the earlier exercises, the primary focus will be the response of models to sub-shelf melting. The chosen configuration features an ice shelf that experiences substantial lateral shear and buttresses the upstream ice, and so is well suited to melting experiments. Differences between the steady states of each model are minor compared to the response to melt-rate perturbations, reflecting typical real-world applications where parameters are chosen so that the initial states of all models tend to match observations. The three ISOMIP+ experiments have been designed to to make use of the same bedrock topography as MISMIP+ and using ice-shelf geometries from MISMIP+ results produced by the BISICLES ice-sheet model. The first two experiments use static ice-shelf geometries to simulate the evolution of ocean dynamics and resulting melt rates to a quasi-steady state when far-field forcing changes in either from cold to warm or from warm to cold states. The third experiment prescribes 200 years of dynamic ice-shelf geometry (with both retreating and advancing ice) based on a BISICLES simulation along with similar flips between warm and

  5. Experimental design for three interrelated marine ice sheet and ocean model intercomparison projects: MISMIP v. 3 (MISMIP +), ISOMIP v. 2 (ISOMIP +) and MISOMIP v. 1 (MISOMIP1)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asay-Davis, Xylar S. [Potsdam Inst. for Climate Impact Research (Germany). Earth System Analysis; Cornford, Stephen L. [Univ. of Bristol (United Kingdom). Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling; Durand, Gaël [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Grenoble (France); Univ. of Grenoble (France); Galton-Fenzi, Benjamin K. [Australian Antarctic Division and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Tasmania (Australia); Gladstone, Rupert M. [Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Tasmania (Australia); ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Research Center for Hydraulic Engineering; Gudmundsson, G. Hilmar [British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Hattermann, Tore [Akvaplan-niva, Tromso (Norway); Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven (Germany). Alfred Wegener Inst.; Holland, David M. [New York Univ. (NYU), NY (United States)' . Courant Inst. of Mathematical Sciences; Holland, Denise [New York Univ. (NYU), Abu Dahabi (United Arab Emirates); Holland, Paul R. [British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Martin, Daniel F. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mathiot, Pierre [British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Met Office, Exeter (United Kingdom); Pattyn, Frank [Univ. of Libre, Brussels (Belgium). Lab. of Glaciology; Seroussi, Hélène [California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Jet Propulsion Lab.

    2016-01-01

    Coupled ice sheet-ocean models capable of simulating moving grounding lines are just becoming available. Such models have a broad range of potential applications in studying the dynamics of marine ice sheets and tidewater glaciers, from process studies to future projections of ice mass loss and sea level rise. The Marine Ice Sheet-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (MISOMIP) is a community effort aimed at designing and coordinating a series of model intercomparison projects (MIPs) for model evaluation in idealized setups, model verification based on observations, and future projections for key regions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).

    Here we describe computational experiments constituting three interrelated MIPs for marine ice sheet models and regional ocean circulation models incorporating ice shelf cavities. These consist of ice sheet experiments under the Marine Ice Sheet MIP third phase (MISMIP+), ocean experiments under the Ice Shelf-Ocean MIP second phase (ISOMIP+) and coupled ice sheet-ocean experiments under the MISOMIP first phase (MISOMIP1). All three MIPs use a shared domain with idealized bedrock topography and forcing, allowing the coupled simulations (MISOMIP1) to be compared directly to the individual component simulations (MISMIP+ and ISOMIP+). The experiments, which have qualitative similarities to Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf and the adjacent region of the Amundsen Sea, are designed to explore the effects of changes in ocean conditions, specifically the temperature at depth, on basal melting and ice dynamics. In future work, differences between model results will form the basis for the evaluation of the participating models.

  6. Introduction The Role of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Hillel, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Climate impacts on agriculture are of increasing concern in both the scientific and policy communities because of the need to ensure food security for a growing population. A special challenge is posed by the changes in the frequency and intensity of heat-waves, droughts, and episodic rainstorms already underway in many parts of the world. Changes in production are directly linked to such variations in temperature and precipitation during the growing season, and often to offseason changes in weather affecting soil-water storage and availability to crops. This is not an isolated problem but one of both global and regional importance, because of impacts on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers as well as consequences for the world food trade system. This two-part set the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP): Integrated Crop and Economic Assessments is the first to be entirely devoted to AgMIP (www.agmip.org). AgMIP is a major international research program focused on climate change and agriculture. The goal of the two parts is to advance the field by providing detailed information on new simulation techniques and assessments being conducted by this program. It presents information about new methods of global and regional integrated assessment, results from agricultural regions, and adaptation strategies for maintaining food security under changing climate conditions.

  7. Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) simulations of climate following volcanic eruptions

    KAUST Repository

    Driscoll, Simon; Bozzo, Alessio; Gray, Lesley J.; Robock, Alan; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.

    2012-01-01

    The ability of the climate models submitted to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) database to simulate the Northern Hemisphere winter climate following a large tropical volcanic eruption is assessed. When sulfate aerosols are produced by volcanic injections into the tropical stratosphere and spread by the stratospheric circulation, it not only causes globally averaged tropospheric cooling but also a localized heating in the lower stratosphere, which can cause major dynamical feedbacks. Observations show a lower stratospheric and surface response during the following one or two Northern Hemisphere (NH) winters, that resembles the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Simulations from 13 CMIP5 models that represent tropical eruptions in the 19th and 20th century are examined, focusing on the large-scale regional impacts associated with the large-scale circulation during the NH winter season. The models generally fail to capture the NH dynamical response following eruptions. They do not sufficiently simulate the observed post-volcanic strengthened NH polar vortex, positive NAO, or NH Eurasian warming pattern, and they tend to overestimate the cooling in the tropical troposphere. The findings are confirmed by a superposed epoch analysis of the NAO index for each model. The study confirms previous similar evaluations and raises concern for the ability of current climate models to simulate the response of a major mode of global circulation variability to external forcings. This is also of concern for the accuracy of geoengineering modeling studies that assess the atmospheric response to stratosphere-injected particles.

  8. Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) simulations of climate following volcanic eruptions

    KAUST Repository

    Driscoll, Simon

    2012-09-16

    The ability of the climate models submitted to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) database to simulate the Northern Hemisphere winter climate following a large tropical volcanic eruption is assessed. When sulfate aerosols are produced by volcanic injections into the tropical stratosphere and spread by the stratospheric circulation, it not only causes globally averaged tropospheric cooling but also a localized heating in the lower stratosphere, which can cause major dynamical feedbacks. Observations show a lower stratospheric and surface response during the following one or two Northern Hemisphere (NH) winters, that resembles the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Simulations from 13 CMIP5 models that represent tropical eruptions in the 19th and 20th century are examined, focusing on the large-scale regional impacts associated with the large-scale circulation during the NH winter season. The models generally fail to capture the NH dynamical response following eruptions. They do not sufficiently simulate the observed post-volcanic strengthened NH polar vortex, positive NAO, or NH Eurasian warming pattern, and they tend to overestimate the cooling in the tropical troposphere. The findings are confirmed by a superposed epoch analysis of the NAO index for each model. The study confirms previous similar evaluations and raises concern for the ability of current climate models to simulate the response of a major mode of global circulation variability to external forcings. This is also of concern for the accuracy of geoengineering modeling studies that assess the atmospheric response to stratosphere-injected particles.

  9. Outline of the 1996-1998 IAEA co-ordinated research project on intercomparison for individual monitoring of external exposure from photon radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehm, J.; Gustafsson, M.; Ouvrard, R.

    1999-01-01

    The outline of the IAEA Co-ordinated Research Project 1996-1998 on intercomparison for individual monitoring is described. The intercomparison focused on IAEA Member States in Eastern Europe and was based on the operational quantity personal dose equivalent, H p (10). The three phases of the intercomparison were: the preparatory phase including a workshop, the 'type-test' intercomparison, and the 'simulated workplace field' intercomparison. Details of the phases are given. (author)

  10. Intercomparison and analyses of the climatology of the West African monsoon in the West African monsoon modeling and evaluation project (WAMME) first model intercomparison experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xue, Yongkang; Sales, Fernando De [University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Lau, W.K.M.; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Wu, Man-Li C. [NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Boone, Aaron [Centre National de Recherches Meteorologiques, Meteo-France Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Feng, Jinming [University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Beijing (China); Dirmeyer, Paul; Guo, Zhichang [Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Interactions, Calverton, MD (United States); Kim, Kyu-Myong [University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD (United States); Kitoh, Akio [Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba (Japan); Kumar, Vadlamani [National Center for Environmental Prediction, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Wyle Information Systems, Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Poccard-Leclercq, Isabelle [Universite de Bourgogne, Centre de Recherches de Climatologie UMR5210 CNRS, Dijon (France); Mahowald, Natalie [Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Moufouma-Okia, Wilfran; Rowell, David P. [Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter (United Kingdom); Pegion, Phillip [NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); National Center for Environmental Prediction, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Schemm, Jae; Thiaw, Wassila M. [National Center for Environmental Prediction, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Sealy, Andrea [The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, St. James (Barbados); Vintzileos, Augustin [National Center for Environmental Prediction, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Science Applications International Corporation, Camp Springs, MD (United States); Williams, Steven F. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2010-07-15

    This paper briefly presents the West African monsoon (WAM) modeling and evaluation project (WAMME) and evaluates WAMME general circulation models' (GCM) performances in simulating variability of WAM precipitation, surface temperature, and major circulation features at seasonal and intraseasonal scales in the first WAMME experiment. The analyses indicate that models with specified sea surface temperature generally have reasonable simulations of the pattern of spatial distribution of WAM seasonal mean precipitation and surface temperature as well as the averaged zonal wind in latitude-height cross-section and low level circulation. But there are large differences among models in simulating spatial correlation, intensity, and variance of precipitation compared with observations. Furthermore, the majority of models fail to produce proper intensities of the African Easterly Jet (AEJ) and the tropical easterly jet. AMMA Land Surface Model Intercomparison Project (ALMIP) data are used to analyze the association between simulated surface processes and the WAM and to investigate the WAM mechanism. It has been identified that the spatial distributions of surface sensible heat flux, surface temperature, and moisture convergence are closely associated with the simulated spatial distribution of precipitation; while surface latent heat flux is closely associated with the AEJ and contributes to divergence in AEJ simulation. Common empirical orthogonal functions (CEOF) analysis is applied to characterize the WAM precipitation evolution and has identified a major WAM precipitation mode and two temperature modes (Sahara mode and Sahel mode). Results indicate that the WAMME models produce reasonable temporal evolutions of major CEOF modes but have deficiencies/uncertainties in producing variances explained by major modes. Furthermore, the CEOF analysis shows that WAM precipitation evolution is closely related to the enhanced Sahara mode and the weakened Sahel mode, supporting

  11. Preliminary report: STOIC CGCM intercomparison - equatorial sections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davey, M; Huddleston, M; Sperber, K R.

    1999-01-01

    An intercomparison and assessment of the tropical behaviour of coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) is being carried out, to identify common strengths and weaknesses and thus guide future CGCM development. The work is being carried out as part of the CLIVAR climate research programme, as a WG-SIP (Working Group on Seasonal to Interannual Prediction) project called STOIC (Study of Tropical Oceans In CGCMs), organised by Michael Davey. This project complements a companion sub-project called ENSIP (El Ni no Simulation Intercomparison Project) organised by Mojib Latif (Max- Planck-Institute for Meteorology) that focusses on equatorial Pacific CGCM behaviour (Latif et al. 1999). Previous coupled model assessments (Mechoso et al. 1995, Neelin et al. 1992, and ENSIP) have focussed on tropical Pacific behaviour. The aim of STOIC is to look at model performance in all tropical ocean regions. This status report contains a sample of the STOIC assessment work, highlighting mean and inter- annual equatorial sea surface temperatures and zonal windstresses. The intention is to submit STOIC and ENSIP papers in mid-1999 for publication together in a refereed journal

  12. Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP: project goals and experimental design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. A. Shields

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP is an international collaborative effort to understand and quantify the uncertainties in atmospheric river (AR science based on detection algorithm alone. Currently, there are many AR identification and tracking algorithms in the literature with a wide range of techniques and conclusions. ARTMIP strives to provide the community with information on different methodologies and provide guidance on the most appropriate algorithm for a given science question or region of interest. All ARTMIP participants will implement their detection algorithms on a specified common dataset for a defined period of time. The project is divided into two phases: Tier 1 will utilize the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2 reanalysis from January 1980 to June 2017 and will be used as a baseline for all subsequent comparisons. Participation in Tier 1 is required. Tier 2 will be optional and include sensitivity studies designed around specific science questions, such as reanalysis uncertainty and climate change. High-resolution reanalysis and/or model output will be used wherever possible. Proposed metrics include AR frequency, duration, intensity, and precipitation attributable to ARs. Here, we present the ARTMIP experimental design, timeline, project requirements, and a brief description of the variety of methodologies in the current literature. We also present results from our 1-month proof-of-concept trial run designed to illustrate the utility and feasibility of the ARTMIP project.

  13. Intercomparison exercise on internal dose assessment. Final report of a joint IAEA-IDEAS project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-09-01

    There have been several intercomparison exercises organized already at national and international levels for the assessment of occupational exposure due to intakes of radionuclides. These intercomparison exercises revealed significant differences in approaches, methods and assumptions, and consequently in the results. Because of the relevance of the issue for internal dosimetrists, the IAEA organized a new intercomparison exercise in cooperation with the IDEAS project General Guidelines for the Evaluation of Incorporation Monitoring Data, launched under the 5th EU Framework Programme (EU Contract No. FIKR-CT2001-00160). This new intercomparison exercise focused especially on the effect of the guidelines for harmonization of internal dosimetry. It also considered the following aspects: - to provide possibilities for the participating laboratories to check the quality of their internal dose assessment methods in applying the recent ICRP recommendations (e.g. for the new respiratory tract model); - to compare different approaches in interpretation of internal contamination monitoring data; - to quantify the differences in internal dose assessments based on the new guidelines or on other procedures, respectively; - to provide some figures for the influence of the input parameters on the monitoring results; and - to provide a broad forum for information exchange. Several cases have been selected for this exercise with the aim of covering a wide range of practices in the nuclear fuel cycle and in medical applications. The cases were: 1. Acute intake of HTO; 2. Acute inhalation of fission products 137 Cs and 90 Sr; 3. Intake of 60 Co; 4. Repeated intakes of 131 I; 5. Intake of enriched uranium; 6. Single intake of plutonium radionuclides and 241 Am. An Internet based approach had been used for the presentation of the cases, collection of responses and potential discussion of the results. Solutions to these cases were reported by 80 participants worldwide. This report

  14. Multi-model Mean Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP): Evaluation Historical and Projected Changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamarque, J.-F.; Dentener, F.; McConnell, J.; Ro, C.-U.; Shaw, M.; Vet, R.; Bergmann, D.; Cameron-Smith, P.; Doherty, R.; Faluvegi, G.; hide

    2013-01-01

    We present multi-model global datasets of nitrogen and sulfate deposition covering time periods from 1850 to 2100, calculated within the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP). The computed deposition fluxes are compared to surface wet deposition and ice-core measurements. We use a new dataset of wet deposition for 2000-2002 based on critical assessment of the quality of existing regional network data. We show that for present-day (year 2000 ACCMIP time-slice), the ACCMIP results perform similarly to previously published multi-model assessments. For this time slice, we find a multi-model mean deposition of 50 Tg(N) yr1 from nitrogen oxide emissions, 60 Tg(N) yr1 from ammonia emissions, and 83 Tg(S) yr1 from sulfur emissions. The analysis of changes between 1980 and 2000 indicates significant differences between model and measurements over the United States but less so over Europe. This difference points towards misrepresentation of 1980 NH3 emissions over North America. Based on ice-core records, the 1850 deposition fluxes agree well with Greenland ice cores but the change between 1850 and 2000 seems to be overestimated in the Northern Hemisphere for both nitrogen and sulfur species. Using the Representative Concentration Pathways to define the projected climate and atmospheric chemistry related emissions and concentrations, we find large regional nitrogen deposition increases in 2100 in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia under some of the scenarios considered. Increases in South Asia are especially large, and are seen in all scenarios, with 2100 values more than double 2000 in some scenarios and reaching 1300 mg(N) m2 yr1 averaged over regional to continental scale regions in RCP 2.6 and 8.5, 3050 larger than the values in any region currently (2000). The new ACCMIP deposition dataset provides novel, consistent and evaluated global gridded deposition fields for use in a wide range of climate and ecological studies.

  15. Multi-model Mean Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP): Evaluation of Historical and Projected Future Changes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Dentener, Frank; McConnell, J.R.; Ro, C-U; Shaw, Mark; Vet, Robert; Bergmann, D.; Cameron-Smith, Philip; Dalsoren, S.; Doherty, R.; Faluvegi, G.; Ghan, Steven J.; Josse, B.; Lee, Y. H.; MacKenzie, I. A.; Plummer, David; Shindell, Drew; Skeie, R. B.; Stevenson, D. S.; Strode, S.; Zeng, G.; Curran, M.; Dahl-Jensen, D.; Das, S.; Fritzsche, D.; Nolan, M.

    2013-08-20

    We present multi-model global datasets of nitrogen and sulfate deposition covering time periods from 1850 to 2100, calculated within the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP). The computed deposition fluxes are compared to surface wet deposition and ice-core measurements. We use a new dataset of wet deposition for 2000-2002 based on critical assessment of the quality of existing regional network data. We show that for present-day (year 2000 ACCMIP time-slice), the ACCMIP results perform similarly to previously published multi-model assessments. The analysis of changes between 1980 and 2000 indicates significant differences between model and measurements over the United States, but less so over Europe. This difference points towards misrepresentation of 1980 NH3 emissions over North America. Based on ice-core records, the 1850 deposition fluxes agree well with Greenland ice cores but the change between 1850 and 2000 seems to be overestimated in the Northern Hemisphere for both nitrogen and sulfur species. Using the Representative Concentration Pathways to define the projected climate and atmospheric chemistry related emissions and concentrations, we find large regional nitrogen deposition increases in 2100 in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia under some of the scenarios considered. Increases in South Asia are especially large, and are seen in all scenarios, with 2100 values more than double 2000 in some scenarios and reaching >1300 mgN/m2/yr averaged over regional to continental scale regions in RCP 2.6 and 8.5, ~30-50% larger than the values in any region currently (2000). Despite known issues, the new ACCMIP deposition dataset provides novel, consistent and evaluated global gridded deposition fields for use in a wide range of climate and ecological studies.

  16. ARM/GCSS/SPARC TWP-ICE CRM Intercomparison Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fridlind, Ann; Ackerman, Andrew; Petch, Jon; Field, Paul; Hill, Adrian; McFarquhar, Greg; Xie, Shaocheng; Zhang, Minghua

    2010-01-01

    Specifications are provided for running a cloud-resolving model (CRM) and submitting results in a standardized format for inclusion in a n intercomparison study and archiving for public access. The simulated case study is based on measurements obtained during the 2006 Tropical Warm Pool - International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE) led by the U. S. department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program. The modeling intercomparison study is based on objectives developed in concert with the Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC) program and the GEWEX cloud system study (GCSS) program. The Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) is a core project of the World Climate Research PRogramme (WCRP).

  17. Climate change impacts on tree ranges: model intercomparison facilitates understanding and quantification of uncertainty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheaib, Alissar; Badeau, Vincent; Boe, Julien; Chuine, Isabelle; Delire, Christine; Dufrêne, Eric; François, Christophe; Gritti, Emmanuel S; Legay, Myriam; Pagé, Christian; Thuiller, Wilfried; Viovy, Nicolas; Leadley, Paul

    2012-06-01

    Model-based projections of shifts in tree species range due to climate change are becoming an important decision support tool for forest management. However, poorly evaluated sources of uncertainty require more scrutiny before relying heavily on models for decision-making. We evaluated uncertainty arising from differences in model formulations of tree response to climate change based on a rigorous intercomparison of projections of tree distributions in France. We compared eight models ranging from niche-based to process-based models. On average, models project large range contractions of temperate tree species in lowlands due to climate change. There was substantial disagreement between models for temperate broadleaf deciduous tree species, but differences in the capacity of models to account for rising CO(2) impacts explained much of the disagreement. There was good quantitative agreement among models concerning the range contractions for Scots pine. For the dominant Mediterranean tree species, Holm oak, all models foresee substantial range expansion. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

  18. Intercomparison of regional-scale hydrological models and climate change impacts projected for 12 large river basins worldwide—a synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krysanova, Valentina; Vetter, Tobias; Eisner, Stephanie; Huang, Shaochun; Pechlivanidis, Ilias; Strauch, Michael; Gelfan, Alexander; Kumar, Rohini; Aich, Valentin; Arheimer, Berit; Chamorro, Alejandro; van Griensven, Ann; Kundu, Dipangkar; Lobanova, Anastasia; Mishra, Vimal; Plötner, Stefan; Reinhardt, Julia; Seidou, Ousmane; Wang, Xiaoyan; Wortmann, Michel; Zeng, Xiaofan; Hattermann, Fred F.

    2017-10-01

    An intercomparison of climate change impacts projected by nine regional-scale hydrological models for 12 large river basins on all continents was performed, and sources of uncertainty were quantified in the framework of the ISIMIP project. The models ECOMAG, HBV, HYMOD, HYPE, mHM, SWAT, SWIM, VIC and WaterGAP3 were applied in the following basins: Rhine and Tagus in Europe, Niger and Blue Nile in Africa, Ganges, Lena, Upper Yellow and Upper Yangtze in Asia, Upper Mississippi, MacKenzie and Upper Amazon in America, and Darling in Australia. The model calibration and validation was done using WATCH climate data for the period 1971-2000. The results, evaluated with 14 criteria, are mostly satisfactory, except for the low flow. Climate change impacts were analyzed using projections from five global climate models under four representative concentration pathways. Trends in the period 2070-2099 in relation to the reference period 1975-2004 were evaluated for three variables: the long-term mean annual flow and high and low flow percentiles Q 10 and Q 90, as well as for flows in three months high- and low-flow periods denoted as HF and LF. For three river basins: the Lena, MacKenzie and Tagus strong trends in all five variables were found (except for Q 10 in the MacKenzie); trends with moderate certainty for three to five variables were confirmed for the Rhine, Ganges and Upper Mississippi; and increases in HF and LF were found for the Upper Amazon, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow. The analysis of projected streamflow seasonality demonstrated increasing streamflow volumes during the high-flow period in four basins influenced by monsoonal precipitation (Ganges, Upper Amazon, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow), an amplification of the snowmelt flood peaks in the Lena and MacKenzie, and a substantial decrease of discharge in the Tagus (all months). The overall average fractions of uncertainty for the annual mean flow projections in the multi-model ensemble applied for all basins

  19. The INTRACOIN model comparison project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawson, G.

    1982-01-01

    The International Nuclide Transport Code Intercomparison (INTRACOIN) project is investigating the different models and associated computer codes describing the transport of radionuclides in flowing ground-water following the disposal of solid radioactive wastes in geologic formations. Level I of the project has shown good agreement in the numerical accuracy of most of the codes. In Level II the ability of the codes to model field experiments with radioactive tracers will be compared. Level III will show to what extent the adoption of different models and computer codes for the transport of radionuclides with ground water affects the results of repository assessments. (U.K.)

  20. The Significance of Quality Assurance within Model Intercomparison Projects at the World Data Centre for Climate (WDCC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toussaint, F.; Hoeck, H.; Stockhause, M.; Lautenschlager, M.

    2014-12-01

    The classical goals of a quality assessment system in the data life cycle are (1) to encourage data creators to improve their quality assessment procedures to reach the next quality level and (2) enable data consumers to decide, whether a dataset has a quality that is sufficient for usage in the target application, i.e. to appraise the data usability for their own purpose.As the data volumes of projects and the interdisciplinarity of data usage grow, the need for homogeneous structure and standardised notation of data and metadata increases. This third aspect is especially valid for the data repositories, as they manage data through machine agents. So checks for homogeneity and consistency in early parts of the workflow become essential to cope with today's data volumes.Selected parts of the workflow in the model intercomparison project CMIP5 and the archival of the data for the interdiscipliary user community of the IPCC-DDC AR5 and the associated quality checks are reviewed. We compare data and metadata checks and relate different types of checks to their positions in the data life cycle.The project's data citation approach is included in the discussion, with focus on temporal aspects of the time necessary to comply with the project's requirements for formal data citations and the demand for the availability of such data citations.In order to make different quality assessments of projects comparable, WDCC developed a generic Quality Assessment System. Based on the self-assessment approach of a maturity matrix, an objective and uniform quality level system for all data at WDCC is derived which consists of five maturity quality levels.

  1. Further AMBER and Ecolego Intercomparisons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maul, Philip; Robinson, Peter; Broed, Robert

    2004-01-01

    The AMBER compartmental modelling software is used by Quintessa in undertaking Performance Assessment (PA) calculations for SKI. SSI and NRPA are supporting the development of Ecolego which is based on the Matlab/Simulink general purpose modelling software for undertaking PA calculations. Intercomparison calculations using AMBER and Ecolego have been undertaken based on calculation cases considered in SKB's SR97 assessment. The reasons for undertaking such intercomparisons included: 1. to give confidence in the use of AMBER and Ecolego for whole system PA calculations for a deep repository; and 2. to provide SKI and SSI with an understanding of some of the technical issues raised by seeking to repeat the SR97 calculations with different models and software. Conclusions drawn from these intercomparisons included: 1. Both modelling packages successfully reproduced SKB's SR97 calculations for the near field, geosphere and biosphere. 2. AMBER and Ecolego calculations were typically in agreement to within one significant figure, but in several instances the SR97 documentation was not sufficiently clear to enable the implementation of the models in AMBER and Ecolego to be unambiguous. In order to gain more information on the comparisons between the two codes, additional intercomparisons have been undertaken using input data from the Vault Safety Case originally undertaken as part of an IAEA research project (ISAM). The comparisons between the AMBER and Ecolego calculations for the ISAM vault safety case have shown excellent agreement. Calculations at specified times generally agree to around three significant figures, and calculations of peak radionuclide fluxes and concentrations agree to two significant figures. This agreement is particularly good given the large number of model compartments and the inclusion of decay changes of up to six members. The most important situation where agreement may not be as good as that generally found is where radionuclides have been

  2. ERRICCA radon model intercomparison exercise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, C.E.; Albarracin, D.; Csige, I.; Graaf, E.R. van der; Jiranek, M.; Rehs, B.; Svoboda, Z.; Toro, L.

    1999-04-01

    Numerical models based on finite-difference or finite-element methods are used by various research groups in studies of radon-222 transport through soil and building materials. Applications range from design of radon remediation systems to more fundamental studies of radon transport. To ascertain that results obtained with these models are of good quality, it is necessary that such models are tested. This document reports on a benchmark test organized by the EU project ERRICCA: European Research into Radon in Construction Concerted Action. The test comprises the following cases: 1) Steady-state diffusive radon profiles in dry and wet soils, 2) steady-state entry of soil gas and radon into a house, 3) time-dependent radon exhalation from a building-material sample. These cases cover features such as: soil heterogeneity, anisotropy, 3D-effects, time dependency, combined advective and diffusive transport of radon, flux calculations, and partitioning of radon between air and water in soil pores. Seven groups participated in the intercomparison. All groups submitted results without knowing the results of others. For these results, relatively large group-to-group discrepancies were observed. Because of this, all groups scrutinized their computations (once more) and engaged in follow-up discussions with others. During this debugging process, problems were indeed identified (and eliminated). The accordingly revised results were in better agreement than those reported initially. Some discrepancies, however, still remain. All in all, it seems that the exercise has served its purpose and stimulated improvements relating to the quality of numerical modelling of radon transport. To maintain a high quality of modelling, it is recommended that additional exercises are carried out. (au)

  3. Third Radiation Transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) exercise : Documenting progress in canopy reflectance models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Widlowski, J.-L.; Taberner, M.; Pinty, B.; Bruniquel-Pinel, V.; Disney, M.; Fernandes, R.; Gastellu-Etchegorry, J.P.; Gobron, N.; Kuusk, A.; Lavergne, T.; Leblanc, S.; Lewis, P.E.; Martin, E.; Mottus, M.; North, P.R.J.; Qin, W.; Robustelli, M.; Rochdi, N.; Ruiloba, R.; Soler, C.; Thompson, R.; Verhoef, W.; Xie, D.; Thompson, R.

    2007-01-01

    The Radiation Transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) initiative benchmarks canopy reflectance models under well‐controlled experimental conditions. Launched for the first time in 1999, this triennial community exercise encourages the systematic evaluation of canopy reflectance models on a voluntary

  4. Results of the IAEA/RCA personal dosemeter intercomparison

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsujimura, Norio; Momose, Takumaro; Hayashi, Naomi [Environment and Safety Division, Tokai Works, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

    2000-06-01

    The intercomparison of personal dosemeters for photon was carried out between 1990 and 1996 as part of the IAEA/RCA 'strengthening of radiation protection infrastructure' project. Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute participated in the intercomparison as one of the in-house personal dosimetry service organizations in Japan and also served the host irradiating laboratory. This report summarizes the dose evaluation results obtained from the JNC-TLD badges in the past four intercomparison programs. In the latest intercomparison the evaluated doses agreed to the reference doses with an accuracy of 10%. (author)

  5. Interannual Tropical Rainfall Variability in General Circulation Model Simulations Associated with the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperber, K. R.; Palmer, T. N.

    1996-11-01

    The interannual variability of rainfall over the Indian subcontinent, the African Sahel, and the Nordeste region of Brazil have been evaluated in 32 models for the period 1979-88 as part of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP). The interannual variations of Nordeste rainfall are the most readily captured, owing to the intimate link with Pacific and Atlantic sea surface temperatures. The precipitation variations over India and the Sahel are less well simulated. Additionally, an Indian monsoon wind shear index was calculated for each model. Evaluation of the interannual variability of a wind shear index over the summer monsoon region indicates that the models exhibit greater fidelity in capturing the large-scale dynamic fluctuations than the regional-scale rainfall variations. A rainfall/SST teleconnection quality control was used to objectively stratify model performance. Skill scores improved for those models that qualitatively simulated the observed rainfall/El Niño- Southern Oscillation SST correlation pattern. This subset of models also had a rainfall climatology that was in better agreement with observations, indicating a link between systematic model error and the ability to simulate interannual variations.A suite of six European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) AMIP runs (differing only in their initial conditions) have also been examined. As observed, all-India rainfall was enhanced in 1988 relative to 1987 in each of these realizations. All-India rainfall variability during other years showed little or no predictability, possibly due to internal chaotic dynamics associated with intraseasonal monsoon fluctuations and/or unpredictable land surface process interactions. The interannual variations of Nordeste rainfall were best represented. The State University of New York at Albany/National Center for Atmospheric Research Genesis model was run in five initial condition realizations. In this model, the Nordeste rainfall

  6. A multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (TransCom-VSLS): linking oceanic emissions and tropospheric transport for a reconciled estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection of bromine

    OpenAIRE

    Hossaini, R.; Patra, P. K.; Leeson, A. A.; Krysztofiak, G.; Abraham, N. L.; Andrews, S. J.; Archibald, A. T.; Aschmann, J.; Atlas, E. L.; Belikov, D. A.; Bonisch, H.; Carpenter, L. J.; Dhomse, S.; Dorf, M.; Engel, A.

    2016-01-01

    The first concerted multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (VSLS) has been performed, within the framework of the ongoing Atmospheric Tracer Transport Model Intercomparison Project (TransCom). Eleven global models or model variants participated (nine chemical transport models and two chemistry–climate models) by simulating the major natural bromine VSLS, bromoform (CHBr3) and dibromomethane (CH2Br2), over a 20-year period (1993–2012). Except f...

  7. CityDelta: A model intercomparison study to explore the impact of emission reductions in European cities in 2010

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuvelier, C.; Thunis, P.; Vignati, E.; Vautard, R.; Hodzic, A.; Vautard, R.; Hodzic, A.; Amann, M.; Bessagnet, B.; Honore, C.; Rouil, L.; Bedogni, M.; Berkowicz, R.; Brandt, J.; Brocheton, F.; Peuch, V.H.; Builtjes, P.; Schaap, M.; Carnavale, C.; Volta, M.; Coppalle, A.; Denby, B.; Douros, J.; Moussiopoulos, N.; Graf, A.; Hellmuth, O.; Jonson, J.; Tarrason, L.; Wind, P.; Kerschbaumer, A.; Stern, R.; De Leeuw, F.; Minguzzi, E.; Pertot, C.; Pirovano, G.; Sauter, F.; White, L.; Zuber, A.

    2007-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of the set up, methodology and the obtained results of the CityDelta (phase 1 and 2) project. In the context of the Clean Air For Europe programme of the European Commission, the CityDelta project was designed to evaluate the impact of emission-reduction strategies on air quality at the European continental scale and in European cities. Ozone and particulate matter (PM) are the main components that have been studied. To achieve this goal, a model intercomparison study was organized with the participation of more than 20 modelling groups with a large number of modelling configurations. Two following main topics can be identified in the project. First, in order to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, the participating models were evaluated against observations in a control year (1999). An accompanying paper will discuss in detail this evaluation aspect for four European cities. The second topic is the actual evaluation of the impact of emission reductions on levels of ozone and PM, with particular attention to the differences between large-scale and fine-scale models. An accompanying paper will discuss this point in detail. In this overview paper the main input to the intercomparison is described as well as the use of the ensemble approach. Finally, attention is given to the policy relevant issue on how to implement the urban air quality signal into large-scale air quality models through the use of functional relationships. (authors)

  8. The ARM-GCSS Intercomparison Study of Single-Column Models and Cloud System Models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cederwall, R.T.; Rodriques, D.J.; Krueger, S.K.; Randall, D.A.

    1999-01-01

    The Single-Column Model (SCM) Working Group (WC) and the Cloud Working Group (CWG) in the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program have begun a collaboration with the GEWEX Cloud System Study (GCSS) WGs. The forcing data sets derived from the special ARM radiosonde measurements made during the SCM Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs), the wealth of cloud and related data sets collected by the ARM Program, and the ARM infrastructure support of the SCM WG are of great value to GCSS. In return, GCSS brings the efforts of an international group of cloud system modelers to bear on ARM data sets and ARM-related scientific questions. The first major activity of the ARM-GCSS collaboration is a model intercomparison study involving SCMs and cloud system models (CSMs), also known as cloud-resolving or cloud-ensemble models. The SCM methodologies developed in the ARM Program have matured to the point where an intercomparison will help identify the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches. CSM simulations will bring much additional information about clouds to evaluate cloud parameterizations used in the SCMs. CSMs and SCMs have been compared successfully in previous GCSS intercomparison studies for tropical conditions. The ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site offers an opportunity for GCSS to test their models in continental, mid-latitude conditions. The Summer 1997 SCM IOP has been chosen since it provides a wide range of summertime weather events that will be a challenging test of these models

  9. The impact of geoengineering on vegetation in experiment G1 of the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvine, Peter; Glienke, Susanne; Lawrence, Mark

    2015-04-01

    Solar Radiation Management (SRM) has been proposed as a means to partly counteract global warming. The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) simulated the climate consequences of a number of SRM techniques, but the effects on vegetation have not yet been thoroughly studied. Here, the vegetation response to the idealized GeoMIP G1 experiment is analyzed, in which a reduction of the solar constant counterbalances the radiative effects of quadrupled atmospheric CO2 concentrations; the results from eight fully coupled earth system models (ESMs) are included. For most models and regions, changes in net primary productivity (NPP) are dominated by the increase in CO2, via the CO2 fertilization effect. As SRM will lower temperatures, in high latitudes this will reverse gains in NPP from the lifting of temperature limitations. In low latitudes this cooling relative to the 4xCO2 simulation decreases plant respiration whilst having little effect on gross primary productivity, increasing NPP. Despite reductions in precipitation in most regions in response to SRM, runoff and NPP increase in many regions including those previously highlighted as potentially being at risk of drought under SRM. This is due to simultaneous reductions in evaporation and increases in water use efficiency by plants due to higher CO2 concentrations. The relative differences between models in the vegetation response are substantially larger than the differences in their climate responses. The largest differences between models are for those with and without a nitrogen-cycle, with a much smaller CO2 fertilization effect for the former. These results suggest that until key vegetation processes are integrated into ESM predictions, the vegetation response to SRM will remain highly uncertain.

  10. Results of the dosimetry intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dure, Elsa S.

    2000-07-01

    The appropriate way to verify the accuracy of the results of dose reported by the laboratories that offer lend personal dosimetry service is in the periodic participation of round of intercomparison dosimetry, undertaken by laboratories whose standards are trace (Secondary Laboratory). The Laboratory of External Personal Dosimetry of the CNEA-PY has participated in three rounds of intercomparison. The first two were organized in the framework of the Model Project RLA/9/030 RADIOLOGICAL WASTE SECURITY, and the irradiations were carried out in the Laboratory of Regional Calibration of the Center of Nuclear Technology Development, Belo Horizonte-Brazil (1998) and in the National Laboratory of Metrology of the ionizing radiations of the Institute of Radioprotection and Dosimetry, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil (1999). The third was organized by the IAEA and the irradiations were made in the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB, Braunschweig - Federal Republic of Germany (1999-2000) [es

  11. Assessing the impacts of 1.5°C of global warming - The Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frieler, Katja; Warszawski, Lila; Zhao, Fang

    2017-04-01

    In Paris, France, December 2015 the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) invited the IPCC to provide a "special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways". In Nairobi, Kenya, April 2016 the IPCC panel accepted the invitation. Here we describe the model simulations planned within the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) to address the request by providing tailored cross-sectoral consistent impacts projections. The protocol is designed to allow for 1) a separation of the impacts of the historical warming starting from pre-industrial conditions from other human drivers such as historical land use changes (based on pre-industrial and historical impact model simulations), 2) a quantification of the effects of an additional warming to 1.5°C including a potential overshoot and long term effects up to 2300 in comparison to a no-mitigation scenario (based on the low emissions Representative Concentration Pathway RCP2.6 and a no-mitigation scenario RCP6.0) keeping socio-economic conditions fixed at year 2005 levels, and 3) an assessment of the climate effects based on the same climate scenarios but accounting for parallel changes in socio-economic conditions following the middle of the road Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP2) and differential bio-energy requirements associated with the transformation of the energy system to reach RCP2.6 compared to RCP6.0. To provide the scientific basis for an aggregation of impacts across sectors and an analysis of cross-sectoral interactions potentially damping or amplifying sectoral impacts the protocol is designed to provide consistent impacts projections across a range of impact models from different sectors (global and regional hydrological models, global gridded crop models, global vegetation models, regional forestry models, global and regional marine

  12. Community Intercomparison Suite (CIS) v1.4.0: A tool for intercomparing models and observations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Watson-Parris, Duncan; Schutgens, Nick; Cook, Nicholas; Kipling, Zak; Kershaw, Philip; Gryspeerdt, Edward; Lawrence, Bryan; Stier, Philip

    2016-01-01

    The Community Intercomparison Suite (CIS) is an easy-to-use command-line tool which has been developed to allow the straightforward intercomparison of remote sensing, in-situ and model data. While there are a number of tools available for working with climate model data, the large diversity of

  13. The third RAdiation transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) exercise: Documenting progress in canopy reflectance models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Widlowski, J.L.; Taberner, M.; Pinty, B.; Bruniquel-Pinel, V.; Disney, M.I.; Fernandes, R.; Gastellu-Etchegorry, J.P.; Gobron, N.; Kuusk, A.; Lavergne, T.; LeBlanc, S.; Lewis, P.E.; Martin, E.; Mõttus, M.; North, P.R.J.; Qin, W.; Robustelli, M.; Rochdi, N.; Ruiloba, R.; Thompson, R.; Verhoef, W.; Verstraete, M.M.; Xie, D.

    2007-01-01

    [1] The Radiation Transfer Model Intercomparison ( RAMI) initiative benchmarks canopy reflectance models under well-controlled experimental conditions. Launched for the first time in 1999, this triennial community exercise encourages the systematic evaluation of canopy reflectance models on a

  14. Statistical intercomparison of global climate models: A common principal component approach with application to GCM data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sengupta, S.K.; Boyle, J.S.

    1993-05-01

    Variables describing atmospheric circulation and other climate parameters derived from various GCMs and obtained from observations can be represented on a spatio-temporal grid (lattice) structure. The primary objective of this paper is to explore existing as well as some new statistical methods to analyze such data structures for the purpose of model diagnostics and intercomparison from a statistical perspective. Among the several statistical methods considered here, a new method based on common principal components appears most promising for the purpose of intercomparison of spatio-temporal data structures arising in the task of model/model and model/data intercomparison. A complete strategy for such an intercomparison is outlined. The strategy includes two steps. First, the commonality of spatial structures in two (or more) fields is captured in the common principal vectors. Second, the corresponding principal components obtained as time series are then compared on the basis of similarities in their temporal evolution

  15. Second Latin American intercomparison on internal dose assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojo, A.; Puerta, N.; Gossio, S.; Gomez Parada, I.; Cruz Suarez, R.; Lopez, E.; Medina, C.; Lastra Boylan, J.; Pinheiro Ramos, M.; Mora Ramirez, E.; Alves dos Reis, A.; Yanez, H.; Rubio, J.; Vironneau Janicek, L.; Somarriba Vanegas, F.; Puerta Ortiz, J.; Salas Ramirez, M.; Lopez Bejerano, G.; Da Silva, T.; Miri Oliveira, C.; Teran, M.; Alfaro, M.; Garcia, T.; Angeles, A.; Dure Romero, E.; Farias de Lima, F.

    2016-01-01

    Internal dosimetry intercomparisons are essential for the verification of applied models and the consistency of results. To that aim, the First Regional Intercomparison was organised in 2005, and that results led to the Second Regional Intercomparison Exercise in 2013, which was organised in the frame of the RLA 9/066 and coordinated by Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear of Argentina. Four simulated cases covering intakes of 131 I, 137 Cs and Tritium were proposed. Nineteen centres from thirteen different countries participated in this exercise. This paper analyses the participants' results in this second exercise in order to test their skills and acquired knowledge, particularly in the application of the IDEAS Guidelines. It is important to highlight the increased number of countries that participated in this exercise compared with the first one and, furthermore, the improvement in the overall performance. The impact of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Projects since 2003 has led to a significant enhancement of internal dosimetry capabilities that strengthen the radiation protection of workers. (authors)

  16. BIPM project: Intercomparison of water triple-point cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chattle, M. V.; Butler, J.

    1994-12-01

    The paper presents the results of an intercomparison between 3 triple point of water cells circulated by the Bureau International des Poids et Measures (BIPM), and a cell which is one of those used as a reference cell at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). All 4 cells were prepared, stored and measured in the manner normally adopted at NPL. The results of the intercomparison show that over the course of about 6 weeks the temperatures of the 3 circulated cells generally agreed within 0.20 mK, with a maximum difference of 0.27(7) mK. Over the same period, the total variations of temperature measured in the 3 individual cells were 0.04 mK, 0.08 mK and 0.18 mK, respectively; the NPL cell varied by 0.10 mK. Gallium point measurements made over a similar period confirmed that these differences were partly due to small drifts in the thermometer resistance or in the measuring system.

  17. International codes and model intercomparison for intermediate energy activation yields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rolf, M.; Nagel, P.

    1997-01-01

    The motivation for this intercomparison came from data needs of accelerator-based waste transmutation, energy amplification and medical therapy. The aim of this exercise is to determine the degree of reliability of current nuclear reaction models and codes when calculating activation yields in the intermediate energy range up to 5000 MeV. Emphasis has been placed for a wide range of target elements ( O, Al, Fe, Co, Zr and Au). This work is mainly based on calculation of (P,xPyN) integral cross section for incident proton. A qualitative description of some of the nuclear models and code options employed is made. The systematics of graphical presentation of the results allows a quick quantitative measure of agreement or deviation. This code intercomparison highlights the fact that modeling calculations of energy activation yields may at best have uncertainties of a factor of two. The causes of such discrepancies are multi-factorial. Problems are encountered which are connected with the calculation of nuclear masses, binding energies, Q-values, shell effects, medium energy fission and Fermi break-up. (A.C.)

  18. SECOND LATIN AMERICAN INTERCOMPARISON ON INTERNAL DOSE ASSESSMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojo, A; Puerta, N; Gossio, S; Gómez Parada, I; Cruz Suarez, R; López, E; Medina, C; Lastra Boylan, J; Pinheiro Ramos, M; Mora Ramírez, E; Alves Dos Reis, A; Yánez, H; Rubio, J; Vironneau Janicek, L; Somarriba Vanegas, F; Puerta Ortiz, J; Salas Ramírez, M; López Bejerano, G; da Silva, T; Miri Oliveira, C; Terán, M; Alfaro, M; García, T; Angeles, A; Duré Romero, E; Farias de Lima, F

    2016-09-01

    Internal dosimetry intercomparisons are essential for the verification of applied models and the consistency of results'. To that aim, the First Regional Intercomparison was organised in 2005, and that results led to the Second Regional Intercomparison Exercise in 2013, which was organised in the frame of the RLA 9/066 and coordinated by Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear of Argentina. Four simulated cases covering intakes of (131)I, (137)Cs and Tritium were proposed. Ninteen centres from thirteen different countries participated in this exercise. This paper analyses the participants' results in this second exercise in order to test their skills and acquired knowledge, particularly in the application of the IDEAS Guidelines. It is important to highlight the increased number of countries that participated in this exercise compared with the first one and, furthermore, the improvement in the overall performance. The impact of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Projects since 2003 has led to a significant enhancement of internal dosimetry capabilities that strengthen the radiation protection of workers. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. A report on intercomparison studies of computer programs which respectively model: i) radionuclide migration ii) equilibrium chemistry of groundwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broyd, T.W.; McD Grant, M.; Cross, J.E.

    1985-01-01

    This report describes two intercomparison studies of computer programs which respectively model: i) radionuclide migration ii) equilibrium chemistry of groundwaters. These studies have been performed by running a series of test cases with each program and comparing the various results obtained. The work forms a part of the CEC MIRAGE project (MIgration of RAdionuclides in the GEosphere) and has been jointly funded by the CEC and the United Kingdom Department of the Environment. Presentations of the material contained herein were given at plenary meetings of the MIRAGE project in Brussels in March, 1984 (migration) and March, 1985 (equilibrium chemistry) respectively

  20. Intercomparison of active personal dosemeters in interventional radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clairand, I.; Struelens, L.; Bordy, J. M.; Daures, J.; Debroas, J.; Denozieres, M.; Donadille, L.; Gouriou, J.; Itie, C.; Vaz, P.; D'Errico, F.

    2008-01-01

    The use of active personal dosemeters (APD) in interventional radiology was evaluated by Working Group 9 (Radiation protection dosimetry of medical staff) of the CONRAD project, which is a Coordination Action supported by the European Commission within its sixth Framework Programme. Interventional radiology procedures can be very complex and they can lead to relatively high doses to personnel who stand close to the primary radiation field and are mostly exposed to radiation scattered by the patient. For the adequate dosimetry of the scattered photons, APDs must be able to respond to low-energy [10-100 keV] and pulsed radiation with relatively high instantaneous dose rates. An intercomparison of five APD models deemed suitable for application in interventional radiology was organised in March 2007. The intercomparison used pulsed and continuous radiation beams, at CEA-LIST (Saclay (France)) and IRSN (Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)), respectively. A specific configuration, close to the clinical practice, was considered. The reference dose, in terms of Hp(10), was derived from air kerma measurements and from the measured and calculated energy distributions of the scattered radiation field. Additional Monte Carlo calculations were performed to investigate the energy spectra for different experimental conditions of the intercomparison. The results of this intercomparison are presented in this work and indicate which APDs are able to provide a correct response when used in the specific low-energy spectra and dose rates of pulsed X-rays encountered in interventional radiology. (authors)

  1. North American Carbon Project (NACP) Regional Model-Model and Model-Data Intercomparison Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huntzinger, D. N.; Post, W. M.; Jacobson, A. R.; Cook, R. B.

    2009-05-01

    questions: 1. Do model results and observations show consistent spatial patterns in response to the 2002 drought? From measurements and model, can we infer what processes were affected by the 2002 drought? 2. What is the spatial pattern and magnitude of interannual variation in carbon sources and sinks? What are the components of carbon fluxes and pools that contribute to this variation? 3. What are the magnitudes and spatial distribution of carbon sources and sinks, and their uncertainties during the period 2000-2005? Examining and comparing results of inverse and forward model simulations with each other and with suitable benchmark spatial measurements help evaluate model strengths/weaknesses and utility, thereby providing multiple views of spatial and temporal patterns of fluxes, leading to better understandings of processes involved, and providing an improved basis for making projections.

  2. Report on the Intercomparison Exercises 1993

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aminot, A.; Boer, J. de; Cofino, W.

    This report covers the intercomparison exercises - 1993 of the project Quasimeme - Quality Assurance of Information for Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe. The report is prepared under contract for the measurement and testing programme (BCR) of the European Community....

  3. The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) contribution to CMIP6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Mark J.; Andrews, Timothy; Bodas-Salcedo, Alejandro; Bony, Sandrine; Bretherton, Christopher S.; Chadwick, Robin; Chepfer, Helene; Douville, Herve; Good, Peter; Kay, Jennifer E.; hide

    2017-01-01

    The primary objective of CFMIP is to inform future assessments of cloud feedbacks through improved understanding of cloud-climate feedback mechanisms and better evaluation of cloud processes and cloud feedbacks in climate models. However, the CFMIP approach is also increasingly being used to understand other aspects of climate change, and so a second objective has now been introduced, to improve understanding of circulation, regional-scale precipitation, and non-linear changes. CFMIP is supporting ongoing model inter-comparison activities by coordinating a hierarchy of targeted experiments for CMIP6, along with a set of cloud-related output diagnostics. CFMIP contributes primarily to addressing the CMIP6 questions 'How does the Earth system respond to forcing?' and 'What are the origins and consequences of systematic model biases?' and supports the activities of the WCRP Grand Challenge on Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity. A compact set of Tier 1 experiments is proposed for CMIP6 to address this question: (1) what are the physical mechanisms underlying the range of cloud feedbacks and cloud adjustments predicted by climate models, and which models have the most credible cloud feedbacks? Additional Tier 2 experiments are proposed to address the following questions. (2) Are cloud feedbacks consistent for climate cooling and warming, and if not, why? (3) How do cloud-radiative effects impact the structure, the strength and the variability of the general atmospheric circulation in present and future climates? (4) How do responses in the climate system due to changes in solar forcing differ from changes due to CO2, and is the response sensitive to the sign of the forcing? (5) To what extent is regional climate change per CO2 doubling state-dependent (non-linear), and why? (6) Are climate feedbacks during the 20th century different to those acting on long-term climate change and climate sensitivity? (7) How do regional climate responses (e.g. in precipitation

  4. Reflecting on the challenges of building a rich interconnected metadata database to describe the experiments of phase six of the coupled climate model intercomparison project (CMIP6) for the Earth System Documentation Project (ES-DOC) and anticipating the opportunities that tooling and services based on rich metadata can provide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascoe, C. L.

    2017-12-01

    The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) has coordinated climate model experiments involving multiple international modelling teams since 1995. This has led to a better understanding of past, present, and future climate. The 2017 sixth phase of the CMIP process (CMIP6) consists of a suite of common experiments, and 21 separate CMIP-Endorsed Model Intercomparison Projects (MIPs) making a total of 244 separate experiments. Precise descriptions of the suite of CMIP6 experiments have been captured in a Common Information Model (CIM) database by the Earth System Documentation Project (ES-DOC). The database contains descriptions of forcings, model configuration requirements, ensemble information and citation links, as well as text descriptions and information about the rationale for each experiment. The database was built from statements about the experiments found in the academic literature, the MIP submissions to the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), WCRP summary tables and correspondence with the principle investigators for each MIP. The database was collated using spreadsheets which are archived in the ES-DOC Github repository and then rendered on the ES-DOC website. A diagramatic view of the workflow of building the database of experiment metadata for CMIP6 is shown in the attached figure.The CIM provides the formalism to collect detailed information from diverse sources in a standard way across all the CMIP6 MIPs. The ES-DOC documentation acts as a unified reference for CMIP6 information to be used both by data producers and consumers. This is especially important given the federated nature of the CMIP6 project. Because the CIM allows forcing constraints and other experiment attributes to be referred to by more than one experiment, we can streamline the process of collecting information from modelling groups about how they set up their models for each experiment. End users of the climate model archive will be able to ask questions enabled by the

  5. DCMIP2016: a review of non-hydrostatic dynamical core design and intercomparison of participating models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullrich, Paul A.; Jablonowski, Christiane; Kent, James; Lauritzen, Peter H.; Nair, Ramachandran; Reed, Kevin A.; Zarzycki, Colin M.; Hall, David M.; Dazlich, Don; Heikes, Ross; Konor, Celal; Randall, David; Dubos, Thomas; Meurdesoif, Yann; Chen, Xi; Harris, Lucas; Kühnlein, Christian; Lee, Vivian; Qaddouri, Abdessamad; Girard, Claude; Giorgetta, Marco; Reinert, Daniel; Klemp, Joseph; Park, Sang-Hun; Skamarock, William; Miura, Hiroaki; Ohno, Tomoki; Yoshida, Ryuji; Walko, Robert; Reinecke, Alex; Viner, Kevin

    2017-12-01

    Atmospheric dynamical cores are a fundamental component of global atmospheric modeling systems and are responsible for capturing the dynamical behavior of the Earth's atmosphere via numerical integration of the Navier-Stokes equations. These systems have existed in one form or another for over half of a century, with the earliest discretizations having now evolved into a complex ecosystem of algorithms and computational strategies. In essence, no two dynamical cores are alike, and their individual successes suggest that no perfect model exists. To better understand modern dynamical cores, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of 11 non-hydrostatic dynamical cores, drawn from modeling centers and groups that participated in the 2016 Dynamical Core Model Intercomparison Project (DCMIP) workshop and summer school. This review includes a choice of model grid, variable placement, vertical coordinate, prognostic equations, temporal discretization, and the diffusion, stabilization, filters, and fixers employed by each system.

  6. Report on the second uranium-series intercomparison project workshop, Harwell, 23 to 24, June 1980

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanovich, M.; Warchal, R.M.

    1981-03-01

    The second Uranium-series Intercomparison Project Workshop was held on June 23 and 24, 1980 at Harwell. The aim of the Workshop was to analyse the results of Phase III of the Project and to define the future aims of the Project, if any. This report is an account of the matters raised and discussed during the two day workshop. A detailed report of a statistical analysis of USIP results - Phases I, II, and III is included. A final report submitted to USIP by CBNM, Euratom Laboratory, Geel, on the determination of the alpha activity ratio 228 Th/ 232 U in the Harwell spike solution used in USIP Phase III is reproduced in full. An account of an investigation into suitability of a limestone specimen for a geologic standard carried out at Koeln University is also given. (author)

  7. EURADOS intercomparison exercise on Monte Carlo modelling of a medical linear accelerator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caccia, Barbara; Le Roy, Maïwenn; Blideanu, Valentin; Andenna, Claudio; Arun, Chairmadurai; Czarnecki, Damian; El Bardouni, Tarek; Gschwind, Régine; Huot, Nicolas; Martin, Eric; Zink, Klemens; Zoubair, Mariam; Price, Robert; de Carlan, Loïc

    2017-01-01

    In radiotherapy, Monte Carlo (MC) methods are considered a gold standard to calculate accurate dose distributions, particularly in heterogeneous tissues. EURADOS organized an international comparison with six participants applying different MC models to a real medical linear accelerator and to one homogeneous and four heterogeneous dosimetric phantoms. The aim of this exercise was to identify, by comparison of different MC models with a complete experimental dataset, critical aspects useful for MC users to build and calibrate a simulation and perform a dosimetric analysis. Results show on average a good agreement between simulated and experimental data. However, some significant differences have been observed especially in presence of heterogeneities. Moreover, the results are critically dependent on the different choices of the initial electron source parameters. This intercomparison allowed the participants to identify some critical issues in MC modelling of a medical linear accelerator. Therefore, the complete experimental dataset assembled for this intercomparison will be available to all the MC users, thus providing them an opportunity to build and calibrate a model for a real medical linear accelerator.

  8. DCMIP2016: a review of non-hydrostatic dynamical core design and intercomparison of participating models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. A. Ullrich

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Atmospheric dynamical cores are a fundamental component of global atmospheric modeling systems and are responsible for capturing the dynamical behavior of the Earth's atmosphere via numerical integration of the Navier–Stokes equations. These systems have existed in one form or another for over half of a century, with the earliest discretizations having now evolved into a complex ecosystem of algorithms and computational strategies. In essence, no two dynamical cores are alike, and their individual successes suggest that no perfect model exists. To better understand modern dynamical cores, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of 11 non-hydrostatic dynamical cores, drawn from modeling centers and groups that participated in the 2016 Dynamical Core Model Intercomparison Project (DCMIP workshop and summer school. This review includes a choice of model grid, variable placement, vertical coordinate, prognostic equations, temporal discretization, and the diffusion, stabilization, filters, and fixers employed by each system.

  9. Model Intercomparison Study to Investigate a Dense Contaminant Plume in a Complex Hydrogeologic System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Mark D.; Cole, Charles R.; Foley, Michael G.; Zinina, Galina A.; Zinin, Alexander I.; Vasil'Kova, Nelly A.; Samsonova, Lilia M.

    2001-01-01

    A joint Russian and U.S. model intercomparison study was undertaken for developing more realistic contaminant transport models of the Mayak Site, Southern Urals. The test problems were developed by the Russian Team based on their experience modeling contaminant migration near Lake Karachai. The intercomparison problems were designed to address lake and contaminant plume interactions, as well as river interactions and plume density effects. Different numerical codes were used. Overall there is good agreement between the results of both models. Features shown by both models include (1) the sinking of the plume below the lake, (2) the raising of the water table in the fresh water adjacent to the lake in response to the increased pressure from the dense plume, and (3) the formation of a second sinking plume in an area where evapotranspiration exceeded infiltration, thus increasing the solute concentrations above the source (i.e., lake) values

  10. Understanding the Reach of Agricultural Impacts from Climate Extremes in the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruane, A. C.

    2016-12-01

    The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) has been working since 2010 to build a modeling framework capable of representing the complexities of agriculture, its dependence on climate, and the many elements of society that depend on food systems. AgMIP's 30+ activities explore the interconnected nature of climate, crop, livestock, economics, food security, and nutrition, using common protocols to systematically evaluate the components of agricultural assessment and allow multi-model, multi-scale, and multi-method analysis of intertwining changes in socioeconomic development, environmental change, and technological adaptation. AgMIP is now launching Coordinated Global and Regional Assessments (CGRA) with a particular focus on unforeseen consequences of development strategies, interactions between global and local systems, and the resilience of agricultural systems to extreme climate events. Climate extremes shock the agricultural system through local, direct impacts (e.g., droughts, heat waves, floods, severe storms) and also through teleconnections propagated through international trade. As the climate changes, the nature of climate extremes affecting agriculture is also likely to change, leading to shifting intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extents of extremes. AgMIP researchers are developing new scenario methodologies to represent near-term extreme droughts in a probabilistic manner, field experiments that impose heat wave conditions on crops, increased resolution to differentiate sub-national drought impacts, new behavioral functions that mimic the response of market actors faced with production shortfalls, analysis of impacts from simultaneous failures of multiple breadbasket regions, and more detailed mapping of food and socioeconomic indicators into food security and nutrition metrics that describe the human impact in diverse populations. Agricultural models illustrate the challenges facing agriculture, allowing

  11. Tropospheric ozone changes, radiative forcing and attribution to emissions in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. S. Stevenson

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Ozone (O3 from 17 atmospheric chemistry models taking part in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP has been used to calculate tropospheric ozone radiative forcings (RFs. All models applied a common set of anthropogenic emissions, which are better constrained for the present-day than the past. Future anthropogenic emissions follow the four Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP scenarios, which define a relatively narrow range of possible air pollution emissions. We calculate a value for the pre-industrial (1750 to present-day (2010 tropospheric ozone RF of 410 mW m−2. The model range of pre-industrial to present-day changes in O3 produces a spread (±1 standard deviation in RFs of ±17%. Three different radiation schemes were used – we find differences in RFs between schemes (for the same ozone fields of ±10%. Applying two different tropopause definitions gives differences in RFs of ±3%. Given additional (unquantified uncertainties associated with emissions, climate-chemistry interactions and land-use change, we estimate an overall uncertainty of ±30% for the tropospheric ozone RF. Experiments carried out by a subset of six models attribute tropospheric ozone RF to increased emissions of methane (44±12%, nitrogen oxides (31 ± 9%, carbon monoxide (15 ± 3% and non-methane volatile organic compounds (9 ± 2%; earlier studies attributed more of the tropospheric ozone RF to methane and less to nitrogen oxides. Normalising RFs to changes in tropospheric column ozone, we find a global mean normalised RF of 42 mW m−2 DU−1, a value similar to previous work. Using normalised RFs and future tropospheric column ozone projections we calculate future tropospheric ozone RFs (mW m−2; relative to 1750 for the four future scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5 of 350, 420, 370 and 460 (in 2030, and 200, 300, 280 and 600 (in 2100. Models show some coherent responses of ozone to climate change

  12. Assessing the impact of land use change on hydrology by ensemble modeling (LUCHEM). I: Model intercomparison with current land use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breuer, L.; Huisman, J.A.; Willems, P.; Bormann, H.; Bronstert, A.; Croke, B.F.W.; Frede, H.-G.; Graff, T.; Hubrechts, L.; Jakeman, A.J.; Kite, G.; Lanini, J.; Leavesley, G.; Lettenmaier, D.P.; Lindstrom, G.; Seibert, J.; Sivapalan, M.; Viney, N.R.

    2009-01-01

    This paper introduces the project on 'Assessing the impact of land use change on hydrology by ensemble modeling (LUCHEM)' that aims at investigating the envelope of predictions on changes in hydrological fluxes due to land use change. As part of a series of four papers, this paper outlines the motivation and setup of LUCHEM, and presents a model intercomparison for the present-day simulation results. Such an intercomparison provides a valuable basis to investigate the effects of different model structures on model predictions and paves the ground for the analysis of the performance of multi-model ensembles and the reliability of the scenario predictions in companion papers. In this study, we applied a set of 10 lumped, semi-lumped and fully distributed hydrological models that have been previously used in land use change studies to the low mountainous Dill catchment, Germany. Substantial differences in model performance were observed with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiencies ranging from 0.53 to 0.92. Differences in model performance were attributed to (1) model input data, (2) model calibration and (3) the physical basis of the models. The models were applied with two sets of input data: an original and a homogenized data set. This homogenization of precipitation, temperature and leaf area index was performed to reduce the variation between the models. Homogenization improved the comparability of model simulations and resulted in a reduced average bias, although some variation in model data input remained. The effect of the physical differences between models on the long-term water balance was mainly attributed to differences in how models represent evapotranspiration. Semi-lumped and lumped conceptual models slightly outperformed the fully distributed and physically based models. This was attributed to the automatic model calibration typically used for this type of models. Overall, however, we conclude that there was no superior model if several measures of model

  13. Intercomparison for individual monitoring of external exposure from photon radiation. Results of a co-ordinated research project 1996-1998

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-12-01

    This TECDOC presents the results of a Co-ordinated Research Project on Intercomparison for Individual Monitoring of External Exposure from photon radiation. The International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS) have endorsed the use of the operational quantities for monitoring purposes. Specifically, personal dose equivalent, H p (d), is to be used for individual dosimetry to demonstrate compliance with the exposure limit recommendations, while for workplace area monitoring the ambient dose equivalent and the directional dose equivalent are recommended. In view of the technical difficulties associated with the introduction of these operational quantities the IAEA decided to assist Member States in their provision of appropriate dosimetry for occupational protection. In this respect, intercomparisons have proven to be a cost effective method of providing such support. A Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) was started in 1997 on Intercomparison for Individual Monitoring of External Exposure from photon radiation, involving more than twenty laboratories from eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union, and focusing on personnel dosimetry services for nuclear power plants. This CRP was part of the activities of the IAEA Occupational Protection Programme, the objective4s of which are to promote and internationally harmonized approach for optimizing occupational radiation protection through: the development of guides, within the IAEA activities for establishing standards for radiation protection, for restricting radiation exposures in the workplace and for applying current occupational radiation protection techniques, and the promotion of the application of these guidelines. The preparatory phase included, in May 1997, a workshop aimed at familiarizing the participants with the new operational quantities

  14. Last interglacial temperature evolution – a model inter-comparison

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Bakker

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available There is a growing number of proxy-based reconstructions detailing the climatic changes that occurred during the last interglacial period (LIG. This period is of special interest, because large parts of the globe were characterized by a warmer-than-present-day climate, making this period an interesting test bed for climate models in light of projected global warming. However, mainly because synchronizing the different palaeoclimatic records is difficult, there is no consensus on a global picture of LIG temperature changes. Here we present the first model inter-comparison of transient simulations covering the LIG period. By comparing the different simulations, we aim at investigating the common signal in the LIG temperature evolution, investigating the main driving forces behind it and at listing the climate feedbacks which cause the most apparent inter-model differences. The model inter-comparison shows a robust Northern Hemisphere July temperature evolution characterized by a maximum between 130–125 ka BP with temperatures 0.3 to 5.3 K above present day. A Southern Hemisphere July temperature maximum, −1.3 to 2.5 K at around 128 ka BP, is only found when changes in the greenhouse gas concentrations are included. The robustness of simulated January temperatures is large in the Southern Hemisphere and the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. For these regions maximum January temperature anomalies of respectively −1 to 1.2 K and −0.8 to 2.1 K are simulated for the period after 121 ka BP. In both hemispheres these temperature maxima are in line with the maximum in local summer insolation. In a number of specific regions, a common temperature evolution is not found amongst the models. We show that this is related to feedbacks within the climate system which largely determine the simulated LIG temperature evolution in these regions. Firstly, in the Arctic region, changes in the summer sea-ice cover control the evolution of LIG winter

  15. Evaluation of Preindustrial to Present-day Black Carbon and its Albedo Forcing from Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Y. H.; Lamarque, J.-F.; Flanner, M. G.; Jiao, C.; Shindell, Drew; Berntsen, T.; Bisiauxs, M.; Cao, J.; Collins, W. J.; Curran, M.; Edwards, R.; Faluvegi, G.; Ghan, Steven J.; Horowitz, L.; McConnell, J.R.; Ming, J.; Myhre, G.; Nagashima, T.; Naik, Vaishali; Rumbold, S.; Skeie, R. B.; Sudo, K.; Takemura, T.; Thevenon, F.; Xu, B.; Yoon, Jin-Ho

    2013-03-05

    As a part of the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP), we evaluate the historical black carbon (BC) aerosols simulated by 8 ACCMIP models against the observations including 12 ice core records, a long-term surface mass concentrations and recent Arctic BC snowpack measurements. We also estimate BC albedo forcing by performing additional simulations using the NCAR Community Land and Sea-Ice model 4 with prescribed meteorology from 1996-2000, which includes the SNICAR BC-snow model. We evaluated the vertical profile of BC snow concentrations from these offline simulations to using recent BC snowpack measurements. Despite using the same BC emissions, global BC burden differs by approximately a factor of 3 among models due to the differences in aerosol removal parameterizations and simulated meteorology among models; 34 Gg to 103 Gg in 1850 and 82 Gg to 315 Gg in 2000. However,models agree well on 2.5~3 times increase in the global BC burden from preindustrial to present-day, which matches with the 2.5 times increase in BC emissions. We find a large model diversity at both NH and SH high latitude regions for BC burden and at SH high latitude regions for deposition fluxes. The ACCMIP simulations match the observed BC mass concentrations well in Europe and North America except at Jungfrauch and Ispra. However, the models fail to capture the Arctic BC seasonality due tosevere underestimations during winter and spring. Compared to recent snowpack measurements, the simulated vertically resolved BC snow concentrations are, on average, within a factor of 2-3 of observations except for Greenland and Arctic Ocean. However, model and observation differ widely due to missing interannual variations in emissions and possibly due to the choice of the prescribed meteorology period (i.e., 1996-2000).

  16. Intercomparison of reactive transport models applied to degradation of a concrete / clay interface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burnol, A.; Blanc, P.; Tournassat, C.; Lassin, A.; Gaucher, E.C.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Assuming a future disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep geologic formation of Callovian- Oxfordian argillite in France, concrete will be used extensively to construct the disposal chambers in the host formation, and also as radioactive waste containment material. After being sealed, the repository will become saturated with interstitial waters from the Callovian-Oxfordian argillite, which will produce high pH solutions through interaction with the concrete. The aggressiveness of these alkaline solutions may weaken the clay's confinement properties (bentonite and argillite) with respect to long-lived radionuclides by change of the mineralogy. Conversely, the clayey formation with a high partial pressure of CO 2 represents an aggressive media for the concrete. The hydrogeological and chemical reactions of deep-underground systems are therefore intimately coupled and reactive transport models are increasingly used for performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal [1]. The main objective of this study is to present an intercomparison study using different reactive transport codes, where among PHREEQC1D [2], PHAST [3] and TOUGHREACT [4] applied to determine, in space and time, the extension of the alkaline perturbation and the associated degradation of concrete. The calculations were carried out after the definition of a complete mineralogy for both media. The experimental work made in the European Ecoclay II project [5] allowed a selection of reaction paths and of new phases for the thermodynamic database. Calculations were carried out over a simulated period of 100,000 years at different temperatures. Results of the different codes are compared and discussed. [1] De Windt L., Burnol A., Montarnal P., Van Der Lee.J., (2003) Intercomparison of reactive transport models applied to UO 2 oxidative dissolution and uranium migration., Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 61, 1-4, 303-312; [2] Parkhurst D.L., Appelo C.A.J. (1999) - User

  17. EURADOS intercomparison on measurements and Monte Carlo modelling for the assessment of Americium in a USTUR leg phantom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, M. A.; Broggio, D.; Capello, K.; Cardenas-Mendez, E.; El-Faramawy, N.; Franck, D.; James, A. C.; Kramer, G. H.; Lacerenza, G.; Lynch, T. P.; Navarro, J. F.; Navarro, T.; Perez, B.; Ruehm, W.; Tolmachev, S. Y.; Weitzenegger, E.

    2011-01-01

    A collaboration of the EURADOS working group on 'Internal Dosimetry' and the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR) has taken place to carry out an intercomparison on measurements and Monte Carlo modelling determining americium deposited in the bone of a USTUR leg phantom. Preliminary results and conclusions of this intercomparison exercise are presented here. (authors)

  18. Model projections of atmospheric steering of Sandy-like superstorms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Elizabeth A; Polvani, Lorenzo M; Sobel, Adam H

    2013-09-17

    Superstorm Sandy ravaged the eastern seaboard of the United States, costing a great number of lives and billions of dollars in damage. Whether events like Sandy will become more frequent as anthropogenic greenhouse gases continue to increase remains an open and complex question. Here we consider whether the persistent large-scale atmospheric patterns that steered Sandy onto the coast will become more frequent in the coming decades. Using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5 multimodel ensemble, we demonstrate that climate models consistently project a decrease in the frequency and persistence of the westward flow that led to Sandy's unprecedented track, implying that future atmospheric conditions are less likely than at present to propel storms westward into the coast.

  19. Inter-comparison of dynamic models for radionuclide transfer to marine biota in a Fukushima accident scenario

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vives i Batlle, J.; Beresford, N. A.; Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Bezhenar, R.; Brown, J.; Cheng, J. -J.; Ćujić, M.; Dragović, S.; Duffa, C.; Fiévet, B.; Hosseini, A.; Jung, K. T.; Kamboj, S.; Keum, D. -K.; Kryshev, A.; LePoire, D.; Maderich, V.; Min, B. -I.; Periáñez, R.; Sazykina, T.; Suh, K. -S.; Yu, C.; Wang, C.; Heling, R.

    2016-03-01

    We report an inter-comparison of eight models designed to predict the radiological exposure of radionuclides in marine biota. The models were required to simulate dynamically the uptake and turnover of radionuclides by marine organisms. Model predictions of radionuclide uptake and turnover using kinetic calculations based on biological half-life (TB1/2) and/or more complex metabolic modelling approaches were used to predict activity concentrations and, consequently, dose rates of 90Sr, 131I and 137Cs to fish, crustaceans, macroalgae and molluscs under circumstances where the water concentrations are changing with time. For comparison, the ERICA Tool, a model commonly used in environmental assessment, and which uses equilibrium concentration ratios, was also used. As input to the models we used hydrodynamic forecasts of water and sediment activity concentrations using a simulated scenario reflecting the Fukushima accident releases. Although model variability is important, the intercomparison gives logical results, in that the dynamic models predict consistently a pattern of delayed rise of activity concentration in biota and slow decline instead of the instantaneous equilibrium with the activity concentration in seawater predicted by the ERICA Tool. The differences between ERICA and the dynamic models increase the shorter the TB1/2 becomes; however, there is significant variability between models, underpinned by parameter and methodological differences between them. The need to validate the dynamic models used in this intercomparison has been highlighted, particularly in regards to optimisation of the model biokinetic parameters.

  20. PIDIE, plutonium isotopic determination inter-comparison exercise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harry, R.J.S.

    1990-07-01

    PIDIE (Plutonium Isotopic Determination Inter-comparison Exercise) is one of the projects of the ESARDA Working Group on Techniques and Standards for Non-Destructive Analysis. PIDIE is placed against the historical background of the general development of international standards. Its results are also reviewed in the light of the original purpose of the project. Sets of seven sealed Pu samples of different isotopic composition, each containing 0,45 grammes, were sent to the 9 participating laboratories for three separate determinations of the unknown isotopic composition, to investigate error sources and , if possible to improve the knowledge of γ-emission probabilities. An additional question was to examine the possible improvement of such measurements using reference samples. No important bias has been observed in the results of this inter-comparison. The apparent improvement in the precision and accuracy of the result seems to arise from both better equipment and more elaborate spectrum evaluation methods. (author). 39 refs.; 1 fig.; 5 tabs

  1. Intercomparison of hydrological model structures and calibration approaches in climate scenario impact projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vansteenkiste, Thomas; Tavakoli, Mohsen; Ntegeka, Victor; De Smedt, Florimond; Batelaan, Okke; Pereira, Fernando; Willems, Patrick

    2014-11-01

    The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of hydrological model structure and calibration on climate change impact results in hydrology. The uncertainty in the hydrological impact results is assessed by the relative change in runoff volumes and peak and low flow extremes from historical and future climate conditions. The effect of the hydrological model structure is examined through the use of five hydrological models with different spatial resolutions and process descriptions. These were applied to a medium sized catchment in Belgium. The models vary from the lumped conceptual NAM, PDM and VHM models over the intermediate detailed and distributed WetSpa model to the fully distributed MIKE SHE model. The latter model accounts for the 3D groundwater processes and interacts bi-directionally with a full hydrodynamic MIKE 11 river model. After careful and manual calibration of these models, accounting for the accuracy of the peak and low flow extremes and runoff subflows, and the changes in these extremes for changing rainfall conditions, the five models respond in a similar way to the climate scenarios over Belgium. Future projections on peak flows are highly uncertain with expected increases as well as decreases depending on the climate scenario. The projections on future low flows are more uniform; low flows decrease (up to 60%) for all models and for all climate scenarios. However, the uncertainties in the impact projections are high, mainly in the dry season. With respect to the model structural uncertainty, the PDM model simulates significantly higher runoff peak flows under future wet scenarios, which is explained by its specific model structure. For the low flow extremes, the MIKE SHE model projects significantly lower low flows in dry scenario conditions in comparison to the other models, probably due to its large difference in process descriptions for the groundwater component, the groundwater-river interactions. The effect of the model

  2. The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP) contribution to CMIP6: rationale and experimental design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, David M.; Hurtt, George C.; Arneth, Almut; Brovkin, Victor; Calvin, Kate V.; Jones, Andrew D.; Jones, Chris D.; Lawrence, Peter J.; de Noblet-Ducoudré, Nathalie; Pongratz, Julia; Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Shevliakova, Elena

    2016-09-01

    Human land-use activities have resulted in large changes to the Earth's surface, with resulting implications for climate. In the future, land-use activities are likely to expand and intensify further to meet growing demands for food, fiber, and energy. The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP) aims to further advance understanding of the impacts of land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) on climate, specifically addressing the following questions. (1) What are the effects of LULCC on climate and biogeochemical cycling (past-future)? (2) What are the impacts of land management on surface fluxes of carbon, water, and energy, and are there regional land-management strategies with the promise to help mitigate climate change? In addressing these questions, LUMIP will also address a range of more detailed science questions to get at process-level attribution, uncertainty, data requirements, and other related issues in more depth and sophistication than possible in a multi-model context to date. There will be particular focus on the separation and quantification of the effects on climate from LULCC relative to all forcings, separation of biogeochemical from biogeophysical effects of land use, the unique impacts of land-cover change vs. land-management change, modulation of land-use impact on climate by land-atmosphere coupling strength, and the extent to which impacts of enhanced CO2 concentrations on plant photosynthesis are modulated by past and future land use.LUMIP involves three major sets of science activities: (1) development of an updated and expanded historical and future land-use data set, (2) an experimental protocol for specific LUMIP experiments for CMIP6, and (3) definition of metrics and diagnostic protocols that quantify model performance, and related sensitivities, with respect to LULCC. In this paper, we describe LUMIP activity (2), i.e., the LUMIP simulations that will formally be part of CMIP6. These experiments are explicitly designed to be

  3. What is the difference between a 2, 3, 4, or 5 °C world and how good are we at telling this difference? Results from ISI-MIP the first Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frieler, K.; Huber, V.; Piontek, F.; Schewe, J.; Serdeczny, O.; Warszawski, L.

    2012-12-01

    The Inter-sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP) aims to synthesize the state-of-the-art knowledge of climate change impacts at different levels of global warming. Over 25 climate impact modelling teams from around the world, working within the agriculture, water, biomes, infrastructure and health sectors, are collaborating to find answers to the question "What is the difference between a 2, 3, 4, or 5 °C world and how good are we at telling this difference?". The analysis is based on common, bias-corrected climate projections, and socio-economic pathways. The first, fast-tracked phase of the ISI-MIP has a focus on global impact models. The project's experimental design is formulated to distinguish the uncertainty introduced by the impact models themselves, from the inherent uncertainty in the climate projections and the variety of plausible socio-economic futures. Novel metrics, developed to emphasize societal impacts, will be used to identify regional 'hot-spots' of climate change impacts, as well as to quantify the cross-sectoral impact of the increasing frequency of extreme events in future climates. We present here first results from the Fast-Track phase of the project covering impact simulations in the biomes, agriculture and water sectors, in which the societal impacts of climate change are quantified for different levels of global warming. We also discuss the design of the scenario set-up and impact indicators chosen to suit the unique cross-sectoral, multi-model nature of the project.

  4. Evaluation and status report on HYDROCOIN at midway (HYDROCOIN: An international project for studying groundwater hydrology modelling strategies)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cole, C.R.

    1986-12-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is participating in the international hydrologic code intercomparison (HYDROCOIN) project organized by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) for the purpose of improving our knowledge about the influence of various strategies for ground-water flow modeling for the safety assessment of final repositories for nuclear waste. The HYDROCOIN project consists of three levels of effort: Level One is concerned with verifying the numerical accuracy of codes, Level Two is involved with validation of models using field experiments, and Level Three is concerned with sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The need for the HYDROCOIN project emerged from an earlier international study for the intercomparison of computer codes for radionuclide transport (INTRACOIN). The HYDROCOIN project began in May 1984 with a group of fourteen organizations from eleven countries participating; currently twenty organizations are involved. Five teams from DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) are participating in the HYDROCOIN project, and this document presents the results of a review of this participation and an analysis of the benefits of OCRWM participation in the first 2 years (i.e., through May 1986) of the 3-year HYDROCOIN project. Efforts on the seven Level One cases are nearly complete. Level Two problems have been formulated and are in final draft form, and Level Three problems have been identified and are in first draft form. This report details the motivation, need, and benefits from HYDROCOIN through a chronological synopsis of the project's progress to date, brief description and intercomparison of preliminary Level One results prepared by OCRWM participants, and discussion of OCRWM contributions and plans for HYDROCOIN Level Two and Three efforts

  5. IDEAS/IAEA intercomparison exercise on internal dose assessment. Intercomparison exercise on Internal Dose Assessment performed jointly by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the IDEAS project (''General Guidelines for the Evaluation of Incorporation Monitoring Data'', carried out within the 5th EU Framework Programme)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hurtgen, C.; Andrasi, A.; Bailey, M.R.

    2005-10-01

    There were several intercomparison exercises organized already at national and international levels for the assessment of occupational exposure due to intakes of radionuclides. These intercomparison exercises revealed significant differences in the approaches, methods and assumptions, and consequently in the results. In the frame of the IDEAS project .General Guidelines for the Evaluation of Incorporation Monitoring Data., launched in the 5th EU Framework Programme, a new intercomparison exercise was performed. Originally it was planned to organise this intercomparison exercise on a European scale. Because of the relevance of the issue for the whole community of internal dosimetrists, however, it was decided to organise the exercise on a broader scale together with the IAEA. This new intercomparison exercise especially focuses on the effect of the guidelines for harmonisation of internal dosimetry. In addition it also consider the following aspects: - to provide possibilities for the participating laboratories to check the quality of their internal dose assessment methods in applying the recent ICRP recommendations (new respiratory tract model etc.); - to compare different approaches in interpretation of internal contamination monitoring data; - to quantify the differences in internal dose assessment based on the new guidelines or on other procedures, respectively; - to provide some figures of the influence of the input parameters on the monitoring results and - to provide a broad forum for information exchange. Several cases have been selected for the exercise with the aim to cover a wide range of practices in the nuclear fuel cycle and medical applications. The case were: 1. Acute intake of HTO; 2. Acute inhalation of fission products 137 Cs and 90 Sr; 3. Intake of 60 Co; 4. Repeated intakes of 131 I; 5. Intake of enriched uranium; 6. Single intake of Pu radionuclides and 241 Am. A web-based approach was being used for the presentation of the cases, collection of

  6. Impacts of historic and projected land-cover, land-use, and land-management change on carbon and water fluxes: The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, D. M.; Lombardozzi, D. L.; Lawrence, P.; Hurtt, G. C.

    2017-12-01

    Human land-use activities have resulted in large changes to the Earth surface, with resulting implications for climate. In the future, land-use activities are likely to intensify to meet growing demands for food, fiber, and energy. The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP) aims to further advance understanding of the broad question of impacts of land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) as well as more detailed science questions to get at process-level attribution, uncertainty, and data requirements in more depth and sophistication than possible in a multi-model context to date. LUMIP is multi-faceted and aims to advance our understanding of land-use change from several perspectives. In particular, LUMIP includes a factorial set of land-only simulations that differ from each other with respect to the specific treatment of land use or land management (e.g., irrigation active or not, crop fertilization active or not, wood harvest on or not), or in terms of prescribed climate. This factorial series of experiments serves several purposes and is designed to provide a detailed assessment of how the specification of land-cover change and land management affects the carbon, water, and energy cycle response to land-use change. The potential analyses that are possible through this set of experiments are vast. For example, comparing a control experiment with all land management active to an experiment with no irrigation allows a multi-model assessment of whether or not the increasing use of irrigation during the 20th century is likely to have significantly altered trends of regional water and energy fluxes (and therefore climate) and/or crop yield and carbon fluxes in agricultural regions. Here, we will present preliminary results from the factorial set of experiments utilizing the Community Land Model (CLM5). The analyses presented here will help guide multi-model analyses once the full set of LUMIP simulations are available.

  7. Thorium in the workplace measurement intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modna, D.K.; Jerome, S.M.; White, M.A.; Woods, M.J.

    2000-01-01

    The monitoring of radionuclides in the nuclear industry has been recognized as the most straightforward way of assessing health and safety issues associated with the exposure of the workforce to potentially harmful radiation doses. Much of this is achieved by measurements in the workplace itself and by the bioassay and monitoring of workers in the industry. However, there also exists a significant 'non-nuclear' industry where workers are exposed to radioactive materials, for example where this involves thorium, which is made wide use of in the aerospace and other high technology industries. As such work involves the processing of thorium bearing materials, the workforce is potentially exposed to 232 Th and its daughter nuclides. Thus, to monitor the workforce effectively, it is important to be able to measure both 232 Th and the decay products of 232 Th where they are in an unknown state of radioactive equilibrium and this is where monitoring laboratories may experience some difficulty. Accordingly, the Health and Safety Laboratory in the UK has organized a EC wide project on the monitoring of thorium in the 'non-nuclear' workplace; this project is currently ongoing. We report the results of the first intercomparison of this project involving two solutions of 232 Th, one in radioactive equilibrium and one not in equilibrium with its daughters. The results are presented with some comments on how this intercomparison has progressed and how these first results will inform the rest of the project

  8. Future projections of synoptic weather types over the Arabian Peninsula during the twenty-first century using an ensemble of CMIP5 models

    KAUST Repository

    El Kenawy, Ahmed M.; McCabe, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    An assessment of future change in synoptic conditions over the Arabian Peninsula throughout the twenty-first century was performed using 20 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) database. We employed the mean

  9. Inter-comparison of Computer Codes for TRISO-based Fuel Micro-Modeling and Performance Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boer, Brian; Keun Jo, Chang; Wu, Wen; Ougouag, Abderrafi M.; McEachren, Donald; Venneri, Francesco

    2010-01-01

    The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), the Deep Burn Pebble Bed Reactor (DB-PBR) and the Deep Burn Prismatic Block Reactor (DB-PMR) are all based on fuels that use TRISO particles as their fundamental constituent. The TRISO particle properties include very high durability in radiation environments, hence the designs reliance on the TRISO to form the principal barrier to radioactive materials release. This durability forms the basis for the selection of this fuel type for applications such as Deep Bun (DB), which require exposures up to four times those expected for light water reactors. It follows that the study and prediction of the durability of TRISO particles must be carried as part of the safety and overall performance characterization of all the designs mentioned above. Such evaluations have been carried out independently by the performers of the DB project using independently developed codes. These codes, PASTA, PISA and COPA, incorporate models for stress analysis on the various layers of the TRISO particle (and of the intervening matrix material for some of them), model for fission products release and migration then accumulation within the SiC layer of the TRISO particle, just next to the layer, models for free oxygen and CO formation and migration to the same location, models for temperature field modeling within the various layers of the TRISO particle and models for the prediction of failure rates. All these models may be either internal to the code or external. This large number of models and the possibility of different constitutive data and model formulations and the possibility of a variety of solution techniques makes it highly unlikely that the model would give identical results in the modeling of identical situations. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an inter-comparison between the codes and to identify areas of agreement and areas that need reconciliation. The inter-comparison has been carried out by the cooperating

  10. Assessing the impacts of 1.5 °C global warming - simulation protocol of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP2b)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frieler, Katja; Lange, Stefan; Piontek, Franziska; Reyer, Christopher P. O.; Schewe, Jacob; Warszawski, Lila; Zhao, Fang; Chini, Louise; Denvil, Sebastien; Emanuel, Kerry; Geiger, Tobias; Halladay, Kate; Hurtt, George; Mengel, Matthias; Murakami, Daisuke; Ostberg, Sebastian; Popp, Alexander; Riva, Riccardo; Stevanovic, Miodrag; Suzuki, Tatsuo; Volkholz, Jan; Burke, Eleanor; Ciais, Philippe; Ebi, Kristie; Eddy, Tyler D.; Elliott, Joshua; Galbraith, Eric; Gosling, Simon N.; Hattermann, Fred; Hickler, Thomas; Hinkel, Jochen; Hof, Christian; Huber, Veronika; Jägermeyr, Jonas; Krysanova, Valentina; Marcé, Rafael; Müller Schmied, Hannes; Mouratiadou, Ioanna; Pierson, Don; Tittensor, Derek P.; Vautard, Robert; van Vliet, Michelle; Biber, Matthias F.; Betts, Richard A.; Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Deryng, Delphine; Frolking, Steve; Jones, Chris D.; Lotze, Heike K.; Lotze-Campen, Hermann; Sahajpal, Ritvik; Thonicke, Kirsten; Tian, Hanqin; Yamagata, Yoshiki

    2017-11-01

    In Paris, France, December 2015, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) invited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to provide a special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. In Nairobi, Kenya, April 2016, the IPCC panel accepted the invitation. Here we describe the response devised within the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) to provide tailored, cross-sectorally consistent impact projections to broaden the scientific basis for the report. The simulation protocol is designed to allow for (1) separation of the impacts of historical warming starting from pre-industrial conditions from impacts of other drivers such as historical land-use changes (based on pre-industrial and historical impact model simulations); (2) quantification of the impacts of additional warming up to 1.5 °C, including a potential overshoot and long-term impacts up to 2299, and comparison to higher levels of global mean temperature change (based on the low-emissions Representative Concentration Pathway RCP2.6 and a no-mitigation pathway RCP6.0) with socio-economic conditions fixed at 2005 levels; and (3) assessment of the climate effects based on the same climate scenarios while accounting for simultaneous changes in socio-economic conditions following the middle-of-the-road Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP2, Fricko et al., 2016) and in particular differential bioenergy requirements associated with the transformation of the energy system to comply with RCP2.6 compared to RCP6.0. With the aim of providing the scientific basis for an aggregation of impacts across sectors and analysis of cross-sectoral interactions that may dampen or amplify sectoral impacts, the protocol is designed to facilitate consistent impact projections from a range of impact models across different sectors (global

  11. The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP contribution to CMIP6: investigation of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. M. Gregory

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP aims to investigate the spread in simulations of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing by atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs. It is particularly motivated by the uncertainties in projections of ocean heat uptake, global-mean sea-level rise due to thermal expansion and the geographical patterns of sea-level change due to ocean density and circulation change. FAFMIP has three tier-1 experiments, in which prescribed surface flux perturbations of momentum, heat and freshwater respectively are applied to the ocean in separate AOGCM simulations. All other conditions are as in the pre-industrial control. The prescribed fields are typical of pattern and magnitude of changes in these fluxes projected by AOGCMs for doubled CO2 concentration. Five groups have tested the experimental design with existing AOGCMs. Their results show diversity in the pattern and magnitude of changes, with some common qualitative features. Heat and water flux perturbation cause the dipole in sea-level change in the North Atlantic, while momentum and heat flux perturbation cause the gradient across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC declines in response to the heat flux perturbation, and there is a strong positive feedback on this effect due to the consequent cooling of sea-surface temperature in the North Atlantic, which enhances the local heat input to the ocean. The momentum and water flux perturbations do not substantially affect the AMOC. Heat is taken up largely as a passive tracer in the Southern Ocean, which is the region of greatest heat input, while the weakening of the AMOC causes redistribution of heat towards lower latitudes. Future analysis of these and other phenomena with the wider range of CMIP6 FAFMIP AOGCMs will benefit from new diagnostics of temperature and salinity tendencies, which will enable

  12. The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) Contribution to CMIP6: Investigation of Sea-Level and Ocean Climate Change in Response to CO2 Forcing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Jonathan M.; Bouttes, Nathaelle; Griffies, Stephen M.; Haak, Helmuth; Hurlin, William J.; Jungclaus, Johann; Kelley, Maxwell; Lee, Warren G.; Marshall, John; Romanou, Anastasia; hide

    2016-01-01

    The Flux-Anomaly-Forced Model Intercomparison Project (FAFMIP) aims to investigate the spread in simulations of sea-level and ocean climate change in response to CO2 forcing by atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). It is particularly motivated by the uncertainties in projections of ocean heat uptake, global-mean sealevel rise due to thermal expansion and the geographical patterns of sea-level change due to ocean density and circulation change. FAFMIP has three tier-1 experiments, in which prescribed surface flux perturbations of momentum, heat and freshwater respectively are applied to the ocean in separate AOGCM simulations. All other conditions are as in the pre-industrial control. The prescribed fields are typical of pattern and magnitude of changes in these fluxes projected by AOGCMs for doubled CO2 concentration. Five groups have tested the experimental design with existing AOGCMs. Their results show diversity in the pattern and magnitude of changes, with some common qualitative features. Heat and water flux perturbation cause the dipole in sea-level change in the North Atlantic, while momentum and heat flux perturbation cause the gradient across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) declines in response to the heat flux perturbation, and there is a strong positive feedback on this effect due to the consequent cooling of sea-surface temperature in the North Atlantic, which enhances the local heat input to the ocean. The momentum and water flux perturbations do not substantially affect the AMOC. Heat is taken up largely as a passive tracer in the Southern Ocean, which is the region of greatest heat input, while the weakening of the AMOC causes redistribution of heat towards lower latitudes. Future analysis of these and other phenomena with the wider range of CMIP6 FAFMIP AOGCMs will benefit from new diagnostics of temperature and salinity tendencies, which will enable investigation of the model

  13. Can model weighting improve probabilistic projections of climate change?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raeisaenen, Jouni; Ylhaeisi, Jussi S. [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 48, University of Helsinki (Finland)

    2012-10-15

    Recently, Raeisaenen and co-authors proposed a weighting scheme in which the relationship between observable climate and climate change within a multi-model ensemble determines to what extent agreement with observations affects model weights in climate change projection. Within the Third Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) dataset, this scheme slightly improved the cross-validated accuracy of deterministic projections of temperature change. Here the same scheme is applied to probabilistic temperature change projection, under the strong limiting assumption that the CMIP3 ensemble spans the actual modeling uncertainty. Cross-validation suggests that probabilistic temperature change projections may also be improved by this weighting scheme. However, the improvement relative to uniform weighting is smaller in the tail-sensitive logarithmic score than in the continuous ranked probability score. The impact of the weighting on projection of real-world twenty-first century temperature change is modest in most parts of the world. However, in some areas mainly over the high-latitude oceans, the mean of the distribution is substantially changed and/or the distribution is considerably narrowed. The weights of individual models vary strongly with location, so that a model that receives nearly zero weight in some area may still get a large weight elsewhere. Although the details of this variation are method-specific, it suggests that the relative strengths of different models may be difficult to harness by weighting schemes that use spatially uniform model weights. (orig.)

  14. An Intercomparison of ERS-Scat, AMSR-E Soil Moisture Observations with Model Simulations over France

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rudiger, C.; Calvet, J.C.; Gruhier, C.; Holmes, T.R.H.; de Jeu, R.A.M.; Wagner, W.W.

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a study undertaken in preparation of the work leading up to the assimilation of Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) observations into the land surface model (LSM) Interaction Soil Biosphere Atmosphere (ISBA) at Météo-France. This study consists of an intercomparison

  15. International intercomparison of dose measurements using EPR spectrometry of tooth enamel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wieser, A.; Chumak, V.; Pasalskaya, L.; Pavlenko, J.; Sholom, S.; Bailiff, I.; Baran, N.; Bougai, A.; Kolesnik, S.; Maksimenko, V.; Brik, A.; Matyash, M.; Scherbina, O.; Dubovsky, S.; Kirillov, V.; Minenko, V.; Finin, V.; Haskell, E.; Hayes, R.; Kenner, G.; Ivannikov, A.; Skvortsov, V.; Stepanenko, V.; Liidja, G.; Lippmaa, E.; Past, J.; Puskar, J.; Meijer, A.; Radchuk, V.; Vaher, Ue.

    1996-01-01

    Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry with teeth is the only solid state dosimetry method that allows for direct measurement of the individual dose. It is considered to be a very promising tool for retrospective individual dosimetry after accidental radioactive releases. It will help to make a reliable assessment of the radiation risk. A number of laboratories are engaged in retrospective EPR dosimetry with teeth. There is consequently a need to develop a programme of intercalibration and intercomparison to check whether the results produced by different laboratories are either consistent or accurate. The Commission of the European Communities has initiated the project ECP10 entitled, Retrospective Dosimetry and Dose reconstruction. Within the joint Eu/CIS project the 1st International Intercomparison of EPR Dosimetry with Teeth' was started in 1994. Nine research laboratories were involved from Germany, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia and USA

  16. Blind intercomparison of nuclear models for predicting charged particle emission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibata, K.; Cierjacks, S.

    1994-01-01

    Neutron activation data are important for dosimetry, radiation-damage and production of long-lived activities. For fusion energy applications, it is required to develop 'low-activation materials' from the viewpoints of safety, maintenance and waste disposal. Existing evaluated activation cross-section libraries are to a large extent based on nuclear-model calculations. The former Nuclear Energy Agency Nuclear Data Committee, NEANDC, (presently replaced by the NEA Nuclear Science Committee) organized the working group on activation cross sections. The first meeting of the group was held in 1989, and it was then agreed that a blind intercomparison of nuclear-model calculations should be undertaken in order to test the predictive power of the theoretical calculations. As a first stage the working group selected the reactions 60g Co(n,p) 60 Fe and 60m Co(n,p) 60 Fe, for which no experimental data were available, in the energy range from 1 to 20 MeV. The preliminary results compiled at the NEA Data Bank were sent to each participant and a meeting was held during the International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology in Julich 1991 to discuss the results. Following the outcome of the discussion in Julich, it was decided to extend this intercomparison. In the second-stage calculation, the same optical-model parameters were employed for neutrons, protons and α-particles, i.e., V = 50 MeV, W = 10 MeV, r = 1.25 fm and a = 0.6 fm with the Woods-Saxon volume-type form factors. No spin-orbit interaction was considered. Concerning the level density, the Fermi gas model with a = A/8 MeV -1 was assumed without pairing corrections. Moreover, gamma-ray competition was neglected to simplify the calculation. This report describes the final results of the blind comparison. Section 2 deals with a survey of the received contributions. The final results are graphically presented in section 3. 67 figs., 1 tab., 12 refs

  17. nonlinMIP contribution to CMIP6: model intercomparison project for non-linear mechanisms: physical basis, experimental design and analysis principles (v1.0

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Good

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available nonlinMIP provides experiments that account for state-dependent regional and global climate responses. The experiments have two main applications: (1 to focus understanding of responses to CO2 forcing on states relevant to specific policy or scientific questions (e.g. change under low-forcing scenarios, the benefits of mitigation, or from past cold climates to the present day, or (2 to understand the state dependence (non-linearity of climate change – i.e. why doubling the forcing may not double the response. State dependence (non-linearity of responses can be large at regional scales, with important implications for understanding mechanisms and for general circulation model (GCM emulation techniques (e.g. energy balance models and pattern-scaling methods. However, these processes are hard to explore using traditional experiments, which explains why they have had so little attention in previous studies. Some single model studies have established novel analysis principles and some physical mechanisms. There is now a need to explore robustness and uncertainty in such mechanisms across a range of models (point 2 above, and, more broadly, to focus work on understanding the response to CO2 on climate states relevant to specific policy/science questions (point 1. nonlinMIP addresses this using a simple, small set of CO2-forced experiments that are able to separate linear and non-linear mechanisms cleanly, with a good signal-to-noise ratio – while being demonstrably traceable to realistic transient scenarios. The design builds on the CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and CMIP6 DECK (Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima protocols, and is centred around a suite of instantaneous atmospheric CO2 change experiments, with a ramp-up–ramp-down experiment to test traceability to gradual forcing scenarios. In all cases the models are intended to be used with CO2 concentrations rather than CO2 emissions as the input. The

  18. nonlinMIP contribution to CMIP6: model intercomparison project for non-linear mechanisms: physical basis, experimental design and analysis principles (v1.0)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Good, Peter; Andrews, Timothy; Chadwick, Robin; Dufresne, Jean-Louis; Gregory, Jonathan M.; Lowe, Jason A.; Schaller, Nathalie; Shiogama, Hideo

    2016-11-01

    nonlinMIP provides experiments that account for state-dependent regional and global climate responses. The experiments have two main applications: (1) to focus understanding of responses to CO2 forcing on states relevant to specific policy or scientific questions (e.g. change under low-forcing scenarios, the benefits of mitigation, or from past cold climates to the present day), or (2) to understand the state dependence (non-linearity) of climate change - i.e. why doubling the forcing may not double the response. State dependence (non-linearity) of responses can be large at regional scales, with important implications for understanding mechanisms and for general circulation model (GCM) emulation techniques (e.g. energy balance models and pattern-scaling methods). However, these processes are hard to explore using traditional experiments, which explains why they have had so little attention in previous studies. Some single model studies have established novel analysis principles and some physical mechanisms. There is now a need to explore robustness and uncertainty in such mechanisms across a range of models (point 2 above), and, more broadly, to focus work on understanding the response to CO2 on climate states relevant to specific policy/science questions (point 1). nonlinMIP addresses this using a simple, small set of CO2-forced experiments that are able to separate linear and non-linear mechanisms cleanly, with a good signal-to-noise ratio - while being demonstrably traceable to realistic transient scenarios. The design builds on the CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) and CMIP6 DECK (Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima) protocols, and is centred around a suite of instantaneous atmospheric CO2 change experiments, with a ramp-up-ramp-down experiment to test traceability to gradual forcing scenarios. In all cases the models are intended to be used with CO2 concentrations rather than CO2 emissions as the input. The understanding

  19. RCA/IAEA third external dosimetry intercomparison in East Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momose, T.; Yamamoto, H.; Cruz Suarez, R.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: Several intercomparison exercises were organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the determination of operational quantities at the regional or interregional basis. These exercises revealed significant differences in the approach, methods and assumptions, and consequently in the measurement results obtained by participating laboratories. In the East Asia region, the third phase of the Hp(10) intercomparison, organized within the frame of the Regional Cooperation Agreement (RCA) as a follow-up to previous exercises during 1990-92 and 1995-96, was completed mid-2004. The first phase grouped 25 laboratories from 16 member states, and 4 Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories irradiated dosimeters in 6 different qualities for photon and beta radiations. In the second phase, 23 laboratories from 16 member states participated, and 3 Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories provided irradiation in 5 different radiation qualities simulating workplace fields. The results of the second phase for the determination of operational quantities Hp(d) were satisfactory for all participating Member States, with marked improvement from the first phase; the laboratories demonstrated good performance in both quantities tested. These results underline the importance of such an intercomparison programme as a key element towards the harmonization of quantities and units on an international level. This paper presents the results of this RCA/IAEA intercomparison, and also the forthcoming RCA activities supporting intercomparison runs for the assessment of occupational exposure. Member states strongly recommend that the IAEA continue acting as a focal point for, inter alia, training in all forms, particularly in measurements and dosimetry techniques. This exercise also stressed the importance for the IAEA to take an active role in establishing a network of monitoring laboratories for radiation protection purposes, as it would provide for better information

  20. Assessing the impacts of 1.5 °C global warming – simulation protocol of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP2b

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Frieler

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In Paris, France, December 2015, the Conference of the Parties (COP to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC invited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC to provide a special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. In Nairobi, Kenya, April 2016, the IPCC panel accepted the invitation. Here we describe the response devised within the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP to provide tailored, cross-sectorally consistent impact projections to broaden the scientific basis for the report. The simulation protocol is designed to allow for (1 separation of the impacts of historical warming starting from pre-industrial conditions from impacts of other drivers such as historical land-use changes (based on pre-industrial and historical impact model simulations; (2 quantification of the impacts of additional warming up to 1.5 °C, including a potential overshoot and long-term impacts up to 2299, and comparison to higher levels of global mean temperature change (based on the low-emissions Representative Concentration Pathway RCP2.6 and a no-mitigation pathway RCP6.0 with socio-economic conditions fixed at 2005 levels; and (3 assessment of the climate effects based on the same climate scenarios while accounting for simultaneous changes in socio-economic conditions following the middle-of-the-road Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP2, Fricko et al., 2016 and in particular differential bioenergy requirements associated with the transformation of the energy system to comply with RCP2.6 compared to RCP6.0. With the aim of providing the scientific basis for an aggregation of impacts across sectors and analysis of cross-sectoral interactions that may dampen or amplify sectoral impacts, the protocol is designed to facilitate consistent impact projections from a range of impact models across

  1. A European neutron dosimetry intercomparison project (ENDIP). Results and evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broerse, J.J.; Burger, G.; Coppola, M.

    1978-01-01

    A total of twenty groups from nine countries participated in sessions of the European Neutron Dosimetry Intercomparison Project (ENDIP) which were held during 1975 at GSF, Munich-Neuherberg and TNO, Rijswijk. The data of all participants are collected, the analysis and evaluation of the results are given in the present report. Specific chapters deal with the experimental arrangements and monitoring results at GSF and TNO, characteristics of the dosimetry systems employed by the paticipating groups and the basic physical data and correction factors employed for the determination of kerma and absorbed dose. In general, the participants in ENDIP quote systematic uncertainties of 7 to 8% in the neutron and total kerma or absorbed dose, which are mainly attributed to inadequate knowledge of basic constants. The variations in the results obtained by different participants seem to be in accordance with the relative large systematic uncertainties quoted. In order to determine the influence of the use of different values for the physical parameters, the relative responses of the participants' dosimeters have also been compared. The variances of quoted kerma and dose values are of the same order of magnitude as those of instrument responses. This result indicates inconsistencies in experimental techniques employed by the participants for the determination of kerma and absorbed dose. A separate nonparametric analysis of the ENDIP results confirmed that there are considerable systematic differences. Recommendations for future studies on neutron dosimetry for biological and medical applications are given at the end of the report

  2. Intercomparison of Environmental Nuclear Radiation Measuring

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    GAO; Fei; NI; Ning; HOU; Jin-bing; SONG; Ming-zhe

    2015-01-01

    In 2015,Radiation Metrology Division of China Institute of Atomic Energy organized an environmental monitoring of nuclear radiation measuring intercomparison,and 9laboratories attended.The intercomparison included environmental level dosemeters and protection level

  3. Intercomparison of Operational Ocean Forecasting Systems in the framework of GODAE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez, F.

    2009-04-01

    One of the main benefits of the GODAE 10-year activity is the implementation of ocean forecasting systems in several countries. In 2008, several systems are operated routinely, at global or basin scale. Among them, the BLUElink (Australia), HYCOM (USA), MOVE/MRI.COM (Japan), Mercator (France), FOAM (United Kingdom), TOPAZ (Norway) and C-NOOFS (Canada) systems offered to demonstrate their operational feasibility by performing an intercomparison exercise during a three months period (February to April 2008). The objectives were: a) to show that operational ocean forecasting systems are operated routinely in different countries, and that they can interact; b) to perform in a similar way a scientific validation aimed to assess the quality of the ocean estimates, the performance, and forecasting capabilities of each system; and c) to learn from this intercomparison exercise to increase inter-operability and collaboration in real time. The intercomparison relies on the assessment strategy developed for the EU MERSEA project, where diagnostics over the global ocean have been revisited by the GODAE contributors. This approach, based on metrics, allow for each system: a) to verify if ocean estimates are consistent with the current general knowledge of the dynamics; and b) to evaluate the accuracy of delivered products, compared to space and in-situ observations. Using the same diagnostics also allows one to intercompare the results from each system consistently. Water masses and general circulation description by the different systems are consistent with WOA05 Levitus climatology. The large scale dynamics (tropical, subtropical and subpolar gyres ) are also correctly reproduced. At short scales, benefit of high resolution systems can be evidenced on the turbulent eddy field, in particular when compared to eddy kinetic energy deduced from satellite altimetry of drifter observations. Comparisons to high resolution SST products show some discrepancies on ocean surface

  4. Intercomparison and validation of computer codes for thermalhydraulic safety analysis of heavy water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-08-01

    Activities within the frame of the IAEA's Technical Working Group on Advanced Technologies for HWRs (TWG-HWR) are conducted in a project within the IAEA's subprogramme on nuclear power reactor technology development. The objective of the activities on HWRs is to foster, within the frame of the TWG-HWR, information exchange and co-operative research on technology development for current and future HWRs, with an emphasis on safety, economics and fuel resource sustainability. One of the activities recommended by the TWG-HWR was an international standard problem exercise entitled: Intercomparison and validation of computer codes for thermalhydraulics safety analyses. Intercomparison and validation of computer codes used in different countries for thermalhydraulics safety analyses will enhance the confidence in the predictions made by these codes. However, the intercomparison and validation exercise needs a set of reliable experimental data. The RD-14M Large-Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA) test B9401 simulating HWR LOCA behaviour that was conducted by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) was selected for this validation project. This report provides a comparison of the results obtained from six participating countries, utilizing four different computer codes. General conclusions are reached and recommendations made

  5. Representative Agricultural Pathways: A Trans-Disciplinary Approach to Agricultural Model Inter-comparison, Improvement, Climate Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antle, J. M.; Valdivia, R. O.; Claessens, L.; Nelson, G. C.; Rosenzweig, C.; Ruane, A. C.; Vervoort, J.

    2013-12-01

    The global change research community has recognized that new pathway and scenario concepts are needed to implement impact and vulnerability assessment that is logically consistent across local, regional and global scales. For impact and vulnerability assessment, new socio-economic pathway and scenario concepts are being developed. Representative Agricultural Pathways (RAPs) are designed to extend global pathways to provide the detail needed for global and regional assessment of agricultural systems. In addition, research by the Agricultural Model Inter-comparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) shows that RAPs provide a powerful way to engage stakeholders in climate-related research throughout the research process and in communication of research results. RAPs are based on the integrated assessment framework developed by AgMIP. This framework shows that both bio-physical and socio-economic drivers are essential components of agricultural pathways and logically precede the definition of adaptation and mitigation scenarios that embody associated capabilities and challenges. This approach is based on a trans-disciplinary process for designing pathways and then translating them into parameter sets for bio-physical and economic models that are components of agricultural integrated assessments of climate impact, adaptation and mitigation. RAPs must be designed to be part of a logically consistent set of drivers and outcomes from global to regional and local. Global RAPs are designed to be consistent with higher-level global socio-economic pathways, but add key agricultural drivers such as agricultural growth trends that are not specified in more general pathways, as illustrated in a recent inter-comparison of global agricultural models. To create pathways at regional or local scales, further detail is needed. At this level, teams of scientists and other experts with knowledge of the agricultural systems and regions work together through a step-wise process. Experiences

  6. Intercomparison exercises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arunachalam, J.

    2007-01-01

    Intercomparison exercises are vital to many a national programmes. These are only tools available with the laboratories to prove their competence to an international audience and also for the accrediting agencies to assess a laboratory

  7. Intercomparison of the seasonal cycle of tropical surface stress in 17 AMIP atmospheric general circulation models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saji, N.H.; Goswami, B.N. [Indian Inst. of Sci., Bangalore (India). Centre for Atmos. and Oceanic Sci.

    1997-08-01

    The mean state of the tropical atmosphere is important as the nature of the coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere depends nonlinearly on the basic state of the coupled system. The simulation of the annual cycle of the tropical surface wind stress by 17 atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) is examined and intercompared. The models considered were part of the atmospheric model intercomparison project (AMIP) and were integrated with observed sea surface temperature (SST) for the decade 1979-1988. Several measures have been devised to intercompare the performance of the 17 models on global tropical as well as regional scales. Within the limits of observational uncertainties, the models under examination simulate realistic tropical area-averaged zonal and meridional annual mean stresses. This is a noteworthy improvement over older generation low resolution models which were noted for their simulation of surface stresses considerably weaker than the observations. The models also simulate realistic magnitudes of the spatial distribution of the annual mean surface stress field and are seen to reproduce realistically its observed spatial pattern. Similar features are observed in the simulations of the annual variance field. The models perform well over almost all the tropical regions apart from a few. Of these, the simulations over Somali are interesting. Over this region, the models are seen to underestimate the annual mean zonal and meridional stresses. There is also wide variance between the different models in simulating these quantities. 44 refs.

  8. UK laboratory intercomparison on internal dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Speed, J.; Birchall, A.; Bull, R.; Cockerill, R.; Jarvis, N.S.; Marsh, J.W.; Peace, M.S.; Roberts, G.; Scarlett, C.; Spencer, D.; Stewart, P

    2003-07-01

    A laboratory intercomparison for internal dose assessment from a variety of intake scenarios is described. This is the first UK intercomparison using the revised ICRP Human Respiratory Tract and biokinetic models. Four United Kingdom laboratories participated and six cases were assessed. Overall, the agreement in internal dose assessments between laboratories was considered satisfactory with 79% of the assessed committed effective doses, e(50), for cases within a band of {+-}40% of the median value. The range (highest/lowest) in e(50) estimated by the laboratories was smallest (1.2) for a case involving inhalation of {sup 137}Cs. The range was greatest (6.0) for a case involving a wound with, and possible inhalation of, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239}Pu and {sup 241}Am; the variation between laboratories in assessment of intakes could not be considered to be satisfactory in this case. Judgements on the most appropriate data to use in estimating intakes, choice of parameter values for use with the ICRP models and allowing for the effects of treatment with DTPA were important sources of variability between laboratories. (author)

  9. Third IAEA nuclear accident intercomparison experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miric, I; Ubovic, Z

    1974-05-15

    The purpose of this report is to present the results of the International Atomic Energy Agency intercomparison experiments held at the 'Boris Kidric' Institute, Vinca, in May 1973. The experiments are parts of a multilaboratory intercomparison programme sponsored by the IAEA for the evaluation of nuclear accident dosimetry systems and eventually recommendation of dosimetry systems that will provide adequate informations in the event of a criticality accident. The previous two studies were held at the Valduc Centre near Dijon (France) in June 1970 and at the ORNL in Oak Ridge (USA), in May 1971. Parts of the intercomparison studies were coordination meetings. The topics and conclusions of the Third coordination meeting are given in the Chairman's Report of F.F. Haywood. This paper will deal, therefore, only with data concerning the Third intercomparison experiments in which the RB reactor at Vinca was used as a source of mixed radiation. (author)

  10. Third IAEA nuclear accident intercomparison experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miric, I.; Ubovic, Z.

    1974-05-01

    The purpose of this report is to present the results of the International Atomic Energy Agency intercomparison experiments held at the 'Boris Kidric' Institute, Vinca, in May 1973. The experiments are parts of a multilaboratory intercomparison programme sponsored by the IAEA for the evaluation of nuclear accident dosimetry systems and eventually recommendation of dosimetry systems that will provide adequate informations in the event of a criticality accident. The previous two studies were held at the Valduc Centre near Dijon (France) in June 1970 and at the ORNL in Oak Ridge (USA), in May 1971. Parts of the intercomparison studies were coordination meetings. The topics and conclusions of the Third coordination meeting are given in the Chairman's Report of F.F. Haywood. This paper will deal, therefore, only with data concerning the Third intercomparison experiments in which the RB reactor at Vinca was used as a source of mixed radiation. (author)

  11. Intercomparison On Depth Dose Measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rohmah, N; Akhadi, M

    1996-01-01

    Intercomparation on personal dose evaluation system has been carried out between CSRSR-NAEA of Indonesia toward Standard Laboratory of JAERI (Japan) and ARL (Australia). The intercomparison was in 10 amm depth dose measurement , Hp (10), from the intercomparison result could be stated that personal depth dose measurement conducted by CSRSR was sufficiently good. Deviation of dose measurement result using personal dosemeter of TLD BG-1 type which were used by CSRSR in the intercomparison and routine photon personal dose monitoring was still in internationally agreed limit. Maximum deviation of reported doses by CSRSR compared to delivered doses for dosemeter irradiation by JAERI was -10.0 percent and by ARL was +29 percent. Maximum deviation permitted in personal dose monitoring is ± 50 percent

  12. WETCHIMP-WSL: intercomparison of wetland methane emissions models over West Siberia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. J. Bohn

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Wetlands are the world's largest natural source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The strong sensitivity of methane emissions to environmental factors such as soil temperature and moisture has led to concerns about potential positive feedbacks to climate change. This risk is particularly relevant at high latitudes, which have experienced pronounced warming and where thawing permafrost could potentially liberate large amounts of labile carbon over the next 100 years. However, global models disagree as to the magnitude and spatial distribution of emissions, due to uncertainties in wetland area and emissions per unit area and a scarcity of in situ observations. Recent intensive field campaigns across the West Siberian Lowland (WSL make this an ideal region over which to assess the performance of large-scale process-based wetland models in a high-latitude environment. Here we present the results of a follow-up to the Wetland and Wetland CH4 Intercomparison of Models Project (WETCHIMP, focused on the West Siberian Lowland (WETCHIMP-WSL. We assessed 21 models and 5 inversions over this domain in terms of total CH4 emissions, simulated wetland areas, and CH4 fluxes per unit wetland area and compared these results to an intensive in situ CH4 flux data set, several wetland maps, and two satellite surface water products. We found that (a despite the large scatter of individual estimates, 12-year mean estimates of annual total emissions over the WSL from forward models (5.34 ± 0.54 Tg CH4 yr−1, inversions (6.06 ± 1.22 Tg CH4 yr−1, and in situ observations (3.91 ± 1.29 Tg CH4 yr−1 largely agreed; (b forward models using surface water products alone to estimate wetland areas suffered from severe biases in CH4 emissions; (c the interannual time series of models that lacked either soil thermal physics appropriate to the high latitudes or realistic emissions from unsaturated peatlands tended to be dominated by a single environmental driver

  13. Reducing Spread in Climate Model Projections of a September Ice-Free Arctic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiping; Song, Mirong; Horton, Radley M.; Hu, Yongyun

    2013-01-01

    This paper addresses the specter of a September ice-free Arctic in the 21st century using newly available simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). We find that large spread in the projected timing of the September ice-free Arctic in 30 CMIP5 models is associated at least as much with different atmospheric model components as with initial conditions. Here we reduce the spread in the timing of an ice-free state using two different approaches for the 30 CMIP5 models: (i) model selection based on the ability to reproduce the observed sea ice climatology and variability since 1979 and (ii) constrained estimation based on the strong and persistent relationship between present and future sea ice conditions. Results from the two approaches show good agreement. Under a high-emission scenario both approaches project that September ice extent will drop to approx. 1.7 million sq km in the mid 2040s and reach the ice-free state (defined as 1 million sq km) in 2054-2058. Under a medium-mitigation scenario, both approaches project a decrease to approx.1.7 million sq km in the early 2060s, followed by a leveling off in the ice extent.

  14. A multimodel assessment of future projections of North Atlantic and European extratropical cyclones in the CMIP5 climate models

    OpenAIRE

    Zappa, Giuseppe; Shaffrey, Len C.; Hodges, Kevin I.; Sansom, Phil G.; Stephenson, David B.

    2013-01-01

    The response of North Atlantic and European extratropical cyclones to climate change is investigated in the climate models participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). In contrast to previous multimodel studies, a feature-tracking algorithm is here applied to separately quantify the re- sponses in the number, the wind intensity, and the precipitation intensity of extratropical cyclones. Moreover, a statistical framework is employed to formally assess the unce...

  15. Results of the IAEA/RCA personal dosemeter intercomparison in the Asian and Pacific region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murakami, H.; Minami, K.; Griffith, R.V.

    1994-01-01

    In 1988, the International Atomic Energy Agency started the Regional Co-operative Agreement project for strengthening the radiation protection infrastructure in the Asian and Pacific region. One component of the initial programme was a regional personal dosimetry intercomparison, which was subsequently conducted in three phases over three years during the period 1990 to 1992. Seventeen organisations of all 14 member states participated in the programmes. Irradiations and data compilation were conducted by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This paper describes the results of the intercomparison programmes and discusses some features and personal dosimetry problems in the RCA member states. (author)

  16. What spatial scales are believable for climate model projections of sea surface temperature?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwiatkowski, Lester; Halloran, Paul R.; Mumby, Peter J.; Stephenson, David B.

    2014-09-01

    Earth system models (ESMs) provide high resolution simulations of variables such as sea surface temperature (SST) that are often used in off-line biological impact models. Coral reef modellers have used such model outputs extensively to project both regional and global changes to coral growth and bleaching frequency. We assess model skill at capturing sub-regional climatologies and patterns of historical warming. This study uses an established wavelet-based spatial comparison technique to assess the skill of the coupled model intercomparison project phase 5 models to capture spatial SST patterns in coral regions. We show that models typically have medium to high skill at capturing climatological spatial patterns of SSTs within key coral regions, with model skill typically improving at larger spatial scales (≥4°). However models have much lower skill at modelling historical warming patters and are shown to often perform no better than chance at regional scales (e.g. Southeast Asian) and worse than chance at finer scales (coral bleaching frequency and other marine processes linked to SST warming.

  17. Intercomparison of measurements of personal dose equivalent Hp(10) in photon fields in the West Asia Region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    In accordance with its statutory function, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been assisting its Member States in establishing and upgrading their radiation protection infrastructures, including activities in occupation radiation protection. Individual external dosimetry services for photon radiation have been under establishment or upgrading with support through the Technical Cooperation Model Projects RAW/9/006, Upgrading Radiation Protection Infrastructure (concluded in 2000), and RAW/9/008, Development of Technical Capabilities for Sustainable Radiation and Waste Safety Infrastructure (2001-2004), in all the participating countries in the West Asia Region. Two regional training courses were organized by the IAEA, in Germany in 1998, on Design, Implementation and Management of Individual Monitoring Services (IMS), and in the Syrian Arabic Republic in 2001, on Assessment of Occupational Exposure due to External Sources, under the above stated projects. However, no performance testing has yet been carried out and no regional intercomparisons have been established before in this region. Only two Member States from the region (the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon) participated in the interregional Intercomparison for Individual Monitoring of Radiological Measurements for Purposes of Monitoring Personal Dose Equivalent Hp(10) in 1999

  18. The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP)

    KAUST Repository

    Kravitz, Ben; Robock, Alan; Boucher, Olivier; Schmidt, Hauke; Taylor, Karl E.; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.; Schulz, Michael

    2011-01-01

    To evaluate the effects of stratospheric geoengineering with sulphate aerosols, we propose standard forcing scenarios to be applied to multiple climate models to compare their results and determine the robustness of their responses. Thus far

  19. Carbon-Temperature-Water Change Analysis for Peanut Production Under Climate Change: A Prototype for the AgMIP Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruane, Alex C.; McDermid, Sonali; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Baigorria, Guillermo A.; Jones, James W.; Romero, Consuelo C.; Cecil, L. DeWayne

    2014-01-01

    Climate change is projected to push the limits of cropping systems and has the potential to disrupt the agricultural sector from local to global scales. This article introduces the Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP), an initiative of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) to engage a global network of crop modelers to explore the impacts of climate change via an investigation of crop responses to changes in carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]), temperature, and water. As a demonstration of the C3MP protocols and enabled analyses, we apply the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) CROPGRO-Peanut crop model for Henry County, Alabama, to evaluate responses to the range of plausible [CO2], temperature changes, and precipitation changes projected by climate models out to the end of the 21st century. These sensitivity tests are used to derive crop model emulators that estimate changes in mean yield and the coefficient of variation for seasonal yields across a broad range of climate conditions, reproducing mean yields from sensitivity test simulations with deviations of ca. 2% for rain-fed conditions. We apply these statistical emulators to investigate how peanuts respond to projections from various global climate models, time periods, and emissions scenarios, finding a robust projection of modest (20%) losses and larger uncertainty at the end of the century under the more severe representative concentration pathway (RCP8.5). This projection is not substantially altered by the selection of the AgMERRA global gridded climate dataset rather than the local historical observations, differences between the Third and Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3 and CMIP5), or the use of the delta method of climate impacts analysis rather than the C3MP impacts response surface and emulator approach.

  20. Intercomparison of terrestrial carbon fluxes and carbon use efficiency simulated by CMIP5 Earth System Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dongmin; Lee, Myong-In; Jeong, Su-Jong; Im, Jungho; Cha, Dong Hyun; Lee, Sanggyun

    2017-12-01

    This study compares historical simulations of the terrestrial carbon cycle produced by 10 Earth System Models (ESMs) that participated in the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Using MODIS satellite estimates, this study validates the simulation of gross primary production (GPP), net primary production (NPP), and carbon use efficiency (CUE), which depend on plant function types (PFTs). The models show noticeable deficiencies compared to the MODIS data in the simulation of the spatial patterns of GPP and NPP and large differences among the simulations, although the multi-model ensemble (MME) mean provides a realistic global mean value and spatial distributions. The larger model spreads in GPP and NPP compared to those of surface temperature and precipitation suggest that the differences among simulations in terms of the terrestrial carbon cycle are largely due to uncertainties in the parameterization of terrestrial carbon fluxes by vegetation. The models also exhibit large spatial differences in their simulated CUE values and at locations where the dominant PFT changes, primarily due to differences in the parameterizations. While the MME-simulated CUE values show a strong dependence on surface temperatures, the observed CUE values from MODIS show greater complexity, as well as non-linear sensitivity. This leads to the overall underestimation of CUE using most of the PFTs incorporated into current ESMs. The results of this comparison suggest that more careful and extensive validation is needed to improve the terrestrial carbon cycle in terms of ecosystem-level processes.

  1. Intercomparison and validation of snow albedo parameterization schemes in climate models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedersen, Christina A.; Winther, Jan-Gunnar [Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsoe (Norway)

    2005-09-01

    Snow albedo is known to be crucial for heat exchange at high latitudes and high altitudes, and is also an important parameter in General Circulation Models (GCMs) because of its strong positive feedback properties. In this study, seven GCM snow albedo schemes and a multiple linear regression model were intercompared and validated against 59 years of in situ data from Svalbard, the French Alps and six stations in the former Soviet Union. For each site, the significant meteorological parameters for modeling the snow albedo were identified by constructing the 95% confidence intervals. The significant parameters were found to be: temperature, snow depth, positive degree day and a dummy of snow depth, and the multiple linear regression model was constructed to include these. Overall, the intercomparison showed that the modeled snow albedo varied more than the observed albedo for all models, and that the albedo was often underestimated. In addition, for several of the models, the snow albedo decreased at a faster rate or by a greater magnitude during the winter snow metamorphosis than the observed albedo. Both the temperature dependent schemes and the prognostic schemes showed shortcomings. (orig.)

  2. Intercomparison of personal dose equivalent measurements by active personal dosimeters. Final report of a joint IAEA-EURADOS project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-11-01

    Active personal dosimeters (APD) are widely used in many countries, i.e. in the medical field and as operational dosimeters in nuclear power plants. Their use as legal dosimeters is already established in a few countries, and will increase in the near future. In the majority of countries, APDs have not undergone accreditation programmes or intercomparisons. In 2001, an EURADOS (European Radiation Dosimetry Group) Working Group on harmonization of individual monitoring was formed, funded by the European Commission, in the fifth framework programme, and by the participating institutes. The work addressed four issues; inter alia also an inventory of new developments in individual monitoring with an emphasis on the possibilities and performance of active (electronic) dosimeters for both photon/beta and neutron dosimetry. Within the work on this issue, a catalogue of the most extensively used active personal dosimeters (APDs) suitable for individual monitoring was made. On the basis of the knowledge gained in this activity, the organization of an international intercomparison, which would address APDs, was considered of great value to the dosimetric community. The IAEA in cooperation with EURADOS organized such an intercomparison in which most of the testing criteria as described in two internationally accepted standards (IEC61526 and IEC61283) were used. Additionally, simulated workplace fields were used for testing the APD reactions to pulsed X ray fields and mixed gamma/X ray fields. This is the first time that results of comparisons of such types are published, which is of great importance for APD end users in medical diagnostic and surgery X ray applications. Nine suppliers from six countries in Europe and the USA participated in the intercomparison with 13 different models. One of the models was a special design for extremity dose measurements. Irradiations and readout was done by two accredited calibration laboratories in Belgium and France and the French

  3. The AgMIP Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP): Methods and Protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Sonali P.; Ruane, Alexander Clark

    2014-01-01

    Climate change is expected to alter a multitude of factors important to agricultural systems, including pests, diseases, weeds, extreme climate events, water resources, soil degradation, and socio-economic pressures. Changes to carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]), temperature, and water (CTW) will be the primary drivers of change in crop growth and agricultural systems. Therefore, establishing the CTW-change sensitivity of crop yields is an urgent research need and warrants diverse methods of investigation. Crop models provide a biophysical, process-based tool to investigate crop responses across varying environmental conditions and farm management techniques, and have been applied in climate impact assessment by using a variety of methods (White et al., 2011, and references therein). However, there is a significant amount of divergence between various crop models' responses to CTW changes (Rotter et al., 2011). While the application of a site-based crop model is relatively simple, the coordination of such agricultural impact assessments on larger scales requires consistent and timely contributions from a large number of crop modelers, each time a new global climate model (GCM) scenario or downscaling technique is created. A coordinated, global effort to rapidly examine CTW sensitivity across multiple crops, crop models, and sites is needed to aid model development and enhance the assessment of climate impacts (Deser et al., 2012). To fulfill this need, the Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP) (Ruane et al., 2014) was initiated within the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP; Rosenzweig et al., 2013). The submitted results from C3MP Phase 1 (February 15, 2013-December 31, 2013) are currently being analyzed. This chapter serves to present and update the C3MP protocols, discuss the initial participation and general findings, comment on needed adjustments, and describe continued and future development. AgMIP aims to improve

  4. Causes of model dry and warm bias over central U.S. and impact on climate projections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yanluan; Dong, Wenhao; Zhang, Minghua; Xie, Yuanyu; Xue, Wei; Huang, Jianbin; Luo, Yong

    2017-10-12

    Climate models show a conspicuous summer warm and dry bias over the central United States. Using results from 19 climate models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), we report a persistent dependence of warm bias on dry bias with the precipitation deficit leading the warm bias over this region. The precipitation deficit is associated with the widespread failure of models in capturing strong rainfall events in summer over the central U.S. A robust linear relationship between the projected warming and the present-day warm bias enables us to empirically correct future temperature projections. By the end of the 21st century under the RCP8.5 scenario, the corrections substantially narrow the intermodel spread of the projections and reduce the projected temperature by 2.5 K, resulting mainly from the removal of the warm bias. Instead of a sharp decrease, after this correction the projected precipitation is nearly neutral for all scenarios.Climate models repeatedly show a warm and dry bias over the central United States, but the origin of this bias remains unclear. Here the authors associate this bias to precipitation deficits in models and after applying a correction, projected precipitation in this region shows no significant changes.

  5. Intercomparison of IPCC AR4 models with ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis within the AFRICA-CORDEX domain

    Science.gov (United States)

    León, M.; González, Y.; Díaz, J. P.; Expósito, F. J.; Pérez, J. C.; González, A.

    2012-04-01

    One of the most useful techniques to obtain regional climate projections along the XXI century is to run a mesoscale model driven by coarse input data (initial and boundaries conditions) obtained from Atmosphere-Ocean coupled Global Circulation Models (AOGCM). This is the dynamical downscaling approach. To correctly configure the dynamical downscaling approach it is necessary to choose the correct input dataset that project the climatic situation in a more accurate way and to establish a boundary to the errors in the results associated to these input data. In this study, we consider that the agreement of models with present observations is a way to assign confidence to the quality of a model. With this aim we intercompare the surface temperature of 21 IPCC AR4 runs models with the results from the reanalysis databases ERA40 and NCEP/NCAR in the CORDEX-AFRICA domain in the period 1961-2000. Thus, we have studied the seasonal cycles of the four decades of this period in addition to the probability density functions (PDFs) of the IPCC models. The statistical study allows us to classify the IPCC AR4 models according to their discrepancies with reanalysis data for the CORDEX domain. In general, the MRI CGCM 2.3.2 IPCC AR4 model presents the best fits compared with the reanalysis databases regarding to the correlation factor, root mean square (rms) and PDF skill score. For the intercomparison with ERA-40, the percentage of points with rms lower than 2°C is over 80%, for the four decades; with 89% of the points showing correlations coefficients larger than 0.80 and a 76 % of the data presents skill-scores values, based on the common areas of the PDFs, above a threshold of 0.7. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge to the MEC (Ministry of Education and Science, Spain) for the next supports: projects CGL2007-66477-C02-02/CLI, CGL2008-04740/CLI, CGL2010-21366-C04-01 and UNLL08-3E-007.

  6. EURADOS intercomparison 2012 for neutron dosemeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fantuzzi, E.; Chevallier, M.A.; Cruz-Suarez, R.; Luszik-Bhadra, M.; Mayer, S.; Thomas, D.J.; Tanner, R.; Vanhavere, F.

    2014-11-01

    EURADOS, within the work performed by Working Group 2 - Harmonization of Individual Monitoring in Europe, has started a self-sustained programme of regular intercomparisons and has successfully executed three intercomparisons for whole body photon dosemeters (IC2008, IC2010, IC2012) and one intercomparison for extremity dosemeters for photon and beta fields (IC2009). In 2012, the EURADOS intercomparison IC2012n was launched for personal neutron dosemeters routinely used to measure personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), in individual monitoring. No systems under development were allowed to participate. IC2012n was carried out by a EURADOS nominated Organization Group (OG) consisting of: Marie- Anne Chevallier (IRSN, F), Rodolfo Cruz-Suarez (IAEA, UN-Vienna), Marlies Luszik-Bhadra (PTB, D), Sabine Mayer (PSI, CH), David J. Thomas (NPL, UK), Rick Tanner (PHE, UK), Filip Vanhavere (SCK-CEN, B) led by a Coordinator, Elena Fantuzzi (ENEA, I). 31 participants registered for the comparison, with 34 dosimetry systems. In total 816 dosemeters were irradiated in selected neutron fields on an ISO slab phantom. The irradiations were performed at 2 European accredited laboratories which are both National Primary Metrology Laboratories for ionizing radiation: NPL (National Physical Laboratory, UK) and PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, D). All irradiations were carried out according to the irradiation plan developed by the OG. The overall results show that most, although not all, dosimetric systems perform acceptably well (within a factor of 2) for irradiations with a bare radionuclide source ( 252 Cf at 0 ), whilst more than half of the systems underestimate the reference value for irradiations from non-normal angles of incidence irradiations ( 252 Cf at 45 ) or for simulated workplace fields ( 252 Cf(D 2 O) or 252 Cf source behind a shadow cone). The performance for 250 keV mono-energetic neutron irradiations varies mainly reflecting the detection principle on which the

  7. A Methodological Inter-Comparison of Gridded Meteorological Products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, A. J.; Clark, M. P.; Longman, R. J.; Giambelluca, T. W.; Arnold, J.

    2017-12-01

    Here we present a gridded meteorology inter-comparison using the state of Hawaíi as a testbed. This inter-comparison is motivated by two general goals: 1) the broad user community of gridded observation based meteorological fields should be aware of inter-product differences and the reasons they exist, which allows users to make informed choices on product selection to best meet their specific application(s); 2) we want to demonstrate the utility of inter-comparisons to meet the first goal, yet highlight that they are limited to mostly generic statements regarding attribution of differences that limits our understanding of these complex algorithms and obscures future research directions. Hawaíi is a useful testbed because it is a meteorologically complex region with well-known spatial features that are tied to specific physical processes (e.g. the trade wind inversion). From a practical standpoint, there are now several monthly climatological and daily precipitation and temperature datasets available that are being used for impact modeling. General conclusions that have emerged are: 1) differences in input station data significantly influence product differences; 2) prediction of precipitation occurrence is crucial across multiple metrics; 3) derived temperature statistics (e.g. diurnal temperature range) may have large spatial differences across products; and 4) attribution of differences to methodological choices is difficult and may limit the outcomes of these inter-comparisons, particularly from a development viewpoint. Thus, we want to continue to move the community towards frameworks that allow for multiple options throughout the product generation chain and allow for more systematic testing.

  8. Asian/Australasian region intercalibration and intercomparison programme for radon, thoron and daughters. Asian/Australasian region radon intercomparison, September 1987 - September 1988

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peggie, J.R.; Gan, Tianghong; Solomon, S.B.

    1993-05-01

    The International Intercalibration and Intercomparison Programme for radon, thoron and daughters monitoring equipment, abbreviated IIIP, was a programme organized jointly by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Radiation Protection Research Programme of the Commission of European Communities. The broad purpose of the IIIP was to determine if the diverse calibration procedures used in different countries were equivalent. The general approach was to select four regional reference laboratories and entrust then with the details of project definition and execution. The Australian Radiation Laboratory (ARL) was selected to co-ordinate IIIP activities between OECD member countries in the Pacific region. As the regional programme precluded the participation of non-OECD member countries in the Western Pacific Region, an intercomparison series for radon was initiated by ARL in 1987 between twenty eight laboratories from nine countries in the Asian/Australasian region. The methodology and protocols for grab sampler, solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) and charcoal measurements are described in this report. Generally the results showed reasonable agreement between the majority of laboratories for grab sampler measurements consistent with previous intercomparison. However there were large systematic differences in the results of the passive monitors for some laboratories. For all samplers, it was found that the overall random uncertainty or replication error, which included random uncertainties associated with the counting and calibration, were the main sources of variability between individual measurements of participants and the ARL reference value, with calibration uncertainties predominating. 23 tabs.

  9. Asian/Australasian region intercalibration and intercomparison programme for radon, thoron and daughters. Asian/Australasian region radon intercomparison, September 1987 - September 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peggie, J.R.; Gan, Tianghong; Solomon, S.B.

    1993-05-01

    The International Intercalibration and Intercomparison Programme for radon, thoron and daughters monitoring equipment, abbreviated IIIP, was a programme organized jointly by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Radiation Protection Research Programme of the Commission of European Communities. The broad purpose of the IIIP was to determine if the diverse calibration procedures used in different countries were equivalent. The general approach was to select four regional reference laboratories and entrust then with the details of project definition and execution. The Australian Radiation Laboratory (ARL) was selected to co-ordinate IIIP activities between OECD member countries in the Pacific region. As the regional programme precluded the participation of non-OECD member countries in the Western Pacific Region, an intercomparison series for radon was initiated by ARL in 1987 between twenty eight laboratories from nine countries in the Asian/Australasian region. The methodology and protocols for grab sampler, solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) and charcoal measurements are described in this report. Generally the results showed reasonable agreement between the majority of laboratories for grab sampler measurements consistent with previous intercomparison. However there were large systematic differences in the results of the passive monitors for some laboratories. For all samplers, it was found that the overall random uncertainty or replication error, which included random uncertainties associated with the counting and calibration, were the main sources of variability between individual measurements of participants and the ARL reference value, with calibration uncertainties predominating. 23 tabs

  10. Intercomparison exercises - a 'must' or a 'need'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paraschiva, Mircea-Valentin; Cherestes, Margareta; Cherestes, Codrut

    2011-01-01

    The national legislation and the IAEA's Basic Safety Standards Series require the implementation of a QA programme for approval of dosimetry services. The implementation of a quality system according to EN ISO/IEC17025:2005 standard is a way to demonstrate that the dosimetry service is technically competent and capable of generating technically valid results. There are around fifty different standards relevant to individual monitoring, which indicates the complexity and difficulty of understanding and using the appropriate standard in routine work. The new recommendations published by European Commission - RP-160 - bring together requirements and guidance given in 96/29/EURATOM Directive, ICRP Publications, ICRU Reports and IAEA technical documents. The aim of these recommendations is to address the growing need for improvement and harmonization of practices and procedures used in individual dosimetry, for a mutual recognition of dose assessments performed by Approved Dosimetry Services across Europe. An intercomparison exercise among dosimetry services is like a performance test. The results of intercomparisons are published but anonimized. In many Member States participation in international intercomparisons is strongly recommended as results can be used to support an application for approval or accreditation. In this paper we present the results of our participation in two intercomparison exercises: EURADOS Intercomparison 2008 and EURADOS Intercomparison 2010. The results are displayed using the 'trumpet curves' (ISO 14146). The corrective actions are presented and also the lessons learned. At first exercise, in 2008, we have participated with one dosimetric system - photographic dosemeter - and at the second one, we have participated with two dosimetric systems: photographic and thermoluminescent. (authors)

  11. A statistical intercomparison of temperature and precipitation predicted by four general circulation models with historical data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grotch, S.L.

    1991-01-01

    This study is a detailed intercomparison of the results produced by four general circulation models (GCMs) that have been used to estimate the climatic consequences of a doubling of the CO 2 concentration. Two variables, surface air temperature and precipitation, annually and seasonally averaged, are compared for both the current climate and for the predicted equilibrium changes after a doubling of the atmospheric CO 2 concentration. The major question considered here is: how well do the predictions from different GCMs agree with each other and with historical climatology over different areal extents, from the global scale down to the range of only several gridpoints? Although the models often agree well when estimating averages over large areas, substantial disagreements become apparent as the spatial scale is reduced. At scales below continental, the correlations observed between different model predictions are often very poor. The implications of this work for investigation of climatic impacts on a regional scale are profound. For these two important variables, at least, the poor agreement between model simulations of the current climate on the regional scale calls into question the ability of these models to quantitatively estimate future climatic change on anything approaching the scale of a few (< 10) gridpoints, which is essential if these results are to be used in meaningful resource-assessment studies. A stronger cooperative effort among the different modeling groups will be necessary to assure that we are getting better agreement for the right reasons, a prerequisite for improving confidence in model projections. 11 refs.; 10 figs

  12. A statistical intercomparison of temperature and precipitation predicted by four general circulation models with historical data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grotch, S.L.

    1990-01-01

    This study is a detailed intercomparison of the results produced by four general circulation models (GCMs) that have been used to estimate the climatic consequences of a doubling of the CO 2 concentration. Two variables, surface air temperature and precipitation, annually and seasonally averaged, are compared for both the current climate and for the predicted equilibrium changes after a doubling of the atmospheric CO 2 concentration. The major question considered here is: how well do the predictions from different GCMs agree with each other and with historical climatology over different areal extents, from the global scale down to the range of only several gridpoints? Although the models often agree well when estimating averages over large areas, substantial disagreements become apparent as the spatial scale is reduced. At scales below continental, the correlations observed between different model predictions are often very poor. The implications of this work for investigation of climatic impacts on a regional scale are profound. For these two important variables, at least, the poor agreement between model simulations of the current climate on the regional scale calls into question the ability of these models to quantitatively estimate future climatic change on anything approaching the scale of a few (< 10) gridpoints, which is essential if these results are to be used in meaningful resource-assessment studies. A stronger cooperative effort among the different modeling groups will be necessary to assure that we are getting better agreement for the right reasons, a prerequisite for improving confidence in model projections

  13. Modelling of the radiological impact of radioactive waste dumping in the Arctic Seas. Report of the Modelling and Assessment Working Group of the International Arctic Seas Assessment Project (IASAP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    The work is summarized carried out by the Modelling and Assessment Working Group in 1994-1996. The Modelling and Assessment Working Group was established within the framework of the International Arctic Seas Assessment Project (IASAP) launched by the IAEA in 1993 with the objectives of modelling the environmental dispersal and transport of nuclides to be potentially released from the dumped objects and of assessing the associated radiological impact on man and biota. Models were developed to model the dispersal of the pollutants and for the assessment of the radiological consequences of the releases from the dumped wastes in the Arctic. The results of the model intercomparison exercise were used as a basis on which to evaluate the estimate of concentration fields when detailed source term scenarios were used and also to assess the uncertainties in ensuing dose calculations. The descriptions and modelling work was divided into three main phases: description of the area, collection of relevant and necessary information; extension to and development of predictive models including an extensive model inter-comparison and finally prediction of radiological impact, used in the evaluation of the need and options for remediation

  14. SimilarityExplorer: A visual inter-comparison tool for multifaceted climate data

    Science.gov (United States)

    J. Poco; A. Dasgupta; Y. Wei; W. Hargrove; C. Schwalm; R. Cook; E. Bertini; C. Silva

    2014-01-01

    Inter-comparison and similarity analysis to gauge consensus among multiple simulation models is a critical visualization problem for understanding climate change patterns. Climate models, specifically, Terrestrial Biosphere Models (TBM) represent time and space variable ecosystem processes, for example, simulations of photosynthesis and respiration, using algorithms...

  15. Realism of modelled Indian summer monsoon correlation with the tropical Indo-Pacific affects projected monsoon changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ziguang; Lin, Xiaopei; Cai, Wenju

    2017-07-10

    El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) tend to exert an offsetting impact on Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR), with an El Niño event tending to lower, whereas a positive IOD tending to increase ISMR. Simulation of these relationships in Phase Five of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project has not been fully assessed, nor is their impact on the response of ISMR to greenhouse warming. Here we show that the majority of models simulate an unrealistic present-day IOD-ISMR correlation due to an overly strong control by ENSO. As such, a positive IOD is associated with an ISMR reduction in the simulated present-day climate. This unrealistic present-day correlation is relevant to future ISMR projection, inducing an underestimation in the projected ISMR increase. Thus uncertainties in ISMR projection can be in part induced by present-day simulation of ENSO, the IOD, their relationship and their rainfall correlations.

  16. Intercomparison of middle-atmospheric wind in observations and models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Rüfenacht

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Wind profile information throughout the entire upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere (USLM is important for the understanding of atmospheric dynamics but became available only recently, thanks to developments in remote sensing techniques and modelling approaches. However, as wind measurements from these altitudes are rare, such products have generally not yet been validated with (other observations. This paper presents the first long-term intercomparison of wind observations in the USLM by co-located microwave radiometer and lidar instruments at Andenes, Norway (69.3° N, 16.0° E. Good correspondence has been found at all altitudes for both horizontal wind components for nighttime as well as daylight conditions. Biases are mostly within the random errors and do not exceed 5–10 m s−1, which is less than 10 % of the typically encountered wind speeds. Moreover, comparisons of the observations with the major reanalyses and models covering this altitude range are shown, in particular with the recently released ERA5, ECMWF's first reanalysis to cover the whole USLM region. The agreement between models and observations is very good in general, but temporally limited occurrences of pronounced discrepancies (up to 40 m s−1 exist. In the article's Appendix the possibility of obtaining nighttime wind information about the mesopause region by means of microwave radiometry is investigated.

  17. First intercomparison exercise in the frame of the coordinated investigation program of the IAEA on regional intercomparison of personal dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Massera, G.; Papadopulos, S.B.; Gregori, B.N.; DaSilva, T.; Griffith, R.; )

    1998-01-01

    During the days 7 and 11 of October of 1996 took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the first Meeting of the Coordinated Investigation program of the IAEA on Regional Intercomparison of Personal Dosimetry for Latin American. In this meeting participated nine representatives of reference laboratories and of personal dosimetry of the region. Fundamental aspect of personal dosimetry relates with the quantity personal dose equivalent Hp application and the implementation of intercomparison exercise in order to improve the quality of the dose estimation have been discussed. Also lectures carried out by the specialist on Hp and practical aspects of it implementation; answer and calibration according to the ISO 4037; intercomparison methods: procedures and organizations. It was carried out the first intercomparison exercise where the participants collaborated in the preparations and irradiations of personal dosemeters they have brought. (author)

  18. EURADOS intercomparison 2012 for neutron dosemeters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fantuzzi, E. [ENEA-Radiation Protection Institute, Bologna (Italy); Chevallier, M.A. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Cruz-Suarez, R. [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); Luszik-Bhadra, M. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany); Mayer, S. [Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Thomas, D.J. [National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington (United Kingdom); Tanner, R. [Public Health England, Oxon (United Kingdom); Vanhavere, F. [SCK-CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Mol (Belgium)

    2014-11-15

    EURADOS, within the work performed by Working Group 2 - Harmonization of Individual Monitoring in Europe, has started a self-sustained programme of regular intercomparisons and has successfully executed three intercomparisons for whole body photon dosemeters (IC2008, IC2010, IC2012) and one intercomparison for extremity dosemeters for photon and beta fields (IC2009). In 2012, the EURADOS intercomparison IC2012n was launched for personal neutron dosemeters routinely used to measure personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), in individual monitoring. No systems under development were allowed to participate. IC2012n was carried out by a EURADOS nominated Organization Group (OG) consisting of: Marie- Anne Chevallier (IRSN, F), Rodolfo Cruz-Suarez (IAEA, UN-Vienna), Marlies Luszik-Bhadra (PTB, D), Sabine Mayer (PSI, CH), David J. Thomas (NPL, UK), Rick Tanner (PHE, UK), Filip Vanhavere (SCK-CEN, B) led by a Coordinator, Elena Fantuzzi (ENEA, I). 31 participants registered for the comparison, with 34 dosimetry systems. In total 816 dosemeters were irradiated in selected neutron fields on an ISO slab phantom. The irradiations were performed at 2 European accredited laboratories which are both National Primary Metrology Laboratories for ionizing radiation: NPL (National Physical Laboratory, UK) and PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, D). All irradiations were carried out according to the irradiation plan developed by the OG. The overall results show that most, although not all, dosimetric systems perform acceptably well (within a factor of 2) for irradiations with a bare radionuclide source ({sup 252}Cf at 0 ), whilst more than half of the systems underestimate the reference value for irradiations from non-normal angles of incidence irradiations ({sup 252}Cf at 45 ) or for simulated workplace fields ({sup 252}Cf(D{sub 2}O) or {sup 252}Cf source behind a shadow cone). The performance for 250 keV mono-energetic neutron irradiations varies mainly reflecting the detection

  19. Cabauw Experimental Results from the Project for Intercomparison of Land-Surface Parameterization Schemes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, T. H.; Henderson-Sellers, A.; Milly, P. C. D.; Pitman, A. J.; Beljaars, A. C. M.; Polcher, J.; Abramopoulos, F.; Boone, A.; Chang, S.; Chen, F.; Dai, Y.; Desborough, C. E.; Dickinson, R. E.; Dümenil, L.; Ek, M.; Garratt, J. R.; Gedney, N.; Gusev, Y. M.;  Kim, J.;  Koster, R.;  Kowalczyk, E. A.;  Laval, K.;  Lean, J.;  Lettenmaier, D.;  Liang, X.;  Mahfouf, J.-F.;  Mengelkamp, H.-T.;  Mitchell, K.;  Nasonova, O. N.;  Noilhan, J.;  Robock, A.;  Rosenzweig, C.;  Schaake, J.;  Schlosser, C. A.;  Schulz, J.-P.;  Shao, Y.;  Shmakin, A. B.;  Verseghy, D. L.;  Wetzel, P.;  Wood, E. F.;  Xue, Y.;  Yang, Z.-L.;  Zeng, Q.

    1997-06-01

    In the Project for Intercomparison of Land-Surface Parameterization Schemes phase 2a experiment, meteorological data for the year 1987 from Cabauw, the Netherlands, were used as inputs to 23 land-surface flux schemes designed for use in climate and weather models. Schemes were evaluated by comparing their outputs with long-term measurements of surface sensible heat fluxes into the atmosphere and the ground, and of upward longwave radiation and total net radiative fluxes, and also comparing them with latent heat fluxes derived from a surface energy balance. Tuning of schemes by use of the observed flux data was not permitted. On an annual basis, the predicted surface radiative temperature exhibits a range of 2 K across schemes, consistent with the range of about 10 W m2 in predicted surface net radiation. Most modeled values of monthly net radiation differ from the observations by less than the estimated maximum monthly observational error (±10 W m2). However, modeled radiative surface temperature appears to have a systematic positive bias in most schemes; this might be explained by an error in assumed emissivity and by models' neglect of canopy thermal heterogeneity. Annual means of sensible and latent heat fluxes, into which net radiation is partitioned, have ranges across schemes of30 W m2 and 25 W m2, respectively. Annual totals of evapotranspiration and runoff, into which the precipitation is partitioned, both have ranges of 315 mm. These ranges in annual heat and water fluxes were approximately halved upon exclusion of the three schemes that have no stomatal resistance under non-water-stressed conditions. Many schemes tend to underestimate latent heat flux and overestimate sensible heat flux in summer, with a reverse tendency in winter. For six schemes, root-mean-square deviations of predictions from monthly observations are less than the estimated upper bounds on observation errors (5 W m2 for sensible heat flux and 10 W m2 for latent heat flux). Actual

  20. RCA/IAEA third external dosimetry intercomparisons in East Asia region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, H.; Yoshizawa, M.; Murakami, H.; Momose, T.; Tsujimura, N.; Kanai, K.; Cruz-Suarez, R.

    2007-01-01

    Several intercomparison exercises were organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the determination of operational quantities at the regional or inter-regional basis. In East Asia region, a third phase of the intercomparison finished in mid 2004. It was organised within the frame of the Regional Cooperation Agreement (RCA) as a follow-up to previous exercises carried out during 1990-1992 and 1995-1996. The results of this intercomparison for the determination of operational quantities were satisfactory for all Member States. The laboratories demonstrated a good performance in quantities tested. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the RCA/IAEA intercomparison and the future of RCA activities in support of assessment of occupational exposure by organising intercomparison runs. (authors)

  1. An intercomparison exercise on radionuclides in sediment samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, S.P.

    1996-07-01

    An intercomparison exercise on artificial and natural radionuclides in two sediment samples, one from the Baltic Sea and one from the Kattegat, has been carried out under the EKO-1 project or the Nordic Safety Research Programme (NKS) for the period 1996-97. The measurement techniques have included direct gamma-ray spectrometry with Ge and NaI detectors, and radiochemical procedures followed by beta counting and alpha spectrometry. The participants have 21 laboratories. Results were submitted for Cs-137, Cs-134, Co-60, Sb-125, Pu-239,240, Pu-238, Am-241, Sr-90, Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40, Pb-210, Po-210 and U-235. The analytical performance of the participants was evaluated for those radionuclides where six or more data sets were received. Statistical tests were made to see if individual results agreed with overall average radionuclide concentrations in the two sediment materials within target standard deviations. The results of these tests show that for Cs-137, Cs-134, Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 the analytical performance criteria were not met for 20-40% of the data sets. For plutonium isotopes the tests show that the performance criteria were not met for 13% of the data sets. Tests of overall analytical performance show that 61% of the data sets do not meet the combined performance criteria. This shows that there is room for considerable improvement of analytical quality for most of the laboratories that have participated in this intercomparison. The intercomparison exercise has furthermore demonstrated several elementary problems in analytical work. (au) 57 tabs., 16 ills., 1 ref.

  2. An intercomparison exercise on radionuclides in sediment samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, S.P.

    1996-07-01

    An intercomparison exercise on artificial and natural radionuclides in two sediment samples, one from the Baltic Sea and one from the Kattegat, has been carried out under the EKO-1 project or the Nordic Safety Research Programme (NKS) for the period 1996-97. The measurement techniques have included direct gamma-ray spectrometry with Ge and NaI detectors, and radiochemical procedures followed by beta counting and alpha spectrometry. The participants have 21 laboratories. Results were submitted for Cs-137, Cs-134, Co-60, Sb-125, Pu-239,240, Pu-238, Am-241, Sr-90, Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40, Pb-210, Po-210 and U-235. The analytical performance of the participants was evaluated for those radionuclides where six or more data sets were received. Statistical tests were made to see if individual results agreed with overall average radionuclide concentrations in the two sediment materials within target standard deviations. The results of these tests show that for Cs-137, Cs-134, Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 the analytical performance criteria were not met for 20-40% of the data sets. For plutonium isotopes the tests show that the performance criteria were not met for 13% of the data sets. Tests of overall analytical performance show that 61% of the data sets do not meet the combined performance criteria. This shows that there is room for considerable improvement of analytical quality for most of the laboratories that have participated in this intercomparison. The intercomparison exercise has furthermore demonstrated several elementary problems in analytical work. (au) 57 tabs., 16 ills., 1 ref

  3. Intercomparison of techniques for inspection and diagnostics of heavy water reactor pressure tubes. Additional information

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-03-01

    The reports from Argentina, Canada, India, Korea and Romania are presented concerning the projects carried out under the Coordinated Research Program (CRP) I3.30.10 of the International Agency for Atomic Energy - Vienna related to 'Intercomparison of Techniques for Pressure Tube Inspection and Diagnostics'

  4. The Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI) Software Development: Applications, Infrastructure, and Middleware/Networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Dean N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2011-06-30

    The status of and future plans for the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI) hinge on software that PCMDI is either currently distributing or plans to distribute to the climate community in the near future. These software products include standard conventions, national and international federated infrastructures, and community analysis and visualization tools. This report also mentions other secondary software not necessarily led by or developed at PCMDI to provide a complete picture of the overarching applications, infrastructures, and middleware/networks. Much of the software described anticipates the use of future technologies envisioned over the span of next year to 10 years. These technologies, together with the software, will be the catalyst required to address extreme-scale data warehousing, scalability issues, and service-level requirements for a diverse set of well-known projects essential for predicting climate change. These tools, unlike the previous static analysis tools of the past, will support the co-existence of many users in a productive, shared virtual environment. This advanced technological world driven by extreme-scale computing and the data it generates will increase scientists’ productivity, exploit national and international relationships, and push research to new levels of understanding.

  5. Intercomparison of gamma ray analysis software packages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-04-01

    The IAEA undertook an intercomparison exercise to review available software for gamma ray spectra analysis. This document describes the methods used in the intercomparison exercise, characterizes the software packages reviewed and presents the results obtained. Only direct results are given without any recommendation for a particular software or method for gamma ray spectra analysis

  6. The PSACOIN level 1B exercise: A probabilistic code intercomparison involving a four compartment biosphere model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klos, R.A.; Sinclair, J.E.; Torres, C.; Mobbs, S.F.; Galson, D.A.

    1991-01-01

    The probabilistic Systems Assessment Code (PSAC) User Group of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency has organised a series of code intercomparison studies of relevance to the performance assessment of underground repositories for radioactive wastes - known collectively by the name PSACOIN. The latest of these to be undertaken is designated PSACOIN Level 1b, and the case specification provides a complete assessment model of the behaviour of radionuclides following release into the biosphere. PSACOIN Level 1b differs from other biosphere oriented intercomparison exercises in that individual dose is the end point of the calculations as opposed to any other intermediate quantity. The PSACOIN Level 1b case specification describes a simple source term which is used to simulate the release of activity to the biosphere from certain types of near surface waste repository, the transport of radionuclides through the biosphere and their eventual uptake by humankind. The biosphere sub model comprises 4 compartments representing top and deep soil layers, river water and river sediment. The transport of radionuclides between the physical compartments is described by ten transfer coefficients and doses to humankind arise from the simultaneous consumption of water, fish, meat, milk, and grain as well as from dust inhalation and external γ-irradiation. The parameters of the exposure pathway sub model are chosen to be representative of an individual living in a small agrarian community. (13 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.)

  7. Atmospheric Correction Inter-Comparison Exercise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georgia Doxani

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison eXercise (ACIX is an international initiative with the aim to analyse the Surface Reflectance (SR products of various state-of-the-art atmospheric correction (AC processors. The Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT and Water Vapour (WV are also examined in ACIX as additional outputs of AC processing. In this paper, the general ACIX framework is discussed; special mention is made of the motivation to initiate the experiment, the inter-comparison protocol, and the principal results. ACIX is free and open and every developer was welcome to participate. Eventually, 12 participants applied their approaches to various Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 image datasets acquired over sites around the world. The current results diverge depending on the sensors, products, and sites, indicating their strengths and weaknesses. Indeed, this first implementation of processor inter-comparison was proven to be a good lesson for the developers to learn the advantages and limitations of their approaches. Various algorithm improvements are expected, if not already implemented, and the enhanced performances are yet to be assessed in future ACIX experiments.

  8. On the methodology of the intercomparison of TND evaluations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yiftah, S.; Caner, M.; Gur, Y.

    1979-03-01

    The paper presents the problems which arise when two independent complete nuclear data evaluations of the same nuclide are available. A detailed intercomparison of the evaluations can be a multi-levelled exercise of considerable detail, the stages of which cannot always be performed. However, a detailed intercomparison can be a rich source for improving considerably the nuclear data used for the different applications. Preliminary examples of intercomparison are given for illustrative purpose. (B.G.)

  9. Results of the eruptive column model inter-comparison study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Antonio; Suzuki, Yujiro; Cerminara, M.; Devenish, Ben J.; Esposti Ongaro, T.; Herzog, Michael; Van Eaton, Alexa; Denby, L.C.; Bursik, Marcus; de' Michieli Vitturi, Mattia; Engwell, S.; Neri, Augusto; Barsotti, Sara; Folch, Arnau; Macedonio, Giovanni; Girault, F.; Carazzo, G.; Tait, S.; Kaminski, E.; Mastin, Larry G.; Woodhouse, Mark J.; Phillips, Jeremy C.; Hogg, Andrew J.; Degruyter, Wim; Bonadonna, Costanza

    2016-01-01

    This study compares and evaluates one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical models of volcanic eruption columns in a set of different inter-comparison exercises. The exercises were designed as a blind test in which a set of common input parameters was given for two reference eruptions, representing a strong and a weak eruption column under different meteorological conditions. Comparing the results of the different models allows us to evaluate their capabilities and target areas for future improvement. Despite their different formulations, the 1D and 3D models provide reasonably consistent predictions of some of the key global descriptors of the volcanic plumes. Variability in plume height, estimated from the standard deviation of model predictions, is within ~ 20% for the weak plume and ~ 10% for the strong plume. Predictions of neutral buoyancy level are also in reasonably good agreement among the different models, with a standard deviation ranging from 9 to 19% (the latter for the weak plume in a windy atmosphere). Overall, these discrepancies are in the range of observational uncertainty of column height. However, there are important differences amongst models in terms of local properties along the plume axis, particularly for the strong plume. Our analysis suggests that the simplified treatment of entrainment in 1D models is adequate to resolve the general behaviour of the weak plume. However, it is inadequate to capture complex features of the strong plume, such as large vortices, partial column collapse, or gravitational fountaining that strongly enhance entrainment in the lower atmosphere. We conclude that there is a need to more accurately quantify entrainment rates, improve the representation of plume radius, and incorporate the effects of column instability in future versions of 1D volcanic plume models.

  10. Electron spin resonance intercomparison studies on irradiated foodstuffs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raffi, J [CEA Centre d` Etudes de Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (FR)

    1992-07-01

    The results of intercomparison studies organized by the Community Bureau of Reference on the use of electron spin resonance spectroscopy for the identification of irradiated food are presented. A qualitative intercomparison was carried out using beef and trout bones, sardine scales, pistachio nut shells, dried grapes and papaya. A quantitative intercomparison involving the use of poultry bones was also organized. There was no difficulty in identifying meat bones, dried grapes and papaya. In the case of fish bones there is a need for further kinetic studies using different fish species. The identification of pistachio nut shells is more complicated and further research is needed prior to the organization of a further intercomparison. Laboratories were able to distinguish between chicken bones irradiated in the range 1 to 3 KGy or 7 to 10 KGy although there was a partial overlap between the results from different laboratories.

  11. Electron spin resonance intercomparison studies on irradiated foodstuffs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raffi, J.

    1992-01-01

    The results of intercomparison studies organized by the Community Bureau of Reference on the use of electron spin resonance spectroscopy for the identification of irradiated food are presented. A qualitative intercomparison was carried out using beef and trout bones, sardine scales, pistachio nut shells, dried grapes and papaya. A quantitative intercomparison involving the use of poultry bones was also organized. There was no difficulty in identifying meat bones, dried grapes and papaya. In the case of fish bones there is a need for further kinetic studies using different fish species. The identification of pistachio nut shells is more complicated and further research is needed prior to the organization of a further intercomparison. Laboratories were able to distinguish between chicken bones irradiated in the range 1 to 3 KGy or 7 to 10 KGy although there was a partial overlap between the results from different laboratories

  12. Risks to coral reefs from ocean carbonate chemistry changes in recent earth system model projections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ricke, K L; Caldeira, K; Orr, J C; Schneider, K

    2013-01-01

    Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Today they are threatened by numerous stressors, including warming ocean waters and coastal pollution. Here we focus on the implications of ocean acidification for the open ocean chemistry surrounding coral reefs, as estimated from earth system models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5 (CMIP5). We project risks to reefs in the context of three potential aragonite saturation (Ωa) thresholds. We find that in preindustrial times, 99.9% of reefs adjacent to open ocean in the CMIP5 ensemble were located in regions with Ωa > 3.5. Under a business-as-usual scenario (RCP 8.5), every coral reef considered will be surrounded by water with Ωa 2 emissions abatement, the Ωa threshold for reefs is critical to projecting their fate. Our results indicate that to maintain a majority of reefs surrounded by waters with Ωa > 3.5 to the end of the century, very aggressive reductions in emissions are required. The spread of Ωa projections across models in the CMIP5 ensemble is narrow, justifying a high level of confidence in these results. (letter)

  13. 1982 radon intercomparison exercises at EML

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisenne, I.M.; George, A.C.; Keller, H.W.

    1983-03-01

    This report summarizes the results of two radon measurement intercomparison exercises held in 1982. Sixteen organizations, including five United States federal departments, two state governments, two national laboratories, three universities, three private sector laboratories and Swedish National Institute participated in these exercises. The results indicate good agreement among the participants at the 30 pCi 222 Rn/L level. With the continued interest and cooperation of groups involved in radon measurements, twp intercomparison exercises are planned during 1983

  14. Intercomparison of TCCON and MUSICA Water Vapour Products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, D.; Strong, K.; Deutscher, N. M.; Schneider, M.; Blumenstock, T.; Robinson, J.; Notholt, J.; Sherlock, V.; Griffith, D. W. T.; Barthlott, S.; García, O. E.; Smale, D.; Palm, M.; Jones, N. B.; Hase, F.; Kivi, R.; Ramos, Y. G.; Yoshimura, K.; Sepúlveda, E.; Gómez-Peláez, Á. J.; Gisi, M.; Kohlhepp, R.; Warneke, T.; Dohe, S.; Wiegele, A.; Christner, E.; Lejeune, B.; Demoulin, P.

    2014-12-01

    We present an intercomparison between the water vapour products from the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) and the MUlti-platform remote Sensing of Isotopologues for investigating the Cycle of Atmospheric water (MUSICA), two datasets from ground-based Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometers with good global representation. Where possible, comparisons to radiosondes are also included. The near-infrared TCCON measurements are optimized to provide precise monitoring of greenhouse gases for carbon cycle studies; however, TCCON's retrievals also produce water vapour products. The mid-infrared MUSICA products result from retrievals optimized to give precise and accurate information about H2O, HDO, and δD. The MUSICA water vapour products have been validated by extensive intercomparisons with H2O and δD in-situ measurements made from ground, radiosonde, and aircraft (Schneider et al. 2012, 2014), as well as by intercomparisons with satellite-based H2O and δD remote sensing measurements (Wiegele et al., 2014). This dataset provides a valuable reference point for other measurements of water vapour. This study is motivated by the limited intercomparisons performed for TCCON water vapour products and limited characterisation of their uncertainties. We compare MUSICA and TCCON products to assess the potential for TCCON measurements to contribute to studies of the water cycle, water vapour's role in climate and use as a tracer for atmospheric dynamics, and to evaluate the performance of climate models. The TCCON and MUSICA products result from measurements taken using the same FTIR instruments, enabling a comparison with constant instrumentation. The retrieval techniques differ, however, in their method and a priori information. We assess the impact of these differences and characterize the comparability of the TCCON and MUSICA datasets.

  15. A limited area model intercomparison on the 'Montserrat-2000' flash-flood event using statistical and deterministic methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Mariani

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available In the scope of the European project Hydroptimet, INTERREG IIIB-MEDOCC programme, limited area model (LAM intercomparison of intense events that produced many damages to people and territory is performed. As the comparison is limited to single case studies, the work is not meant to provide a measure of the different models' skill, but to identify the key model factors useful to give a good forecast on such a kind of meteorological phenomena. This work focuses on the Spanish flash-flood event, also known as 'Montserrat-2000' event. The study is performed using forecast data from seven operational LAMs, placed at partners' disposal via the Hydroptimet ftp site, and observed data from Catalonia rain gauge network. To improve the event analysis, satellite rainfall estimates have been also considered. For statistical evaluation of quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs, several non-parametric skill scores based on contingency tables have been used. Furthermore, for each model run it has been possible to identify Catalonia regions affected by misses and false alarms using contingency table elements. Moreover, the standard 'eyeball' analysis of forecast and observed precipitation fields has been supported by the use of a state-of-the-art diagnostic method, the contiguous rain area (CRA analysis. This method allows to quantify the spatial shift forecast error and to identify the error sources that affected each model forecasts. High-resolution modelling and domain size seem to have a key role for providing a skillful forecast. Further work is needed to support this statement, including verification using a wider observational data set.

  16. The sensitivity of the Arctic sea ice to orbitally induced insolation changes: a study of the mid-Holocene Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project 2 and 3 simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Berger

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In the present work the Arctic sea ice in the mid-Holocene and the pre-industrial climates are analysed and compared on the basis of climate-model results from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project phase 2 (PMIP2 and phase 3 (PMIP3. The PMIP3 models generally simulate smaller and thinner sea-ice extents than the PMIP2 models both for the pre-industrial and the mid-Holocene climate. Further, the PMIP2 and PMIP3 models all simulate a smaller and thinner Arctic summer sea-ice cover in the mid-Holocene than in the pre-industrial control climate. The PMIP3 models also simulate thinner winter sea ice than the PMIP2 models. The winter sea-ice extent response, i.e. the difference between the mid-Holocene and the pre-industrial climate, varies among both PMIP2 and PMIP3 models. Approximately one half of the models simulate a decrease in winter sea-ice extent and one half simulates an increase. The model-mean summer sea-ice extent is 11 % (21 % smaller in the mid-Holocene than in the pre-industrial climate simulations in the PMIP2 (PMIP3. In accordance with the simple model of Thorndike (1992, the sea-ice thickness response to the insolation change from the pre-industrial to the mid-Holocene is stronger in models with thicker ice in the pre-industrial climate simulation. Further, the analyses show that climate models for which the Arctic sea-ice responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations are similar may simulate rather different sea-ice responses to the change in solar forcing between the mid-Holocene and the pre-industrial. For two specific models, which are analysed in detail, this difference is found to be associated with differences in the simulated cloud fractions in the summer Arctic; in the model with a larger cloud fraction the effect of insolation change is muted. A sub-set of the mid-Holocene simulations in the PMIP ensemble exhibit open water off the north-eastern coast of Greenland in summer, which can provide a fetch

  17. Comprehensive Australasian multicentre dosimetric intercomparison: issues, logistics and recommendations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebert, M A; Harrison, K M; Cornes, D; Howlett, S J; Joseph, D J; Kron, T; Hamilton, C S; Denham, J W

    2009-02-01

    The present paper describes the logistics of the 2004-2008 Australasian Level III Dosimetry Intercomparison. Dosimetric intercomparisons (or 'audits') can be used in radiotherapy to evaluate the accuracy and quality of radiation delivery. An intercomparison was undertaken in New Zealand and Australia to evaluate the feasibility and logistics of ongoing dosimetric intercomparisons that evaluate all steps in the radiotherapy treatment process, known as a 'Level III' intercomparison. The study commenced in 2002 with the establishment of a study team, definition of the study protocol, acquisition of appropriate equipment and recruitment of participating radiotherapy centres. Measurements were undertaken between October 2004 and March 2008, and included collation of data on time, costs and logistics of the study. Forty independent Australian and New Zealand radiotherapy centres agreed to participate. Measurement visits were made to 37 of these centres. Data is presented on the costs of the study and the level of support required. The study involved the participation of 16 staff at the study centre who invested over 4000 hours in the study, and of over 200 professionals at participating centres. Recommendations are provided for future phantom-based intercomparisons. It is hoped that the present paper will be of benefit to any centres or groups contemplating similar activities by identifying the processes involved in establishing the study, the potential hazards and pitfalls, and expected resource requirements.

  18. Intercomparison of low-level tritium in water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sipka, V.; Zupancic, M.; Hadzisehovic, M.; Bacic, S.; Vukovic, Z.

    1989-01-01

    In 1985 the Section of Isotope Hydrology of the IAEA organized the fourth intercomparison for low-level tritium counting in waters. Four water samples with different 3 H concentration were sent to 85 laboratories willing to participate. The results from the different laboratories were presented in the unified questionnaires and coded. The participation in the intercomparisons for every laboratory doing low-level 3 H measurements in the waters is very important and useful. This is a best way to check the entire procedure and methods of the measurements and the reliability of the standards used. Since our laboratories are doing the natural 3 H concentration measurement in the waters for the environmental control and hydrology reasons it was necessary to take part in this intercomparison. Our standard procedure was applied. The 3 H activity in the samples was measured by liquid scintillation counting after an electrolytic enrichment. The results of our measurements of the four water samples, received from the organizers, are presented on the figures and tables presenting summary of the intercomparison. It is clear that our measurement (procedure and standards) have given satisfactory results (author)

  19. Environmental radioactivity intercomparison measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    In the context of the North Cotentin radioecological group set up in 1997 by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of the Secretariat d'Etat a la Sante, the Swiss Federal Office of Public health, a national organization of independent status with respect to nuclear energy, conducted a series of measurements in the north Cotentin in 1998. Some sites proposed by local association 'Angry mothers' were examined in particular. This association has now taken the initiative to organize a large scale international intercomparison, ' North Cotentin 2000', in the vicinity of local nuclear installations. Besides the scientific aspect of the intercomparison, a specific aim of this intercomparison consists in providing to the local population with a real opportunity for direct exchange with participating international teams. The primary concern of the workshop is the determination, by in situ gamma spectrometry, of both natural and artificial concentrations and resulting ambient dose rates at selected marine ( beach) and terrestrial sites. A particular aim of the workshop also is to test the capacity of mobile teams to produce reliable results in the field of low level measurements on trace of special radionuclides (I 129 , Sr 90 , H 3 , C 14 , and alpha emitters) from environmental samples, using both direct ( in situ) and differed ( laboratory methods). an overview of the results obtained will be prepared for the benefit of the public. (N.C.)

  20. Eurados self-sustained programme of intercomparisons for individual monitoring services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimbergen, T. W. M.; Figel, M.; Romero, A. M.; Stadtmann, H.; McWhan, A. F.

    2011-01-01

    Within EURADOS working group 2, a system for self-sustained intercomparisons for individual monitoring services for external radiation was developed. With the intercomparison results, the participants can show compliance within their quality management system, compare their results with those from other participants and develop plans for improvement of their system. The costs of the exercises are covered by the participants fees. In this programme, the first intercomparison exercise for whole-body dosemeters has been executed in 2008 with 62 participating dosimetry systems from participants across Europe. In general, film systems show the largest deviations, although the results of some participants indicate that it is possible to achieve results with a film system with similar quality as for thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) systems. A second intercomparison has been organised for extremity dosemeters in 2009. For 2010 it is planned to organise a second intercomparison for whole-body dosemeters. (authors)

  1. Evaluation of preindustrial to present-day black carbon and its albedo forcing from Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. H. Lee

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available As part of the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP, we evaluate the historical black carbon (BC aerosols simulated by 8 ACCMIP models against observations including 12 ice core records, long-term surface mass concentrations, and recent Arctic BC snowpack measurements. We also estimate BC albedo forcing by performing additional simulations using offline models with prescribed meteorology from 1996–2000. We evaluate the vertical profile of BC snow concentrations from these offline simulations using the recent BC snowpack measurements. Despite using the same BC emissions, the global BC burden differs by approximately a factor of 3 among models due to differences in aerosol removal parameterizations and simulated meteorology: 34 Gg to 103 Gg in 1850 and 82 Gg to 315 Gg in 2000. However, the global BC burden from preindustrial to present-day increases by 2.5–3 times with little variation among models, roughly matching the 2.5-fold increase in total BC emissions during the same period. We find a large divergence among models at both Northern Hemisphere (NH and Southern Hemisphere (SH high latitude regions for BC burden and at SH high latitude regions for deposition fluxes. The ACCMIP simulations match the observed BC surface mass concentrations well in Europe and North America except at Ispra. However, the models fail to predict the Arctic BC seasonality due to severe underestimations during winter and spring. The simulated vertically resolved BC snow concentrations are, on average, within a factor of 2–3 of the BC snowpack measurements except for Greenland and the Arctic Ocean. For the ice core evaluation, models tend to adequately capture both the observed temporal trends and the magnitudes at Greenland sites. However, models fail to predict the decreasing trend of BC depositions/ice core concentrations from the 1950s to the 1970s in most Tibetan Plateau ice cores. The distinct temporal trend at the Tibetan

  2. Evaluation of preindustrial to present-day black carbon and its albedo forcing from Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Y. H.; Lamarque, J.-F.; Flanner, M. G.; Jiao, C.; Shindell, D. T.; Bernsten, T.; Bisiaux, M. M.; Cao, J.; Collins, W. J.; Curran, M.; hide

    2013-01-01

    As part of the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP), we evaluate the historical black carbon (BC) aerosols simulated by 8 ACCMIP models against observations including 12 ice core records, long-term surface mass concentrations, and recent Arctic BC snowpack measurements. We also estimate BC albedo forcing by performing additional simulations using offline models with prescribed meteorology from 1996-2000. We evaluate the vertical profile of BC snow concentrations from these offline simulations using the recent BC snowpack measurements. Despite using the same BC emissions, the global BC burden differs by approximately a factor of 3 among models due to differences in aerosol removal parameterizations and simulated meteorology: 34 Gg to 103 Gg in 1850 and 82 Gg to 315 Gg in 2000. However, the global BC burden from preindustrial to present-day increases by 2.5-3 times with little variation among models, roughly matching the 2.5-fold increase in total BC emissions during the same period.We find a large divergence among models at both Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH) high latitude regions for BC burden and at SH high latitude regions for deposition fluxes. The ACCMIP simulations match the observed BC surface mass concentrations well in Europe and North America except at Ispra. However, the models fail to predict the Arctic BC seasonality due to severe underestimations during winter and spring. The simulated vertically resolved BC snow concentrations are, on average, within a factor of 2-3 of the BC snowpack measurements except for Greenland and the Arctic Ocean. For the ice core evaluation, models tend to adequately capture both the observed temporal trends and the magnitudes at Greenland sites. However, models fail to predict the decreasing trend of BC depositions/ice core concentrations from the 1950s to the 1970s in most Tibetan Plateau ice cores. The distinct temporal trend at the Tibetan Plateau ice cores

  3. Intercomparison of PIXE spectrometry software packages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-02-01

    During the year 2000, an exercise was organized to make a intercomparison of widely available software packages for analysis of particle induced X ray emission (PIXE) spectra. This TECDOC describes the method used in this intercomparison exercise and presents the results obtained. It also gives a general overview of the participating software packages. This includes basic information on their user interface, graphical presentation capabilities, physical phenomena taken in account, way of presenting results, etc. No recommendation for a particular software package or method for spectrum analysis is given. It is intended that the readers reach their own conclusions and make their own choices, according to their specific needs. This TECDOC will be useful to anyone involved in PIXE spectrum analysis. This TECDOC includes a companion CD with the complete set of test spectra used for intercomparison. The test spectra on this CD can be used to test any PIXE spectral analysis software package

  4. RTMOD: Real-Time MODel evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graziani, G; Galmarini, S.; Mikkelsen, T.

    2000-01-01

    The 1998 - 1999 RTMOD project is a system based on an automated statistical evaluation for the inter-comparison of real-time forecasts produced by long-range atmospheric dispersion models for national nuclear emergency predictions of cross-boundary consequences. The background of RTMOD was the 1994 ETEX project that involved about 50 models run in several Institutes around the world to simulate two real tracer releases involving a large part of the European territory. In the preliminary phase of ETEX, three dry runs (i.e. simulations in real-time of fictitious releases) were carried out. At that time, the World Wide Web was not available to all the exercise participants, and plume predictions were therefore submitted to JRC-Ispra by fax and regular mail for subsequent processing. The rapid development of the World Wide Web in the second half of the nineties, together with the experience gained during the ETEX exercises suggested the development of this project. RTMOD featured a web-based user-friendly interface for data submission and an interactive program module for displaying, intercomparison and analysis of the forecasts. RTMOD has focussed on model intercomparison of concentration predictions at the nodes of a regular grid with 0.5 degrees of resolution both in latitude and in longitude, the domain grid extending from 5W to 40E and 40N to 65N. Hypothetical releases were notified around the world to the 28 model forecasters via the web on a one-day warning in advance. They then accessed the RTMOD web page for detailed information on the actual release, and as soon as possible they then uploaded their predictions to the RTMOD server and could soon after start their inter-comparison analysis with other modelers. When additional forecast data arrived, already existing statistical results would be recalculated to include the influence by all available predictions. The new web-based RTMOD concept has proven useful as a practical decision-making tool for realtime

  5. Standards, intercomparisons and performance evaluations for low-level and environmental radionuclide mass spectrometry and atom counting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inn, K.G.W.; McCurdy, D.; Bell III, T.; Loesch, R.; Barss, N.M.; Morton, J.S.; Povinec, P.; Burns, K.; Henry, R.

    2001-01-01

    Because of the demand for higher sensitivity radionuclide measurements, atom counting technology will become an increasingly used modality in geo-and bio-studies, and process control operations. It is anticipated that requests, intercomparisons and performance evaluations services will surge in near future. In anticipation of such requests, the state-of-the-art needed to be assessed for proactive planning purposes. The results of a workshop focused on these issues indicated that there are several ongoing standards, intercomparisons and performance evaluations thrusts which are expected to expand in the future. Furthermore, new projects were planned and the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards (Public and Environmental Radiation Protection subcommittee) ws proposed as an information coordinator. (author)

  6. Intercomparison of radon gas detectors 1999 and 2000 at PSI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schuler, Christoph; Butterweck, Gernot

    2000-10-01

    This report describes the results of two radon intercomparison exercises performed by the Reference Laboratory for Radon Gas Activity Concentration Measurements at Paul Scherrer Institut from Sep 9th to Oct 6th, 1999, and from March 21st to 28th, 2000. Radon gas detectors and instruments were exposed in the PSI Radon Chamber in reference atmospheres to 1060 kBqhm -3 radon gas exposure at an average radon gas concentration of 6400 Bqm -3 and to 2050 kBqhm -3 radon gas exposure at an average radon gas concentration of 12500 Bqm -3 , respectively. These intercomparison exercises determined the performance of electret ionisation chambers, track etch detectors and measuring instruments at high humidity (1999 Intercomparison Exercise) and at a high radon gas exposure (2000 Intercomparison Exercise). In the 1999 Intercomparison Exercise, electret ionisation chambers revealed an influence on high humidity. This effect may be due to impurities on a microscopic scale on the electrets of these detectors. With few exceptions, in both the 1999 and the 2000 Radon Intercomparison Exercise the deviations of the measurement results to the reference radon gas concentration values were less than 15% (traceability criterion) and the standard deviation of the results of five detectors less than 15% (reproducibility criterion). (author) [de

  7. Intercomparison of high energy neutron personnel dosimeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonald, J.C.; Akabani, G.; Loesch, R.M.

    1993-03-01

    An intercomparison of high-energy neutron personnel dosimeters was performed to evaluate the uniformity of the response characteristics of typical neutron dosimeters presently in use at US Department of Energy (DOE) accelerator facilities. It was necessary to perform an intercomparison because there are no national or international standards for high-energy neutron dosimetry. The testing that is presently under way for the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) is limited to the use of neutron sources that range in energy from about 1 keV to 2 MeV. Therefore, the high-energy neutron dosimeters presently in use at DOE accelerator facilities are not being tested effectively. This intercomparison employed neutrons produced by the 9 Be(p,n) 9 B interaction at the University of Washington cyclotron, using 50-MeV protons. The resulting neutron energy spectrum extended to a maximum of approximately 50-MeV, with a mean energy of about 20-MeV. Intercomparison results for currently used dosimeters, including Nuclear Type A (NTA) film, thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD)-albedo, and track-etch dosimeters (TEDs), indicated a wide variation in response to identical doses of high-energy neutrons. Results of this study will be discussed along with a description of plans for future work

  8. Intercomparison of alpha particle spectrometry software packages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-08-01

    Software has reached an important level as the 'logical controller' at different levels, from a single instrument to an entire computer-controlled experiment. This is also the case for software packages in nuclear instruments and experiments. In particular, because of the range of applications of alpha-particle spectrometry, software packages in this field are often used. It is the aim of this intercomparison to test and describe the abilities of four such software packages. The main objectives of the intercomparison were the ability of the programs to determine the peak areas and the peak area uncertainties, and the statistical control and stability of reported results. In this report, the task, methods and results of the intercomparison are presented in order to asist the potential users of such software and to stimulate the development of even better alpha-particle spectrum analysis software

  9. Intercomparison Measurements Exercises of Mobile Radiological Laboratories (invited paper)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martincic, R.

    2000-01-01

    After the reactor accident in Chernobyl, the importance of mobile radiological laboratories became evident and in situ gamma spectrometry became a common method for the rapid detection of gamma emitters in the environment. Since then different institutions in European countries have organised periodic intercomparison exercises of mobile radiological laboratories to improve the measurement methods and the preparedness of emergency monitoring teams. The general objectives of these workshops are to promote the knowledge and to exchange the experiences of emergency monitoring teams that use mobile radiological laboratories, as well as to foster the international harmonisation of emergency monitoring procedures and cooperation among teams. Finally, the results of intercomparison measurements have shown that such exercises are mandatory for rapid, efficient and correct environmental monitoring in nuclear or radiological emergencies. An overview of these intercomparison measurements is given, results from the 1999 intercomparison workshop are presented and lessons learned are discussed. (author)

  10. Identification of irradiated foodstuffs: results of a European test intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raffi, J.; Belliardo, J.-J.; Agnel, J.-P.; Vincent, P.

    1993-01-01

    The results of an intercomparison, organized by the Community Bureau of Reference (Commission of the European Communities), on the use of Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy for the identification of irradiated food are presented. A qualitative intercomparison was carried out using beef and trout bones, sardine scales, pistachio nut shells, dried grapes and papaya. Protocols are proposed for meat bones, fish bones (with some restrictions) and fruits such as dried grapes and papaya. The protocol for pistachio nuts and fruits such as strawberries is more complicated and further research is needed prior the organization of future intercomparisons. A quantitative intercomparison on poultry bones was also organized. Laboratories were able to distinguish between chicken bones irradiated at 1 to 3 kGy or 7 to 10 kGy. (author)

  11. An international intercomparison of absorbed dose measurements for radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taiman Kadni; Noriah Mod Ali

    2002-01-01

    Dose intercomparison on an international basis has become an important component of quality assurance measurement i.e. to check the performance of absorbed dose measurements in radiation therapy. The absorbed dose to water measurements for radiation therapy at the SSDL, MINT have been regularly compared through international intercomparison programmes organised by the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory, Seibersdorf, Austria such as IAEA/WHO TLD postal dose quality audits and the Intercomparison of therapy level ionisation chamber calibration factors in terms of air kerma and absorbed dose to water calibration factors. The results of these intercomparison in terms of percentage deviations for Cobalt 60 gamma radiation and megavoltage x-ray from medical linear accelerators participated by the SSDL-MINT during the year 1985-2001 are within the acceptance limit. (Author)

  12. Neutron dosimetry intercomparison run for verification of the neutron fluence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penev, I.; Kinova, L.

    2001-01-01

    For the neutron fluence verification the intercomparison runs Balakovo and KORPUS have been carried out. The participation in the international intercomparison runs shows that in order to more precisely verify the calculated values of the neutron fluence more intercomparison exercises are necessary. Due to such exercises the results improved after calibration of Nb performed and are in a very good agreement with RIIAR results in spite of the different approaches in the determination of its activity

  13. The ASSET intercomparison of stratosphere and lower mesosphere humidity analyses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. E. Thornton

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents results from the first detailed intercomparison of stratosphere-lower mesosphere water vapour analyses; it builds on earlier results from the EU funded framework V "Assimilation of ENVISAT Data" (ASSET project. Stratospheric water vapour plays an important role in many key atmospheric processes and therefore an improved understanding of its daily variability is desirable. With the availability of high resolution, good quality Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS water vapour profiles, the ability of four different atmospheric models to assimilate these data is tested. MIPAS data have been assimilated over September 2003 into the models of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF, the Belgian Institute for Space and Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB, the French Service d'Aéronomie (SA-IPSL and the UK Met Office. The resultant middle atmosphere humidity analyses are compared against independent satellite data from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE, the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM III and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II. The MIPAS water vapour profiles are generally well assimilated in the ECMWF, BIRA-IASB and SA systems, producing stratosphere-mesosphere water vapour fields where the main features compare favourably with the independent observations. However, the models are less capable of assimilating the MIPAS data where water vapour values are locally extreme or in regions of strong humidity gradients, such as the southern hemisphere lower stratosphere polar vortex. Differences in the analyses can be attributed to the choice of humidity control variable, how the background error covariance matrix is generated, the model resolution and its complexity, the degree of quality control of the observations and the use of observations near the model boundaries. Due to the poor performance of the Met Office analyses the results are not included in

  14. The ASSET intercomparison of stratosphere and lower mesosphere humidity analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thornton, H. E.; Jackson, D. R.; Bekki, S.; Bormann, N.; Errera, Q.; Geer, A. J.; Lahoz, W. A.; Rharmili, S.

    2009-02-01

    This paper presents results from the first detailed intercomparison of stratosphere-lower mesosphere water vapour analyses; it builds on earlier results from the EU funded framework V "Assimilation of ENVISAT Data" (ASSET) project. Stratospheric water vapour plays an important role in many key atmospheric processes and therefore an improved understanding of its daily variability is desirable. With the availability of high resolution, good quality Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) water vapour profiles, the ability of four different atmospheric models to assimilate these data is tested. MIPAS data have been assimilated over September 2003 into the models of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Belgian Institute for Space and Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), the French Service d'Aéronomie (SA-IPSL) and the UK Met Office. The resultant middle atmosphere humidity analyses are compared against independent satellite data from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM III) and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II). The MIPAS water vapour profiles are generally well assimilated in the ECMWF, BIRA-IASB and SA systems, producing stratosphere-mesosphere water vapour fields where the main features compare favourably with the independent observations. However, the models are less capable of assimilating the MIPAS data where water vapour values are locally extreme or in regions of strong humidity gradients, such as the southern hemisphere lower stratosphere polar vortex. Differences in the analyses can be attributed to the choice of humidity control variable, how the background error covariance matrix is generated, the model resolution and its complexity, the degree of quality control of the observations and the use of observations near the model boundaries. Due to the poor performance of the Met Office analyses the results are not included in the intercomparison

  15. Intercomparison of Rn-222 determination from groundwater

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vesterbacka, P.; Pettersson, H.; Hanste, U.-M.

    2010-01-01

    An intercomparison exercise on Rn-222 determination in groundwater was organized between eight Nordic laboratories. The individual laboratory results were in most cases within 20% of the median value and within reported uncertainties. Considering the particular difficulties in preparing, transpor......An intercomparison exercise on Rn-222 determination in groundwater was organized between eight Nordic laboratories. The individual laboratory results were in most cases within 20% of the median value and within reported uncertainties. Considering the particular difficulties in preparing...

  16. Dosimetry intercomparisons in European medical device sterilization plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miller, A.; Sharpe, P.H.G.

    2000-01-01

    Dosimetry intercomparisons have been carried out involving two-thirds of all European radiation sterilization facilities. Dosimeters for the intercomparisons were supplied by two accredited calibration laboratories. The results show good agreement, and indicate overall dosimetry accuracy of the o...... of the order of +/-5% (1 sigma) for both Co-60 and electron beam plants. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved....

  17. Intercomparison program of personal dosemeters in the Argentine Republic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregori, B.N.; Papadopulos, S.B.; Kunst, J.J.

    1998-01-01

    During 1997, under the auspices of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN), its was held the third exercise of intercomparison of laboratories of personal dosimetry. The dosemeters were irradiated in X-ray beams ISO quality W60, W110, W200 and gamma sources cesium 137 and cobalt 60. The irradiation were performed kerma free in air and in phantom in order to study the capacity to evaluate both conditions. An extent range of doses (low-high) have been given 0.3 mSv- 20mSv in order to determine the operative performance o each laboratory. Over 19 laboratories of Argentina, participated 13 (65%) and finished the intercomparison 12 (60%) of them. The systems of dosimetry detection were based on film and TLD. During this intercomparison as inquiry about several items related with the laboratories have been made. In this work are shown the individual laboratory results of the intercomparison related with the acceptance curve criteria ICRP 60 and 55. (author)

  18. RTMOD: Real-Time MODel evaluation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graziani, G.; Galmarini, S.; Mikkelsen, Torben

    2000-01-01

    the RTMOD web page for detailed information on the actual release, and as soon as possible they then uploaded their predictions to the RTMOD server and could soon after start their inter-comparison analysis with other modellers. When additionalforecast data arrived, already existing statistical results....... At that time, the World Wide Web was not available to all the exercise participants, and plume predictions were therefore submitted to JRC-Ispra by fax andregular mail for subsequent processing. The rapid development of the World Wide Web in the second half of the nineties, together with the experience gained...... during the ETEX exercises suggested the development of this project. RTMOD featured a web-baseduser-friendly interface for data submission and an interactive program module for displaying, intercomparison and analysis of the forecasts. RTMOD has focussed on model intercomparison of concentration...

  19. Changes in Surface Wind Speed over North America from CMIP5 Model Projections and Implications for Wind Energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujay Kulkarni

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The centennial trends in the surface wind speed over North America are deduced from global climate model simulations in the Climate Model Intercomparison Project—Phase 5 (CMIP5 archive. Using the 21st century simulations under the RCP 8.5 scenario of greenhouse gas emissions, 5–10 percent increases per century in the 10 m wind speed are found over Central and East-Central United States, the Californian Coast, and the South and East Coasts of the USA in winter. In summer, climate models projected decreases in the wind speed ranging from 5 to 10 percent per century over the same coastal regions. These projected changes in the surface wind speed are moderate and imply that the current estimate of wind power potential for North America based on present-day climatology will not be significantly changed by the greenhouse gas forcing in the coming decades.

  20. The program of international intercomparison of accident dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-06-01

    The French institute of radioprotection and nuclear safety (IRSN) has carried out in June 2002 an international intercomparison program for the testing of the physical and biological accident dosimetry techniques. The intercomparison is jointly organized by the IRSN and the OECD-NEA with the sustain of the European commission and the collaboration of the CEA centre of Valduc (France). About 30 countries have participated to this program. Each country has supplied its own dosimeters and biological samples which have been irradiated using the Silene reactor of CEA-Valduc or a 60 Co source. These experiments allow to test the new dosimetric techniques that have been developed since the previous intercomparison program (1993) and to confirm or improve the performances of older techniques. Aside from the intercomparison exercise, this report makes a status of the known radiological accidents and of the effects of high doses of ionizing radiations on human health (symptoms, therapeutics). It explains the phenomenology of criticality accidents, the prevention means, and the history of such accidents up to the Tokai-Mura one in 1999. Finally, the dosimetry of criticality is presented with its physical and biological techniques. (J.S.)

  1. Changes in precipitation extremes projected by a 20-km mesh global atmospheric model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akio Kitoh

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available High-resolution modeling is necessary to project weather and climate extremes and their future changes under global warming. A global high-resolution atmospheric general circulation model with grid size about 20 km is able to reproduce climate fields as well as regional-scale phenomena such as monsoonal rainfall, tropical and extratropical cyclones, and heavy precipitation. This 20-km mesh model is applied to project future changes in weather and climate extremes at the end of the 21st century with four different spatial patterns in sea surface temperature (SST changes: one with the mean SST changes by the 28 models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5 under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP-8.5 scenario, and the other three obtained from a cluster analysis, in which tropical SST anomalies derived from the 28 CMIP5 models were grouped. Here we focus on future changes in regional precipitation and its extremes. Various precipitation indices averaged over the Twenty-two regional land domains are calculated. Heavy precipitation indices (maximum 5-day precipitation total and maximum 1-day precipitation total increase in all regional domains, even where mean precipitation decrease (Southern Africa, South Europe/Mediterranean, Central America. South Asia is the domain of the largest extreme precipitation increase. In some domains, different SST patterns result in large precipitation changes, possibly related to changes in large-scale circulations in the tropical Pacific.

  2. Dosimetry intercomparisons between fast neutron radiotherapy facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almond, P.R.; Smith, A.R.; Smathers, J.B.; Otte, V.A.

    1975-01-01

    Neutron dosimetry intercomparisons have been made between M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Naval Research Laboratory, University of Washington Hospital, and Hammersmith Hospital. The parameters that are measured during these visits are: tissue kerma in air, tissue dose at depth of dose maximum, depth dose, beam profiles, neutron/gamma ratios and photon calibrations of ionization chambers. A preliminary report of these intercomparisons will be given including a comparison of the calculation and statement of tumor doses for each institution

  3. Detailed Urban Heat Island Projections for Cities Worldwide: Dynamical Downscaling CMIP5 Global Climate Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirk Lauwaet

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A new dynamical downscaling methodology to analyze the impact of global climate change on the local climate of cities worldwide is presented. The urban boundary layer climate model UrbClim is coupled to 11 global climate models contained in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 archive, conducting 20-year simulations for present (1986–2005 and future (2081–2100 climate conditions, considering the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 climate scenario. The evolution of the urban heat island of eight different cities, located on three continents, is quantified and assessed, with an unprecedented horizontal resolution of a few hundred meters. For all cities, urban and rural air temperatures are found to increase strongly, up to 7 °C. However, the urban heat island intensity in most cases increases only slightly, often even below the range of uncertainty. A potential explanation, focusing on the role of increased incoming longwave radiation, is put forth. Finally, an alternative method for generating urban climate projections is proposed, combining the ensemble temperature change statistics and the results of the present-day urban climate.

  4. IAEA intercomparisons in the frame of the occupational radiation protection programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mrabit, K.; Cruz Suarez, R.

    2005-01-01

    The IAEA safety activities to support the assessment of occupational exposure through a comprehensive set of safety guides, safety reports and other related documents will soon be completed. Several intercomparison exercises were organized by the IAEA on the determination of radionuclides in human urine samples, whole body counting and external dosimetry. These previous intercomparison exercises revealed significant differences in the approaches, methods and assumptions, and consequently in the results. This underlined the importance of this kind of intercomparison programme as a key element of the international harmonization of quantities and units. The purpose of this paper is to present the current and future IAEA activities in support of assessment of occupational exposure by organizing intercomparison runs

  5. Looking beyond general metrics for model comparison - lessons from an international model intercomparison study

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boer-Euser, Tanja; Bouaziz, Laurène; De Niel, Jan; Brauer, Claudia; Dewals, Benjamin; Drogue, Gilles; Fenicia, Fabrizio; Grelier, Benjamin; Nossent, Jiri; Pereira, Fernando; Savenije, Hubert; Thirel, Guillaume; Willems, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    International collaboration between research institutes and universities is a promising way to reach consensus on hydrological model development. Although model comparison studies are very valuable for international cooperation, they do often not lead to very clear new insights regarding the relevance of the modelled processes. We hypothesise that this is partly caused by model complexity and the comparison methods used, which focus too much on a good overall performance instead of focusing on a variety of specific events. In this study, we use an approach that focuses on the evaluation of specific events and characteristics. Eight international research groups calibrated their hourly model on the Ourthe catchment in Belgium and carried out a validation in time for the Ourthe catchment and a validation in space for nested and neighbouring catchments. The same protocol was followed for each model and an ensemble of best-performing parameter sets was selected. Although the models showed similar performances based on general metrics (i.e. the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency), clear differences could be observed for specific events. We analysed the hydrographs of these specific events and conducted three types of statistical analyses on the entire time series: cumulative discharges, empirical extreme value distribution of the peak flows and flow duration curves for low flows. The results illustrate the relevance of including a very quick flow reservoir preceding the root zone storage to model peaks during low flows and including a slow reservoir in parallel with the fast reservoir to model the recession for the studied catchments. This intercomparison enhanced the understanding of the hydrological functioning of the catchment, in particular for low flows, and enabled to identify present knowledge gaps for other parts of the hydrograph. Above all, it helped to evaluate each model against a set of alternative models.

  6. Airborne hygrometer calibration inter-comparison against a metrological water vapour standard

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smorgon, Denis; Boese, Norbert; Ebert, Volker

    2014-05-01

    of PTB and a validated, two-pressure generator acting as a highly stable and reproducible source of water vapour. The aim of AV2-B was to perform an absolute, metrological comparison of the field instruments/calibration infrastructures to the metrological humidity scale, and to collect essential information about methods and procedures used by the atmospheric community for instrument calibration and validation, in order to investigate e.g. the necessity and possible comparability advantage by a standardized calibration procedure. The work will give an overview over the concept of the AV2-B inter-comparison, the various general measurement and calibration principles, and discuss the outcome and consequences of the comparison effort. The AQUAVIT effort is linked to the EMRP project METEOMET (ENV07) and partially supported by the EMRP and ENV07. The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union. [1] H. Saathoff, C. Schiller, V. Ebert, D. W. Fahey, R.-S. Gao, O. Möhler, and the aquavit team, The AQUAVIT formal intercomparison of atmospheric water measurement methods, 5th General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, 13-18 April 2008, Vienna, Austria Keywords: humidity, water vapour, inter-comparison, airborne instruments.

  7. The international hydrocoin project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    The International HYDROCOIN (Hydrologic Code Intercomparison) Project was started in May 1984. Fourteen organizations participate in the Project, with the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) as managing participant and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) taking part as a member of the Project secretariat. HYDROCOIN is concerned with the assessment of groundwater movements at potential nuclear waste disposal sites with the help of mathematical models and computer codes. The Project is divided into three levels. The objective of HYDROCOIN Level 1 is to verify the accuracy of groundwater flow codes. HYDROCOIN Level 2 and Level 3 are concerned with validation of hydrological models and uncertainty/sensitivity analysis, respectively. This report, which has been prepared by the NEA Secretariat and SKI in consultation with the co-ordinating group of the HYDROCOIN Project summarizes the background and objectives of the Project and presents the results of the work performed up to the middle of 1987. It is intended to provide general information on HYDROCOIN to interested parties beyond the group of directly involved specialists

  8. Intercomparisons for integrating the radon-thoron detector of NIRP, China with NIRS, Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Yunyun; Cui, Hongxing; Zhang, Qingzhao; Shang, Bing

    2015-01-01

    Intercomparisons play an important role in maintaining a reasonable and accurate standard of measurement and quality. Integrating the radon-thoron detector of the National Institute for Radiological Protection (NIRP), China has continuously been a subject of four rounds of international intercomparisons organised by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Japan during 2007-12. The intercomparisons were held at NIRS. The exercises included different exposures for both radon and thoron. The results of the intercomparison for the detectors of NIRP for both radon and thoron exposures were in the range of ±20 % from the reference value and were categorised as 'Category I' in the intercomparison carried out in 2011. The radon and thoron results of the LD-P detector in four rounds of intercomparison exercises were summarised, and uncertainties of all the radon and thoron results of NIRP were within the acceptable range of 30 % in environment. Radon and thoron measurement results between NIRP and NIRS were basically in agreement. (authors)

  9. Intercomparison of different operational oceanographic forecast products in the CMEMS IBI area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorente, Pablo; Sotillo, Marcos G.; Dabrowski, Tomasz; Amo-Baladrón, Arancha; Aznar, Roland; De Pascual, Alvaro; Levier, Bruno; Bowyer, Peter; Cossarini, Gianpiero; Salon, Stefano; Tonani, Marina; Alvarez-Fanjul, Enrique

    2017-04-01

    The development of skill assessment software packages and dedicated web applications is a relatively novel theme in operational oceanography. Within the CMEMS IBI-MFC, the quality of IBI (Iberia-Biscay-Ireland) forecast products is assessed by means of NARVAL (North Atlantic Regional VALidation) web-based tool. The validation of IBI against independent in situ and remote-sensing measurements is routinely conducted to evaluate model's veracity and prognostic capabilities. Noticeable efforts are in progress to define meaningful skill scores and statistical metrics to quantitatively assess the quality and reliability of the IBI model solution. Likewise, the IBI-MFC compares the IBI forecast products with other model solutions by setting up specific intercomparison exercises on overlapping areas at diverse timescales. In this context, NARVAL web tool already includes a specific module to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of IBI versus other CMEMS operational ocean forecasting systems (OOFSs). In particular, the IBI physical ocean solution is compared against the CMEMS MED and NWS OOFSs. These CMEMS regional services delivered for the Mediterranean and the North West Shelves include data assimilation schemes in their respective operational chains and generate analogous ocean forecast products to the IBI ones. A number of physical parameters (i.e. sea surface temperature, salinity and current velocities) are evaluated through NARVAL on a daily basis in the overlapping areas existing between these three regional systems. NARVAL is currently being updated in order to extend this intercomparison of ocean model parameters to the biogeochemical solutions provided by the aforementioned OOFSs. More specifically, the simulated chlorophyll concentration is evaluated over several subregions of particular concern by using as benchmark the CMEMS satellite-derived observational products. In addition to this IBI comparison against other regional CMEMS products on overlapping areas, a

  10. Projected increases in the annual flood pulse of the Western Amazon

    OpenAIRE

    Zulkafli, Z.; Buytaert, W.; Manz, B.; Rosas, C. V.; Willems, P.; Lavado-Casimiro, W.; Guyot, Jean-Loup; Santini, William

    2016-01-01

    The impact of a changing climate on the Amazon basin is a subject of intensive research because of its rich biodiversity and the significant role of rainforests in carbon cycling. Climate change has also a direct hydrological impact, and increasing efforts have focused on understanding the hydrological dynamics at continental and subregional scales, such as the Western Amazon. New projections from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 ensemble indicate consistent climatic warming...

  11. Multi-wheat-model ensemble responses to interannual climatic variability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ruane, A C; Hudson, N I; Asseng, S

    2016-01-01

    We compare 27 wheat models' yield responses to interannual climate variability, analyzed at locations in Argentina, Australia, India, and The Netherlands as part of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) Wheat Pilot. Each model simulated 1981–2010 grain yield, and ......-term warming, suggesting that additional processes differentiate climate change impacts from observed climate variability analogs and motivating continuing analysis and model development efforts.......We compare 27 wheat models' yield responses to interannual climate variability, analyzed at locations in Argentina, Australia, India, and The Netherlands as part of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) Wheat Pilot. Each model simulated 1981–2010 grain yield, and we...... evaluate results against the interannual variability of growing season temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. The amount of information used for calibration has only a minor effect on most models' climate response, and even small multi-model ensembles prove beneficial. Wheat model clusters reveal...

  12. Evaluation of NAA laboratory results in inter-comparison on determination of trace elements in food and environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diah Dwiana Lestiani; Syukria Kurniawati; Natalia Adventini

    2012-01-01

    Inter-comparison program is a good tool for improving quality and to enhance the accuracy and precision of the analytical techniques. By participating in this program, laboratories could demonstrate their capability and ensuring the quality of analysis results generated by analytical laboratories. The Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory at National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN), Nuclear Technology Center for Materials and Radiometry-PTNBR laboratory participated in inter-comparison tests organized by NAA working group. Inter-comparison BATAN 2009 was the third inter-laboratory analysis test within that project. The participating laboratories were asked to analyze for trace elements using neutron activation analysis as the primary technique. Three materials were distributed to the participants representing foodstuff, and environmental material samples. Samples were irradiated in rabbit facility of G.A. Siwabessy reactor with neutron flux ~ 10 13 n.cm -2 .s -1 , and counted with HPGe detector of gamma spectrometry. Several trace elements in these samples were detected. The accuracy and precision evaluation based on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) criteria was applied. In this paper the PTNBR NAA laboratory results is evaluated. (author)

  13. Intercomparison of in vivo monitoring systems in Europe. Results from Risoe National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauridsen, B.; Soegaard-Hansen, J.

    1996-12-01

    This report contains the contribution from Risoe National Laboratory to the European project: 'Intercomparison of in Vivo Monitoring Systems in Europe'. The whole-body counter at Risoe and the measurement on a phantom used as an intercalibration object in the project is described. In four case studies, prepared by the project coordinator, intakes of radionuclides and resulting doses are calculated. These calculations are based on informations on the radioactive materials taken into the body, routes of intake and on body contents of radionuclides from simulated single or multiple whole-body measurement. The answer from Risoe National Laboratory to two questionnaires - one on the whole-body counting facility and calibration methods and one on the legal requirements is the country - is listed. (au)

  14. Intercomparison of state-of-the-art models for wind energy resources with mesoscale models:

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Bjarke Tobias; Hahmann, Andrea N.; Sempreviva, Anna Maria; Badger, Jake; Joergensen, Hans E.

    2016-04-01

    1. Introduction Mesoscale models are increasingly being used to estimate wind conditions to identify perspective areas and sites where to develop wind farm projects. Mesoscale models are functional for giving information over extensive areas with various terrain complexities where measurements are scarce and measurement campaigns costly. Several mesoscale models and families of models are being used, and each often contains thousands of setup options. Since long-term integrations are expensive and tedious to carry out, only limited comparisons exist. To remedy this problem and for evaluating the capabilities of mesoscale models to estimate site wind conditions, a tailored benchmarking study has been co-organized by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the European Energy Research Alliance Joint Programme Wind Energy (EERA JP WIND). EWEA hosted results and ensured that participants were anonymous. The blind evaluation was performed at the Wind Energy Department of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) with the following objectives: (1) To highlight common issues on mesoscale modelling of wind conditions on sites with different characteristics, and (2) To identify gaps and strengths of models and understand the root conditions for further evaluating uncertainties. 2. Approach Three experimental sites were selected: FINO 3 (offshore, GE), Høvsore (coastal, DK), and Cabauw (land-based, NL), and three other sites without observations based on . The three mast sites were chosen because the availability of concurrent suitable time series of vertical profiles of winds speed and other surface parameters. The participants were asked to provide hourly time series of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, etc., at various vertical heights for a complete year. The methodology used to derive the time series was left to the choice of the participants, but they were asked for a brief description of their model and many other parameters (e.g., horizontal and

  15. Mobile Radiological Laboratories Intercomparison Measurements - Chernobyl

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martincic, R.; Glavic-Cindro, D.; Korun, M.; Pucelj, B.; Vodenik, B.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: In last decade different institutions in European countries have organised periodic intercomparison exercises of mobile radiological laboratories to improve the preparedness of emergency monitoring teams. The 12th Regular Workshop on Mobile Radiological Laboratories was held in Exclusion Zone of the Chernobyl NPP, Ukraine from September 13 to September 18, 1999 under the acronym MORAL-12. The European Centre of Technological Safety (TESEC), Kiev, Ukraine and J. Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia organised Intercomparison Measurements 99 jointly under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Nineteen teams from 9 countries and IAEA participated in the Workshop. Six field and personal and equipment contamination control exercises were prepared and conducted at two measuring sites with very different ambient dose rate levels. The Workshop pointed out that such exercises are very valuable for rapid, efficient and harmonised emergency response in case of nuclear or radiological emergency. The teams had an opportunity to test their ability to perform field measurements in the contaminated environment, and to report results on the spot, as well as to test their emergency preparedness and persistence. They gained new experiences for fieldwork under stress conditions. An overview and results of these intercomparison measurements are presented and lessons learned are discussed. (author)

  16. Intercomparison between CMIP5 model and MODIS satellite-retrieved data of aerosol optical depth, cloud fraction, and cloud-aerosol interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sockol, Alyssa; Small Griswold, Jennifer D.

    2017-08-01

    Aerosols are a critical component of the Earth's atmosphere and can affect the climate of the Earth through their interactions with solar radiation and clouds. Cloud fraction (CF) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used with analogous cloud and aerosol properties from Historical Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) model runs that explicitly include anthropogenic aerosols and parameterized cloud-aerosol interactions. The models underestimate AOD by approximately 15% and underestimate CF by approximately 10% overall on a global scale. A regional analysis is then used to evaluate model performance in two regions with known biomass burning activity and absorbing aerosol (South America (SAM) and South Africa (SAF)). In SAM, the models overestimate AOD by 4.8% and underestimate CF by 14%. In SAF, the models underestimate AOD by 35% and overestimate CF by 13.4%. Average annual cycles show that the monthly timing of AOD peaks closely match satellite data in both SAM and SAF for all except the Community Atmosphere Model 5 and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) models. Monthly timing of CF peaks closely match for all models (except GFDL) for SAM and SAF. Sorting monthly averaged 2° × 2.5° model or MODIS CF as a function of AOD does not result in the previously observed "boomerang"-shaped CF versus AOD relationship characteristic of regions with absorbing aerosols from biomass burning. Cloud-aerosol interactions, as observed using daily (or higher) temporal resolution data, are not reproducible at the spatial or temporal resolution provided by the CMIP5 models.

  17. Divergent surface and total soil moisture projections under global warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berg, Alexis; Sheffield, Justin; Milly, Paul C.D.

    2017-01-01

    Land aridity has been projected to increase with global warming. Such projections are mostly based on off-line aridity and drought metrics applied to climate model outputs but also are supported by climate-model projections of decreased surface soil moisture. Here we comprehensively analyze soil moisture projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5, including surface, total, and layer-by-layer soil moisture. We identify a robust vertical gradient of projected mean soil moisture changes, with more negative changes near the surface. Some regions of the northern middle to high latitudes exhibit negative annual surface changes but positive total changes. We interpret this behavior in the context of seasonal changes in the surface water budget. This vertical pattern implies that the extensive drying predicted by off-line drought metrics, while consistent with the projected decline in surface soil moisture, will tend to overestimate (negatively) changes in total soil water availability.

  18. Reference values and evaluation of the results of intercomparisons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aigner, H.; Deron, S.; Kuhn, E.

    1981-01-01

    The need of a reference value for the composition of materials distributed in intercomparisons is generally recognized. A single reference laboratory or a group of reference laboratories may be used to establish this reference value. The respective advantages and limitations of the two approaches are discussed. The reference measurements must be evaluated to provide the confidence limits of the reference value but also an estimate of the possible heterogeneity of the materials and its samples. The results of the intercomparison measurements should themselves be evaluated to test and discuss the significance of the biases of individual and selected groups of laboratories or techniques. The approach taken by the Analytical Quality Control Services of the International Atomic Energy Agency is illustrated by the SR-1 intercomparison on uranium assay in UO 2 powder

  19. Model Diagnostics for the Department of Energy's Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy (ACME) Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, B.

    2015-12-01

    In 2014, eight Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, four academic institutions, one company, and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research combined forces in a project called Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy (ACME) with the goal to speed Earth system model development for climate and energy. Over the planned 10-year span, the project will conduct simulations and modeling on DOE's most powerful high-performance computing systems at Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Lawrence Berkeley Leadership Compute Facilities. A key component of the ACME project is the development of an interactive test bed for the advanced Earth system model. Its execution infrastructure will accelerate model development and testing cycles. The ACME Workflow Group is leading the efforts to automate labor-intensive tasks, provide intelligent support for complex tasks and reduce duplication of effort through collaboration support. As part of this new workflow environment, we have created a diagnostic, metric, and intercomparison Python framework, called UVCMetrics, to aid in the testing-to-production execution of the ACME model. The framework exploits similarities among different diagnostics to compactly support diagnosis of new models. It presently focuses on atmosphere and land but is designed to support ocean and sea ice model components as well. This framework is built on top of the existing open-source software framework known as the Ultrascale Visualization Climate Data Analysis Tools (UV-CDAT). Because of its flexible framework design, scientists and modelers now can generate thousands of possible diagnostic outputs. These diagnostics can compare model runs, compare model vs. observation, or simply verify a model is physically realistic. Additional diagnostics are easily integrated into the framework, and our users have already added several. Diagnostics can be generated, viewed, and manipulated from the UV-CDAT graphical user interface, Python command line scripts and programs

  20. BRDF Characterization and Calibration Inter-Comparison between Terra MODIS, Aqua MODIS, and S-NPP VIIRS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Tiejun; Xiong, Xiaoxiong (Jack); Angal, Amit; Wu, Aisheng

    2016-01-01

    The inter-comparison of reflective solar bands (RSB) between Terra MODIS, Aqua MODIS, and SNPP VIIRS is very important for assessment of each instrument's calibration and to identify calibration improvements. One of the limitations of using their ground observations for the assessment is a lack of the simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNOs) over selected pseudo-invariant targets. In addition, their measurements over a selected Earth view target have significant difference in solar and view angles, and these differences magnify the effects of Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF). In this work, an inter-comparison technique using a semi-empirical BRDF model is developed for reflectance correction. BRDF characterization requires a broad coverage of solar and view angles in the measurements over selected pseudo-invariant targets. Reflectance measurements over Libya 1, 2, and 4 desert sites from both the Aqua and Terra MODIS are regressed to a BRDF model with an adjustable coefficient accounting for the calibration difference between the two instruments. The BRDF coefficients for three desert sites for MODIS bands 1 to 9 are derived and the wavelength dependencies are presented. The analysis and inter-comparison are for MODIS bands 1 to 9 and VIIRS moderate resolution radiometric bands (M bands) M1, M2, M4, M5, M7, M8, M10 and imaging bands (I bands) I1-I3. Results show that the ratios from different sites are in good agreement. The ratios between Terra and Aqua MODIS from year 2003 to 2014 are presented. The inter-comparison between MODIS and VIIRS are analyzed for year 2014.

  1. DOE Radiological Calibrations Intercomparison Program: Results of fiscal year 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cummings, F.M.; McDonald, J.C.

    1988-06-01

    This report presents the FY 1987 results of the radiological calibrations intercomparison program. The intercomparison operation is discussed, and the equipment is described, particularly the instrument set, the beta source set, and relevant calculations. Solutions to problems and improvements in the program are suggested, and conclusions are then introduced. 9 refs., 3 figs., 8 tabs

  2. Third EU MAT intercomparison on methods for the determination of vitamins B-1, B-2 and B-6 in food

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berg, H. van den; Schaik, F. van; Finglas, P.M.; Froidmont-Görtz, I. de

    1996-01-01

    An intercomparison study on the determination of vitamin B-1, B-2 and B-6 was performed as part of the EU MAT project involving 16 laboratories. Each laboratory was requested to analyse three different food samples (lyophilized pig's liver, mixed vegetables and wholemeal flour, respectively) using

  3. EURADOS intercomparison 2006 to harmonise European early warning dosimetry systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dombrowski, H.; Neumaier, S.; Thompson, I. M. G.; Wissmann, F.

    2009-01-01

    In 2006, the European Radiation Dosimetry (EURADOS) Working Group on Environmental Radiation Monitoring (WG3) organised a third European intercomparison of dosimetry systems operated in national early warning networks. Similar to the intercomparisons in 1999 and 2002, the main aim of this exercise was to support the process of harmonisation of area monitoring in Europe by providing the network operators with basic information on the calibration and performance of their dosimetry systems. In order to characterise these systems, their following basic parameters were investigated: the response to terrestrial and cosmic radiation, the detectors' inherent background, the response at low dose rates, the energy dependence of the response as well as the sensitivity of the detector systems to small changes of the dose rate in a natural environmental radiation field. In the 2006 EURADOS intercomparison, scientists from seven countries participated to study the characteristics of 11 detector systems. All results are presented in terms of the operational quantity ambient dose equivalent, H * (10). The advent of this quantity has caused the development of new detector systems for area monitoring. Some of these new systems participated in a EURADOS intercomparison for the first time. The results are consistently presented together with uncertainties so that statistical effects can be distinguished from real detector features, which improves the interpretation of the results. By using the results of this intercomparison, some detectors were re-calibrated. The achievable improvements concerning harmonisation in dose-rate measurements in the natural environment are discussed. (authors)

  4. Projected changes of rainfall seasonality and dry spells in a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario

    OpenAIRE

    Pascale, Salvatore; Lucarini, Valerio; Feng, Xue; Porporato, Amilcare; ul Hasson, Shabeh

    2016-01-01

    In this diagnostic study we analyze changes of rainfall seasonality and dry spells by the end of the twenty-first century under the most extreme IPCC5 emission scenario (RCP8.5) as projected by twenty-four coupled climate models contributing to Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5). We use estimates of the centroid of the monthly rainfall distribution as an index of the rainfall timing and a threshold-independent, information theory-based quantity such as relative entropy (RE) to qu...

  5. Inter-comparison of ice sheet mass balance products from GRACE: ESA CCI Round Robin results

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Groth, A.; Horwath, M.; Horvath, A.

    -term satellite-based data products are generated for selected ECVs. Since ice sheet mass balance is an ECV parameter of highest interest, both the AIS_cci and the GIS_cci project will provide mass balance products based on satellite gravimetry data: (a) time series of monthly mass changes for individual drainage...... basins, and (b) gridded mass changes covering the entire ice sheet.Gravimetry Mass Balance (GMB) products are derived from data acquired by the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission. Although GRACE data have the advantage of being directly sensitive to mass changes, their limited...... drainage basins the GMB time series are compared to independent mass balance products based on satellite altimetry and firn densification information from a regional climate model. This inter-comparison has aided the algorithm definition for the operational ECV production....

  6. Projections of Rainfall and Temperature from CMIP5 Models over BIMSTEC Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pattnayak, K. C.; Kar, S. C.; Ragi, A. R.

    2014-12-01

    Rainfall and surface temperature are the most important climatic variables in the context of climate change. Thus, these variables simulated from fifth phase of the Climate Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5) models have been compared against Climatic Research Unit (CRU) observed data and projected for the twenty first century under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios. Results for the seven countries under Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have been examined. Six CMIP5 models namely GFDL-CM3, GFDL-ESM2M, GFDL-ESM2G, HadGEM2-AO, HadGEM2-CC and HadGEM2-ES have been chosen for this study. The study period has been considered is from 1861 to 2100. From this period, initial 145 years i.e. 1861 to 2005 is reference or historical period and the later 95 years i.e. 2005 to 2100 is projected period. The climate change in the projected period has been examined with respect to the reference period. In order to validate the models, the mean annual rainfall and temperature has been compared with CRU over the reference period 1901 to 2005. Comparison reveals that most of the models are able to capture the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature over most of the regions of BIMSTEC countries. Therefore these model data can be used to study the future changes in the 21st Century. Four out six models shows that the rainfall over Central and North India, Thailand and eastern part of Myanmar shows decreasing trend and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka shows an increasing trend in both RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. In case of temperature, all of the models show an increasing trend over all the BIMSTEC countries in both scenarios, however, the rate of increase is relatively less over Sri Lanka than the other countries. Annual cycles of rainfall and temperature over Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand

  7. Optimal interpolation method for intercomparison of atmospheric measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridolfi, Marco; Ceccherini, Simone; Carli, Bruno

    2006-04-01

    Intercomparison of atmospheric measurements is often a difficult task because of the different spatial response functions of the experiments considered. We propose a new method for comparison of two atmospheric profiles characterized by averaging kernels with different vertical resolutions. The method minimizes the smoothing error induced by the differences in the averaging kernels by exploiting an optimal interpolation rule to map one profile into the retrieval grid of the other. Compared with the techniques published so far, this method permits one to retain the vertical resolution of the less-resolved profile involved in the intercomparison.

  8. Intercomparison of transuranics in sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilsson, K.

    1981-01-01

    This paper summarizes the results of a recent intercomparison of transuranic analyses in Nordic sediments undertaken by five laboratories. Five different samplers were tested to determine their consistency and utility. Plutonium and americium were determined in all the samples and the analysis of variance is discussed. (author)

  9. Cloud-resolving model intercomparison of an MC3E squall line case: Part I-Convective updrafts: CRM Intercomparison of a Squall Line

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, Jiwen [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland Washington USA; Han, Bin [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland Washington USA; School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing China; Varble, Adam [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City Utah USA; Morrison, Hugh [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder Colorado USA; North, Kirk [Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal Quebec USA; Kollias, Pavlos [Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal Quebec USA; School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Chen, Baojun [School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing China; Dong, Xiquan [Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona USA; Giangrande, Scott E. [Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton New York USA; Khain, Alexander [The Institute of the Earth Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem Israel; Lin, Yun [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A& M University, College Station Texas USA; Mansell, Edward [NOAA/OAR/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman Oklahoma USA; Milbrandt, Jason A. [Meteorological Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dorval Canada; Stenz, Ronald [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks North Dakota USA; Thompson, Gregory [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder Colorado USA; Wang, Yuan [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena California USA

    2017-09-06

    A constrained model intercomparison study of a mid-latitude mesoscale squall line is performed using the Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model at 1-km horizontal grid spacing with eight cloud microphysics schemes, to understand specific processes that lead to the large spread of simulated cloud and precipitation at cloud-resolving scales, with a focus of this paper on convective cores. Various observational data are employed to evaluate the baseline simulations. All simulations tend to produce a wider convective area than observed, but a much narrower stratiform area, with most bulk schemes overpredicting radar reflectivity. The magnitudes of the virtual potential temperature drop, pressure rise, and the peak wind speed associated with the passage of the gust front are significantly smaller compared with the observations, suggesting simulated cool pools are weaker. Simulations also overestimate the vertical velocity and Ze in convective cores as compared with observational retrievals. The modeled updraft velocity and precipitation have a significant spread across the eight schemes even in this strongly dynamically-driven system. The spread of updraft velocity is attributed to the combined effects of the low-level perturbation pressure gradient determined by cold pool intensity and buoyancy that is not necessarily well correlated to differences in latent heating among the simulations. Variability of updraft velocity between schemes is also related to differences in ice-related parameterizations, whereas precipitation variability increases in no-ice simulations because of scheme differences in collision-coalescence parameterizations.

  10. AMBER and Ecolego Intercomparisons using Calculations from SR 97

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maul, Philip; Robinson, Peter; Avila, Rodolfo; Broed, Robert; Pereira, Antonio

    2003-08-01

    The AMBER compartmental modelling software has been used by Quintessa in undertaking Performance Assessment (PA) calculations for SKI for the last four years. In particular, it was used in helping to identify key issues in the safety case for SFR 1. SSI and the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) are supporting the development of Ecolego which is based on the Matlab/Simulink general purpose modelling software and provides a user-friendly Graphical User Interface which is particularly suitable for undertaking PA calculations. At SKI/SSI expert group meetings in September 2002, Quintessa presented some radionuclide transport calculations for a deep repository for spent fuel using AMBER. Comparisons were presented with calculations undertaken by SKB in their SR 97 study. It was agreed that it would be useful to undertake some intercomparison calculations using AMBER and Ecolego based on calculation cases considered in SR 97. The reasons for undertaking such intercomparisons include: 1. to give confidence in the use of AMBER and Ecolego for whole system PA calculations for a deep repository; and 2. to provide SKI and SSI with an understanding of some of the technical issues raised by seeking to repeat the SR 97 calculations with different models and software. This report documents the intercomparison calculations that have been undertaken. The main conclusions that have been drawn are: 1. Both modelling packages could successfully reproduce SKB's SR 97 calculations for the near field, geosphere and biosphere. 2. The results of the deterministic calculations for the near field and both deterministic and probabilistic calculations for the biosphere, where AMBER and Ecolego used compartment models, were typically in agreement to within one significant figure. The identical results for the calculated equilibrium inventories in Bay sediments illustrate that the calculations by AMBER and Ecolego are essentially the same when the compartment models are identical

  11. Assessment of CMIP5 climate models and projected temperature changes over Northern Eurasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miao, Chiyuan; Duan, Qingyun; Sun, Qiaohong; Kong, Dongxian; Ye, Aizhong; Di, Zhenhua; Gong, Wei; Huang, Yong; Yang, Tiantian

    2014-01-01

    Assessing the performance of climate models in surface air temperature (SAT) simulation and projection have received increasing attention during the recent decades. This paper assesses the performance of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) in simulating intra-annual, annual and decadal temperature over Northern Eurasia from 1901 to 2005. We evaluate the skill of different multi-model ensemble techniques and use the best technique to project the future SAT changes under different emission scenarios. The results show that most of the general circulation models (GCMs) overestimate the annual mean SAT in Northern Eurasia and the difference between the observation and the simulations primarily comes from the winter season. Most of the GCMs can approximately capture the decadal SAT trend; however, the accuracy of annual SAT simulation is relatively low. The correlation coefficient R between each GCM simulation and the annual observation is in the range of 0.20 to 0.56. The Taylor diagram shows that the ensemble results generated by the simple model averaging (SMA), reliability ensemble averaging (REA) and Bayesian model averaging (BMA) methods are superior to any single GCM output; and the decadal SAT change generated by SMA, REA and BMA are almost identical during 1901–2005. Heuristically, the uncertainty of BMA simulation is the smallest among the three multi-model ensemble simulations. The future SAT projection generated by the BMA shows that the SAT in Northern Eurasia will increase in the 21st century by around 1.03 °C/100 yr, 3.11 °C/100 yr and 7.14 °C/100 yr under the RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively; and the warming accelerates with the increasing latitude. In addition, the spring season contributes most to the decadal warming occurring under the RCP 2.6 and RCP 4.5 scenarios, while the winter season contributes most to the decadal warming occurring under the RCP 8.5 scenario. Generally, the uncertainty of the SAT

  12. Multi-scale, multi-model assessment of projected land allocation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vernon, C. R.; Huang, M.; Chen, M.; Calvin, K. V.; Le Page, Y.; Kraucunas, I.

    2017-12-01

    Effects of land use and land cover change (LULCC) on climate are generally classified into two scale-dependent processes: biophysical and biogeochemical. An extensive amount of research has been conducted related to the impact of each process under alternative climate change futures. However, these studies are generally focused on the impacts of a single process and fail to bridge the gap between sector-driven scale dependencies and any associated dynamics. Studies have been conducted to better understand the relationship of these processes but their respective scale has not adequately captured overall interdependencies between land surface changes and changes in other human-earth systems (e.g., energy, water, economic, etc.). There has also been considerable uncertainty surrounding land use land cover downscaling approaches due to scale dependencies. Demeter, a land use land cover downscaling and change detection model, was created to address this science gap. Demeter is an open-source model written in Python that downscales zonal land allocation projections to the gridded resolution of a user-selected spatial base layer (e.g., MODIS, NLCD, EIA CCI, etc.). Demeter was designed to be fully extensible to allow for module inheritance and replacement for custom research needs, such as flexible IO design to facilitate the coupling of Earth system models (e.g., the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy (ACME) and the Community Earth System Model (CESM)) to integrated assessment models (e.g., the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM)). In this study, we first assessed the sensitivity of downscaled LULCC scenarios at multiple resolutions from Demeter to its parameters by comparing them to historical LULC change data. "Optimal" values of key parameters for each region were identified and used to downscale GCAM-based future scenarios consistent with those in the Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP). Demeter-downscaled land use scenarios were then compared to the

  13. A Canonical Response in Rainfall Characteristics to Global Warming: Projections by IPCC CMIP5 Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, William K. M.; Wu, H. T.; Kim, K. M.

    2012-01-01

    Changes in rainfall characteristics induced by global warming are examined based on probability distribution function (PDF) analysis, from outputs of 14 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), CMIP (5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) models under various scenarios of increased CO2 emissions. Results show that collectively CMIP5 models project a robust and consistent global and regional rainfall response to CO2 warming. Globally, the models show a 1-3% increase in rainfall per degree rise in temperature, with a canonical response featuring large increase (100-250 %) in frequency of occurrence of very heavy rain, a reduction (5-10%) of moderate rain, and an increase (10-15%) of light rain events. Regionally, even though details vary among models, a majority of the models (>10 out of 14) project a consistent large scale response with more heavy rain events in climatologically wet regions, most pronounced in the Pacific ITCZ and the Asian monsoon. Moderate rain events are found to decrease over extensive regions of the subtropical and extratropical oceans, but increases over the extratropical land regions, and the Southern Oceans. The spatial distribution of light rain resembles that of moderate rain, but mostly with opposite polarity. The majority of the models also show increase in the number of dry events (absence or only trace amount of rain) over subtropical and tropical land regions in both hemispheres. These results suggest that rainfall characteristics are changing and that increased extreme rainfall events and droughts occurrences are connected, as a consequent of a global adjustment of the large scale circulation to global warming.

  14. The Community Intercomparison Suite (CIS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson-Parris, Duncan; Schutgens, Nick; Cook, Nick; Kipling, Zak; Kershaw, Phil; Gryspeerdt, Ed; Lawrence, Bryan; Stier, Philip

    2017-04-01

    Earth observations (both remote and in-situ) create vast amounts of data providing invaluable constraints for the climate science community. Efficient exploitation of these complex and highly heterogeneous datasets has been limited however by the lack of suitable software tools, particularly for comparison of gridded and ungridded data, thus reducing scientific productivity. CIS (http://cistools.net) is an open-source, command line tool and Python library which allows the straight-forward quantitative analysis, intercomparison and visualisation of remote sensing, in-situ and model data. The CIS can read gridded and ungridded remote sensing, in-situ and model data - and many other data sources 'out-of-the-box', such as ESA Aerosol and Cloud CCI product, MODIS, Cloud CCI, Cloudsat, AERONET. Perhaps most importantly however CIS also employs a modular plugin architecture to allow for the reading of limitless different data types. Users are able to write their own plugins for reading the data sources which they are familiar with, and share them within the community, allowing all to benefit from their expertise. To enable the intercomparison of this data the CIS provides a number of operations including: the aggregation of ungridded and gridded datasets to coarser representations using a number of different built in averaging kernels; the subsetting of data to reduce its extent or dimensionality; the co-location of two distinct datasets onto a single set of co-ordinates; the visualisation of the input or output data through a number of different plots and graphs; the evaluation of arbitrary mathematical expressions against any number of datasets; and a number of other supporting functions such as a statistical comparison of two co-located datasets. These operations can be performed efficiently on local machines or large computing clusters - and is already available on the JASMIN computing facility. A case-study using the GASSP collection of in-situ aerosol observations

  15. Evaluating model simulations of 20th century sea-level rise. Part 1: global mean sea-level change

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slangen, A.B.A.; Meyssignac, B.; Agosta, C.; Champollion, N.; Church, J.A.; Fettweis, X.; Ligtenberg, S.R.M.; Marzeion, B.; Melet, A.; Palmer, M.D.; Richter, K.; Roberts, C.D.; Spada, G.

    2017-01-01

    Sea level change is one of the major consequences of climate change and is projected to affect coastal communities around the world. Here, global mean sea level (GMSL) change estimated by 12 climate models from phase 5 of the World Climate Research Programme’s Climate Model Intercomparison Project

  16. The Open Global Glacier Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marzeion, B.; Maussion, F.

    2017-12-01

    Mountain glaciers are one of the few remaining sub-systems of the global climate system for which no globally applicable, open source, community-driven model exists. Notable examples from the ice sheet community include the Parallel Ice Sheet Model or Elmer/Ice. While the atmospheric modeling community has a long tradition of sharing models (e.g. the Weather Research and Forecasting model) or comparing them (e.g. the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project or CMIP), recent initiatives originating from the glaciological community show a new willingness to better coordinate global research efforts following the CMIP example (e.g. the Glacier Model Intercomparison Project or the Glacier Ice Thickness Estimation Working Group). In the recent past, great advances have been made in the global availability of data and methods relevant for glacier modeling, spanning glacier outlines, automatized glacier centerline identification, bed rock inversion methods, and global topographic data sets. Taken together, these advances now allow the ice dynamics of glaciers to be modeled on a global scale, provided that adequate modeling platforms are available. Here, we present the Open Global Glacier Model (OGGM), developed to provide a global scale, modular, and open source numerical model framework for consistently simulating past and future global scale glacier change. Global not only in the sense of leading to meaningful results for all glaciers combined, but also for any small ensemble of glaciers, e.g. at the headwater catchment scale. Modular to allow combinations of different approaches to the representation of ice flow and surface mass balance, enabling a new kind of model intercomparison. Open source so that the code can be read and used by anyone and so that new modules can be added and discussed by the community, following the principles of open governance. Consistent in order to provide uncertainty measures at all realizable scales.

  17. Projected Changes in the Annual Cycle of Precipitation over Central Asia by CMIP5 Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, X.; Zhao, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Future changes in the annual cycle of the precipitation in central Asia (CA) were estimated based on the historical and Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) experiments from 25 models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). Compared with the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) observations, the historical (1979-1999) experiments showed that most models can capture the migration of rainfall centers, but remarkable discrepancies exist in the location and intensity of rainfall centers between simulations and observations. Considering the skill scores of precipitation and pattern correlations of circulations, which are closely related to the precipitation for each month, for the 25 models, the four best models (e.g., CanESM2, CMCC-CMS, MIROC5 and MPI-ESM-LR) with relatively good performance were selected. The four models' ensemble mean indicated that the migration and location of the precipitation centers were better reproduced, except the intensity of the centers was overestimated, compared with the result that only considered precipitation. Based on the four best models' ensemble mean under RCP8.5 scenarios, precipitation was projected to increase dramatically over most of the CA region in the boreal cold seasons (November, December, January, February, March, April and May) with the maximum in December in the end of twenty-first century (2079-2099), and several positive centers were located in the Pamirs Plateau and the Tianshan Mountains. By contrast, the precipitation changes were weak in the boreal warm seasons (June, July, August, September and October), with a wet center located in the northern Himalayas. Furthermore, there remain some uncertainties in the projected precipitation regions and periods obtained by comparing models' ensemble results of this paper and the results of previous studies. These uncertainties should be investigated in future work.

  18. Changes in groundwater recharge under projected climate in the upper Colorado River basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tillman, Fred; Gangopadhyay, Subhrendu; Pruitt, Tom

    2016-01-01

    Understanding groundwater-budget components, particularly groundwater recharge, is important to sustainably manage both groundwater and surface water supplies in the Colorado River basin now and in the future. This study quantifies projected changes in upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) groundwater recharge from recent historical (1950–2015) through future (2016–2099) time periods, using a distributed-parameter groundwater recharge model with downscaled climate data from 97 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 climate projections. Simulated future groundwater recharge in the UCRB is generally expected to be greater than the historical average in most decades. Increases in groundwater recharge in the UCRB are a consequence of projected increases in precipitation, offsetting reductions in recharge that would result from projected increased temperatures.

  19. The role of intercomparisons and intercalibrations in the improvement of internal dose assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffith, R.V.

    2000-01-01

    In vivo monitoring and dose assessment is a highly technical field. Moreover, it is carried out by a relatively small number of specialists. A number of technical steps can be taken to improve internal dosimetry programmes. However, one of the most valuable activities for overall improvement of measurement programmes is active participation in national and international intercomparisons and intercalibrations. These bring a number of benefits to the internal dosimetry programme, including validation of measurement practices, harmonisation of techniques, information exchange, and training. The number of intercalibration and intercomparison activities conducted on the national and international level has grown in recent years. These activities may involve actual measurement programmes or calculation exercises to compare approaches used for assessment of internal dose from measurement results. When conducted effectively such programmes are a highly cost effective use of limited resources. They also contribute to the credibility of the overall dosimetry process. Intercomparisons should be an important component of the in vivo measurement programme. Cooperation between the organisers of various intercomparison activities is essential to avoid unnecessary duplication and ensure the most effective use of the participants' time and energy. Future activities should address the use of simplified phantoms and source arrays to expedite shipping, reduce cost, and contribute to more timely conduct of intercomparisons. It is also important that managers and regulatory authorities be prepared to support intercomparison and intercalibration programmes. (author)

  20. Performance of dichromate dosimetry systems in calibration and dose intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bof, E.S.; Smolko, E.

    1999-01-01

    This report presents the results of the High Dose Dosimetry Laboratory of Argentina during ten years of international intercomparisons for high dose with the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) of the IAEA, using the standard high dose dichromate dosimetry system, and the results of a high dose intercomparison regional exercise in which our Laboratory acted as a reference laboratory, using the standard high dose and low dose dichromate dosimetry system. (author)

  1. Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison Exercise (ACIX)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vermote, E.; Doxani, G.; Gascon, F.; Roger, J. C.; Skakun, S.

    2017-12-01

    The free and open data access policy to Landsat-8 (L-8) and Sentinel-2 (S-2) satellite imagery has encouraged the development of atmospheric correction (AC) approaches for generating Bottom-of-Atmosphere (BOA) products. Several entities have started to generate (or plan to generate in the short term) BOA reflectance products at global scale for L-8 and S-2 missions. To this end, the European Space Agency (ESA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have initiated an exercise on the inter-comparison of the available AC processors. The results of the exercise are expected to point out the strengths and weaknesses, as well as communalities and discrepancies of various AC processors, in order to suggest and define ways for their further improvement. In particular, 11 atmospheric processors from five different countries participate in ACIX with the aim to inter-compare their performance when applied to L-8 and S-2 data. All the processors should be operational without requiring parametrization when applied on different areas. A protocol describing in details the inter-comparison metrics and the test dataset based on the AERONET sites has been agreed unanimously during the 1st ACIX workshop in June 2016. In particular, a basic and an advanced run of each of the processor were requested in the frame of ACIX, with the aim to draw robust and reliable conclusions on the processors' performance. The protocol also describes the comparison metrics of the aerosol optical thickness and water vapour products of the processors with the corresponding AERONET measurements. Moreover, concerning the surface reflectances, the inter-comparison among the processors is defined, as well as the comparison with the MODIS surface reflectance and with a reference surface reflectance product. Such a reference product will be obtained using the AERONET characterization of the aerosol (size distribution and refractive indices) and an accurate radiative transfer code. The inter-comparison

  2. Report on the intercomparison run IAEA-384. Radionuclides in Fangataufa lagoon sediment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Povinec, P.P.; Pham, M.K.

    2000-01-01

    The accurate and precise determinations of radionuclide concentrations in marine samples are important aspects of marine radioactivity assessments and the use of radionuclides in studies of oceanographic processes. To address the problem of data quality, and to assist Member States in verifying the performance of their laboratories, the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratory (MEL) in Monaco has conducted intercomparison exercises on radionuclides in marine samples for many years as part of its contribution to the IAEA's programme of Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS). For this intercomparison exercise, in 1996 IAEA-MEL collected sediment in Fangataufa lagoon, French Polynesia. The sample aliquots were distributed during 1997-1998 for intercomparison of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides. 110 laboratories worldwide agreed to participate. Of these, only 94 sent results which could be used in the evaluation of this intercomparison exercise. This report describes the results obtained from 94 laboratories on anthropogenic and natural radionuclide determinations in Fangataufa lagoon sediment

  3. Report on the intercomparison run IAEA-384. Radionuclides in Fangataufa lagoon sediment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Povinec, P P; Pham, M K

    2000-07-01

    The accurate and precise determinations of radionuclide concentrations in marine samples are important aspects of marine radioactivity assessments and the use of radionuclides in studies of oceanographic processes. To address the problem of data quality, and to assist Member States in verifying the performance of their laboratories, the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratory (MEL) in Monaco has conducted intercomparison exercises on radionuclides in marine samples for many years as part of its contribution to the IAEA's programme of Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS). For this intercomparison exercise, in 1996 IAEA-MEL collected sediment in Fangataufa lagoon, French Polynesia. The sample aliquots were distributed during 1997-1998 for intercomparison of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides. 110 laboratories worldwide agreed to participate. Of these, only 94 sent results which could be used in the evaluation of this intercomparison exercise. This report describes the results obtained from 94 laboratories on anthropogenic and natural radionuclide determinations in Fangataufa lagoon sediment.

  4. Nuclear accident dosimetry, Report on the Third IAEA intercomparison experiment at Vinca, Yugoslavia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1977-03-15

    The objective of this report is to present the results of the third IAEA intercomparison experiment held at the Boris Kidric Institute, Vinca, in May 1973. These experiments were a part of multi laboratory intercomparison programme sponsored by the IAEA for evaluation of nuclear accident dosimetry systems that ought to provide adequate information in the event of criticality accidents. This report deals with the data concerning the Third intercomparison experiments in which the RB reactor at Vinca was used as a source of mixed radiation.

  5. Web-based access, aggregation, and visualization of future climate projections with emphasis on agricultural assessments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villoria, Nelson B.; Elliott, Joshua; Müller, Christoph; Shin, Jaewoo; Zhao, Lan; Song, Carol

    2018-01-01

    Access to climate and spatial datasets by non-specialists is restricted by technical barriers involving hardware, software and data formats. We discuss an open-source online tool that facilitates downloading the climate data from the global circulation models used by the Inter-Sectoral Impacts Model Intercomparison Project. The tool also offers temporal and spatial aggregation capabilities for incorporating future climate scenarios in applications where spatial aggregation is important. We hope that streamlined access to these data facilitates analysis of climate related issues while considering the uncertainties derived from future climate projections and temporal aggregation choices.

  6. An intercomparison on radionuclides in environmental samples, Baltic-Danish co-operation project on radiation protection 2001-2003

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, S.P.

    2004-01-01

    Sixteen laboratories participated in an intercomparison exercise carried out in 2003 on laboratory analyses of radionuclides in environmental samples. The sample types included seawater, lake water, soil, dry milk and seaweed and the exercise involved theradionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, 60Co, 239, 240Pu...... laboratories passed the evaluation tests. The results indicate that for several of the laboratories there isroom to improve the analytical quality on radionuclides in environmental samples to match an uncertainty corresponding to a relative standard deviation of 10%....

  7. Constraints and potentials of future irrigation water availability on agricultural production under climate change

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elliott, J.; Deryng, D.; Muller, C.; Frieler, K.; Konzmann, M.; Gerten, D.; Glotter, M.; Florke, M.F.; Wada, Y.; Ludwig, F.

    2014-01-01

    We compare ensembles of water supply and demand projections from 10 global hydrological models and six global gridded crop models. These are produced as part of the Inter-Sectoral Impacts Model Intercomparison Project, with coordination from the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement

  8. Environmental radioactive intercomparison program and radioactive standards program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dilbeck, G. [Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

    1993-12-31

    The Environmental Radioactivity Intercomparison Program described herein provides quality assurance support for laboratories involved in analyzing public drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Regulations, and to the environmental radiation monitoring activities of various agencies. More than 300 federal and state nuclear facilities and private laboratories participate in some phase of the program. This presentation describes the Intercomparison Program studies and matrices involved, summarizes the precision and accuracy requirements of various radioactive analytes, and describes the traceability determinations involved with radioactive calibration standards distributed to the participants. A summary of program participants, sample and report distributions, and additional responsibilities of this program are discussed.

  9. ADMS-AIRPORT: MODEL INTER-COMPARISIONS AND MODEL VALIDATION

    OpenAIRE

    Carruthers, David; McHugh, Christine; Church, Stephanie; Jackson, Mark; Williams, Matt; Price, Catheryn; Lad, Chetan

    2008-01-01

    Abstract: The functionality of ADMS-Airport and details of its use in the Model Inter-comparison Study of the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow Airport (PSDH) have previously been presented, Carruthers et al (2007). A distinguishing feature is the treatment of jet engine emissions as moving jet sources rather than averaging these emissions into volume sources as is the case in some other models. In this presentation two further studies are presented which each contribu...

  10. Importance of Intercomparison Exercises in Assessment of Internal Exposure by Whole-Body Counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrasi, A.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: Basic requirement for any kind of measurement is to check and prove the reliability and correctness of the measured results. Quality assurance programmes require several activities among which the participation in intercomparison exercises plays an important role. Since the determination of radioactive materials in the human body by whole-body counting technique implies many sources of uncertainties the reliability of calibration data and consequently the measured results have to be checked by participation in intercomparison quality control programmes. In these programmes mostly different kinds of phantoms simulating the human body are circulated among the participating laboratories, however sometimes contaminated persons are also subjects of intercomparison measurements. There are guidelines in several countries laid down concerning the requirements of whole-body counter measurements where the performance criteria for the relative bias, precision and minimum detectable amounts are formulated. These quantities are mostly the subject of intercomparison programmes. The whole body counter laboratory of the KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute participated in intercomparison exercises several times in the last few years. The lessons learned during these activities helped in checking the capabilities of applied methods and measuring geometry as well as contributed in improving the accuracy of the measured results. A short overview on the previous international intercomparison exercises their main characteristics the results obtained and conclusions drawn are discussed in the paper with special attention to those in which also our laboratory participated. (author)

  11. Intercomparison and validation of operational coastal-scale models, the experience of the project MOMAR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandini, C.; Coudray, S.; Taddei, S.; Fattorini, M.; Costanza, L.; Lapucci, C.; Poulain, P.; Gerin, R.; Ortolani, A.; Gozzini, B.

    2012-04-01

    The need for regional governments to implement operational systems for the sustainable management of coastal waters, in order to meet the requirements imposed by legislation (e.g. EU directives such as WFD, MSFD, BD and relevant national legislation) often lead to the implementation of coastal measurement networks and to the construction of computational models that surround and describe parts of regional seas without falling in the classic definition of regional/coastal models. Although these operational models may be structured to cover parts of different oceanographic basins, they can have considerable advantages and highlight relevant issues, such as the role of narrow channels, straits and islands in coastal circulation, as both in physical and biogeochemical processes such as in the exchanges of water masses among basins. Two models of this type were made in the context of cross-border European project MOMAR: an operational model of the Tuscan Archipelago sea and one around the Corsica coastal waters, which are both located between the Tyrrhenian and the Algerian-Ligurian-Provençal basins. Although these two models were based on different computer codes (MARS3D and ROMS), they have several elements in common, such as a 400 m resolution, boundary conditions from the same "father" model, and an important area of overlap, the Corsica channel, which has a key role in the exchange of water masses between the two oceanographic basins. In this work we present the results of the comparison of these two ocean forecasting systems in response to different weather and oceanographic forcing. In particular, we discuss aspects related to the validation of the two systems, and a systematic comparison between the forecast/hindcast based on such hydrodynamic models, as regards to both operational models available at larger scale, both to in-situ measurements made by fixed or mobile platforms. In this context we will also present the results of two oceanographic cruises in the

  12. Analysis of laboratory intercomparison data: a matter of independence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro F. Rebelo

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available When laboratory intercomparison exercises are conducted, there is no a priori dependence of the concentration of a certain compound determined in one laboratory to that determined by another(s. The same applies when comparing different methodologies. A existing data set of total mercury readings in fish muscle samples involved in a Brazilian intercomparison exercise was used to show that correlation analysis is the most effective statistical tool in this kind of experiments. Problems associated with alternative analytical tools such as mean or paired 't'-test comparison and regression analysis are discussed.

  13. Intercomparison campaign of Contracted Partner Institutes 1997

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinen, H.A.J.M.; Tijsmans, M.H.; Van Tuinen, S.T.; Overwater, R.M.W.; Aldenkamp, F.J.

    1998-01-01

    The Dutch National Plan for Nuclear Emergency Planning and Response (EPR) is trained frequently. Intercomparison campaigns and exercises are part of this training for the Contracted Partner Institutes (CPI). The results of an intercomparison campaign in 1997 for the CPI are reported. Two carbon cartridges, one contaminated homogeneously and one inhomogeneously with 131 I, and a water sample contaminated with 134 Cs and 137 Cs were analysed by means of gamma spectroscopy. The results had to be faxed to RIVM within the time limits prescribed in the emergency protocols for CPI, i.e. 2 hours for the cartridges and 24 hours for the water sample. Most CPI reported in time. The results for the inhomogeneously contaminated cartridge are within 25% from the accepted reference value (ARV). For the homogeneously contaminated cartridge the results are within 40% from the ARV. In reality, the contamination of the cartridge will have an exponential profile, with most of the activity in the first few millimeters. In this situation results can be expected to be within 20% from the true value. The results for the water sample are within 5% from the ARV. Although most CPI have applied corrections for coincidence summing for 134 Cs there is still a systematic error of 4% for this nuclide. In regard of the requirements for measurements during emergency situations, the results of this intercomparison campaign are satisfactory

  14. What Climate Sensitivity Index Is Most Useful for Projections?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grose, Michael R.; Gregory, Jonathan; Colman, Robert; Andrews, Timothy

    2018-02-01

    Transient climate response (TCR), transient response at 140 years (T140), and equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) indices are intended as benchmarks for comparing the magnitude of climate response projected by climate models. It is generally assumed that TCR or T140 would explain more variability between models than ECS for temperature change over the 21st century, since this timescale is the realm of transient climate change. Here we find that TCR explains more variability across Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 than ECS for global temperature change since preindustrial, for 50 or 100 year global trends up to the present, and for projected change under representative concentration pathways in regions of delayed warming such as the Southern Ocean. However, unexpectedly, we find that ECS correlates higher than TCR for projected change from the present in the global mean and in most regions. This higher correlation does not relate to aerosol forcing, and the physical cause requires further investigation.

  15. Dosimetry audits and intercomparisons in radiotherapy: A Malaysian profile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noor, Noramaliza M.; Nisbet, A.; Hussein, M.; Chu S, Sarene; Kadni, T.; Abdullah, N.; Bradley, D.A.

    2017-01-01

    Quality audits and intercomparisons are important in ensuring control of processes in any system of endeavour. Present interest is in control of dosimetry in teletherapy, there being a need to assess the extent to which there is consistent radiation dose delivery to the patient. In this study we review significant factors that impact upon radiotherapy dosimetry, focusing upon the example situation of radiotherapy delivery in Malaysia, examining existing literature in support of such efforts. A number of recommendations are made to provide for increased quality assurance and control. In addition to this study, the first level of intercomparison audit i.e. measuring beam output under reference conditions at eight selected Malaysian radiotherapy centres is checked; use being made of 9 µm core diameter Ge-doped silica fibres (Ge-9 µm). The results of Malaysian Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) participation in the IAEA/WHO TLD postal dose audit services during the period between 2011 and 2015 will also been discussed. In conclusion, following review of the development of dosimetry audits and the conduct of one such exercise in Malaysia, it is apparent that regular periodic radiotherapy audits and intercomparison programmes should be strongly supported and implemented worldwide. The programmes to-date demonstrate these to be a good indicator of errors and of consistency between centres. A total of ei+ght beams have been checked in eight Malaysian radiotherapy centres. One out of the eight beams checked produced an unacceptable deviation; this was found to be due to unfamiliarity with the irradiation procedures. Prior to a repeat measurement, the mean ratio of measured to quoted dose was found to be 0.99 with standard deviation of 3%. Subsequent to the repeat measurement, the mean distribution was 1.00, and the standard deviation was 1.3%. - Highlights: • We review significant factors that impact upon radiotherapy dosimetry, • We carried out the

  16. Refining multi-model projections of temperature extremes by evaluation against land-atmosphere coupling diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sippel, Sebastian; Zscheischler, Jakob; Mahecha, Miguel D.; Orth, Rene; Reichstein, Markus; Vogel, Martha; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

    2017-05-01

    The Earth's land surface and the atmosphere are strongly interlinked through the exchange of energy and matter. This coupled behaviour causes various land-atmosphere feedbacks, and an insufficient understanding of these feedbacks contributes to uncertain global climate model projections. For example, a crucial role of the land surface in exacerbating summer heat waves in midlatitude regions has been identified empirically for high-impact heat waves, but individual climate models differ widely in their respective representation of land-atmosphere coupling. Here, we compile an ensemble of 54 combinations of observations-based temperature (T) and evapotranspiration (ET) benchmarking datasets and investigate coincidences of T anomalies with ET anomalies as a proxy for land-atmosphere interactions during periods of anomalously warm temperatures. First, we demonstrate that a large fraction of state-of-the-art climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) archive produces systematically too frequent coincidences of high T anomalies with negative ET anomalies in midlatitude regions during the warm season and in several tropical regions year-round. These coincidences (high T, low ET) are closely related to the representation of temperature variability and extremes across the multi-model ensemble. Second, we derive a land-coupling constraint based on the spread of the T-ET datasets and consequently retain only a subset of CMIP5 models that produce a land-coupling behaviour that is compatible with these benchmark estimates. The constrained multi-model simulations exhibit more realistic temperature extremes of reduced magnitude in present climate in regions where models show substantial spread in T-ET coupling, i.e. biases in the model ensemble are consistently reduced. Also the multi-model simulations for the coming decades display decreased absolute temperature extremes in the constrained ensemble. On the other hand, the differences between projected

  17. Emulating atmosphere-ocean and carbon cycle models with a simpler model, MAGICC6 – Part 2: Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Meinshausen

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Intercomparisons of coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs and carbon cycle models are important for galvanizing our current scientific knowledge to project future climate. Interpreting such intercomparisons faces major challenges, not least because different models have been forced with different sets of forcing agents. Here, we show how an emulation approach with MAGICC6 can address such problems. In a companion paper (Meinshausen et al., 2011a, we show how the lower complexity carbon cycle-climate model MAGICC6 can be calibrated to emulate, with considerable accuracy, globally aggregated characteristics of these more complex models. Building on that, we examine here the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project's Phase 3 results (CMIP3. If forcing agents missed by individual AOGCMs in CMIP3 are considered, this reduces ensemble average temperature change from pre-industrial times to 2100 under SRES A1B by 0.4 °C. Differences in the results from the 1980 to 1999 base period (as reported in IPCC AR4 to 2100 are negligible, however, although there are some differences in the trajectories over the 21st century. In a second part of this study, we consider the new RCP scenarios that are to be investigated under the forthcoming CMIP5 intercomparison for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. For the highest scenario, RCP8.5, relative to pre-industrial levels, we project a median warming of around 4.6 °C by 2100 and more than 7 °C by 2300. For the lowest RCP scenario, RCP3-PD, the corresponding warming is around 1.5 °C by 2100, decreasing to around 1.1 °C by 2300 based on our AOGCM and carbon cycle model emulations. Implied cumulative CO2 emissions over the 21st century for RCP8.5 and RCP3-PD are 1881 GtC (1697 to 2034 GtC, 80% uncertainty range and 381 GtC (334 to 488 GtC, when prescribing CO2 concentrations and accounting for uncertainty in the carbon cycle. Lastly, we assess the reasons why a previous MAGICC

  18. A soil sampling intercomparison exercise for the ALMERA network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belli, Maria [Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via di Castel Romano 100, I-00128 Roma (Italy)], E-mail: maria.belli@apat.it; Zorzi, Paolo de [Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via di Castel Romano 100, I-00128 Roma (Italy)], E-mail: paolo.dezorzi@isprambiente.it; Sansone, Umberto [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency' s Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf (Austria)], E-mail: u.sansone@iaea.org; Shakhashiro, Abduhlghani [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency' s Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf (Austria)], E-mail: a.shakhashiro@iaea.org; Gondin da Fonseca, Adelaide [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency' s Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf (Austria)], E-mail: a.gondin-da-fonseca-azeredo@iaea.org; Trinkl, Alexander [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency' s Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf (Austria)], E-mail: a.trinkl@iaea.org; Benesch, Thomas [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency' s Laboratories Seibersdorf, A-2444 Seibersdorf (Austria)], E-mail: t.benesch@iaea.org

    2009-11-15

    Soil sampling and analysis for radionuclides after an accidental or routine release is a key factor for the dose calculation to members of the public, and for the establishment of possible countermeasures. The IAEA organized for selected laboratories of the ALMERA (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) network a Soil Sampling Intercomparison Exercise (IAEA/SIE/01) with the objective of comparing soil sampling procedures used by different laboratories. The ALMERA network is a world-wide network of analytical laboratories located in IAEA member states capable of providing reliable and timely analysis of environmental samples in the event of an accidental or intentional release of radioactivity. Ten ALMERA laboratories were selected to participate in the sampling exercise. The soil sampling intercomparison exercise took place in November 2005 in an agricultural area qualified as a 'reference site', aimed at assessing the uncertainties associated with soil sampling in agricultural, semi-natural, urban and contaminated environments and suitable for performing sampling intercomparison. In this paper, the laboratories sampling performance were evaluated.

  19. A soil sampling intercomparison exercise for the ALMERA network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belli, Maria; Zorzi, Paolo de; Sansone, Umberto; Shakhashiro, Abduhlghani; Gondin da Fonseca, Adelaide; Trinkl, Alexander; Benesch, Thomas

    2009-01-01

    Soil sampling and analysis for radionuclides after an accidental or routine release is a key factor for the dose calculation to members of the public, and for the establishment of possible countermeasures. The IAEA organized for selected laboratories of the ALMERA (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) network a Soil Sampling Intercomparison Exercise (IAEA/SIE/01) with the objective of comparing soil sampling procedures used by different laboratories. The ALMERA network is a world-wide network of analytical laboratories located in IAEA member states capable of providing reliable and timely analysis of environmental samples in the event of an accidental or intentional release of radioactivity. Ten ALMERA laboratories were selected to participate in the sampling exercise. The soil sampling intercomparison exercise took place in November 2005 in an agricultural area qualified as a 'reference site', aimed at assessing the uncertainties associated with soil sampling in agricultural, semi-natural, urban and contaminated environments and suitable for performing sampling intercomparison. In this paper, the laboratories sampling performance were evaluated.

  20. Impact of Spatial Scales on the Intercomparison of Climate Scenarios

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Wei; Steptoe, Michael; Chang, Zheng; Link, Robert; Clarke, Leon; Maciejewski, Ross

    2017-01-01

    Scenario analysis has been widely applied in climate science to understand the impact of climate change on the future human environment, but intercomparison and similarity analysis of different climate scenarios based on multiple simulation runs remain challenging. Although spatial heterogeneity plays a key role in modeling climate and human systems, little research has been performed to understand the impact of spatial variations and scales on similarity analysis of climate scenarios. To address this issue, the authors developed a geovisual analytics framework that lets users perform similarity analysis of climate scenarios from the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) using a hierarchical clustering approach.

  1. Climate model performance and change projection for freshwater fluxes: Comparison for irrigated areas in Central and South Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shilpa M. Asokan

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Study region: The large semi-arid Aral Region in Central Asia and the smaller tropical Mahanadi River Basin (MRB in India. Study focus: Few studies have so far evaluated the performance of the latest generation of global climate models on hydrological basin scales. We here investigate the performance and projections of the global climate models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5 (CMIP5 for freshwater fluxes and their changes in two regional hydrological basins, which are both irrigated but of different scale and with different climate. New hydrological insights for the region: For precipitation in both regions, model accuracy relative to observations has remained the same or decreased in successive climate model generations until and including CMIP5. No single climate model out-performs other models across all key freshwater variables in any of the investigated basins. Scale effects are not evident from global model application directly to freshwater assessment for the two basins of widely different size. Overall, model results are less accurate and more uncertain for freshwater fluxes than for temperature, and particularly so for model-implied water storage changes. Also, the monsoon-driven runoff seasonality in MRB is not accurately reproduced. Model projections agree on evapotranspiration increase in both regions until the climatic period 2070–2099. This increase is fed by precipitation increase in MRB and by runoff water (thereby decreasing runoff in the Aral Region. Keywords: CMIP5 global climate models, Hydro-climate, Freshwater change, Central Asia, South Asia, Monsoon driven seasonality

  2. PNNL Results from 2010 CALIBAN Criticality Accident Dosimeter Intercomparison Exercise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hill, Robin L.; Conrady, Matthew M.

    2011-01-01

    This document reports the results of the Hanford personnel nuclear accident dosimeter (PNAD) and fixed nuclear accident dosimeter (FNAD) during a criticality accident dosimeter intercomparison exercise at the CEA Valduc Center on September 20-23, 2010. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) participated in a criticality accident dosimeter intercomparison exercise at the Commissariat a Energie Atomique (CEA) Valduc Center near Dijon, France on September 20-23, 2010. The intercomparison exercise was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Criticality Safety Program, with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as the lead Laboratory. PNNL was one of six invited DOE Laboratory participants. The other participating Laboratories were: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Savannah River Site (SRS), the Y-12 National Security Complex at Oak Ridge, and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL). The goals of PNNL's participation in the intercomparison exercise were to test and validate the procedures and algorithm currently used for the Hanford personnel nuclear accident dosimeters (PNADs) on the metallic reactor, CALIBAN, to test exposures to PNADs from the side and from behind a phantom, and to test PNADs that were taken from a historical batch of Hanford PNADs that had varying degrees of degradation of the bare indium foil. Similar testing of the PNADs was done on the Valduc SILENE test reactor in 2009 (Hill and Conrady, 2010). The CALIBAN results are reported here.

  3. Visualizing projected Climate Changes - the CMIP5 Multi-Model Ensemble

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böttinger, Michael; Eyring, Veronika; Lauer, Axel; Meier-Fleischer, Karin

    2017-04-01

    Large ensembles add an additional dimension to climate model simulations. Internal variability of the climate system can be assessed for example by multiple climate model simulations with small variations in the initial conditions or by analyzing the spread in large ensembles made by multiple climate models under common protocols. This spread is often used as a measure of uncertainty in climate projections. In the context of the fifth phase of the WCRP's Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), more than 40 different coupled climate models were employed to carry out a coordinated set of experiments. Time series of the development of integral quantities such as the global mean temperature change for all models visualize the spread in the multi-model ensemble. A similar approach can be applied to 2D-visualizations of projected climate changes such as latitude-longitude maps showing the multi-model mean of the ensemble by adding a graphical representation of the uncertainty information. This has been demonstrated for example with static figures in chapter 12 of the last IPCC report (AR5) using different so-called stippling and hatching techniques. In this work, we focus on animated visualizations of multi-model ensemble climate projections carried out within CMIP5 as a way of communicating climate change results to the scientific community as well as to the public. We take a closer look at measures of robustness or uncertainty used in recent publications suitable for animated visualizations. Specifically, we use the ESMValTool [1] to process and prepare the CMIP5 multi-model data in combination with standard visualization tools such as NCL and the commercial 3D visualization software Avizo to create the animations. We compare different visualization techniques such as height fields or shading with transparency for creating animated visualization of ensemble mean changes in temperature and precipitation including corresponding robustness measures. [1] Eyring, V

  4. Possible future changes in South East Australian frost frequency: an inter-comparison of statistical downscaling approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crimp, Steven; Jin, Huidong; Kokic, Philip; Bakar, Shuvo; Nicholls, Neville

    2018-04-01

    Anthropogenic climate change has already been shown to effect the frequency, intensity, spatial extent, duration and seasonality of extreme climate events. Understanding these changes is an important step in determining exposure, vulnerability and focus for adaptation. In an attempt to support adaptation decision-making we have examined statistical modelling techniques to improve the representation of global climate model (GCM) derived projections of minimum temperature extremes (frosts) in Australia. We examine the spatial changes in minimum temperature extreme metrics (e.g. monthly and seasonal frost frequency etc.), for a region exhibiting the strongest station trends in Australia, and compare these changes with minimum temperature extreme metrics derived from 10 GCMs, from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP 5) datasets, and via statistical downscaling. We compare the observed trends with those derived from the "raw" GCM minimum temperature data as well as examine whether quantile matching (QM) or spatio-temporal (spTimerQM) modelling with Quantile Matching can be used to improve the correlation between observed and simulated extreme minimum temperatures. We demonstrate, that the spTimerQM modelling approach provides correlations with observed daily minimum temperatures for the period August to November of 0.22. This represents an almost fourfold improvement over either the "raw" GCM or QM results. The spTimerQM modelling approach also improves correlations with observed monthly frost frequency statistics to 0.84 as opposed to 0.37 and 0.81 for the "raw" GCM and QM results respectively. We apply the spatio-temporal model to examine future extreme minimum temperature projections for the period 2016 to 2048. The spTimerQM modelling results suggest the persistence of current levels of frost risk out to 2030, with the evidence of continuing decadal variation.

  5. Dose intercomparison studies for standardization of high-dose dosimetry in Viet Nam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mai Hoang Hoa; Duong Nguyen Dinh; Kojima, T.

    1999-01-01

    The Irradiation Center of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission (IC-VAEC) is planning to establish a traceability system for high-dose dosimetry and to provide high-dose standards as a secondary standard dosimetry laboratory (SSDL) level in Vietnam. For countries which do not have a standard dosimetry laboratory, the participation in the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the most common means to verify own dosimetry performance with a certain uncertainty. This is, however, only one-direction dose intercomparison with evaluation by IAEA including unknown parameter at participant laboratories. The SSDL level laboratory should have traceability as well as compatibility, ability to evaluate uncertainties of its own dosimetry performance by itself In the present paper, we reviewed our dosimetry performance through two-way dose intercomparison studies and self-evaluation of uncertainty in our dosimetry procedure. The performance of silver dichromate dosimeter as reference transfer dosimeter in IC-VAEC was studied through two-way blind dose intercomparison experiments between the IC-VAEC and JAERI. As another channel of dose intercomparison with IAEA, alanine dosimeters issued by IDAS were simultaneously irradiated with the IC-VAEC dichromate dosimeters at IC-VAEC and analyzed by IAEA. Dose intercomparison between IC-VAEC and JAERI results into a good agreement (better than ±2.5%), and IDAS results also show similar agreement within ±3.0%. The uncertainty was self-estimated on the basis of the JAERI alanine dosimetry, and a preliminary value of about 1.86% at a 68% confidence level is established. The results from these intercomparisons and our estimation of the uncertainty are consistent. We hope that our experience is valuable to other countries which do not have dosimetry standard laboratories and/or are planning to establish them. (author)

  6. Bico 2: second national intercomparison campaign of WBC centres working in Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castellani, C.M.; Battisti, P.; Tarroni, G.

    1998-01-01

    During the period November 1994 - May 1995 the coordinating group of WBC centres working in Italy organised the 2. national intercalibration and intercomparison campaign. A BOMAB phantom was used filled with four radionuclides gel solution with gamma energy emissions ranging between 100 keV and 2 MeV. 17 out of 21 Italian WBC centres took part in the campaign. Through the intercalibration, organised according to internationally accepted methodologies, each WBC centre could check its own calibration procedures. many intermediate data, collected for the methodologies and measurement procedures intercomparison, permitted analyses and comparison of uncertainly causes in a WBC measurement of the internal contamination. A proposal of MDA definition and assessment procedure resulted from the intercomparison campaign [it

  7. Intercomparison test on hearing protectors (EU, VG4)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Torben

    1997-01-01

    Real Ear Attenuation at Threshold (REAT) was measured on 16 human test subjects in accordance with EN 24869-1. Insertion loss for the individual cups was determined in accordance with EN 352-1, paragraph 7.11-7.11.3.3. Both the REAT and the insertion loss measurements were performed in an approxi......Real Ear Attenuation at Threshold (REAT) was measured on 16 human test subjects in accordance with EN 24869-1. Insertion loss for the individual cups was determined in accordance with EN 352-1, paragraph 7.11-7.11.3.3. Both the REAT and the insertion loss measurements were performed...... in an approximated diffuse field. The field was established in a semi reverberant room with uncorrelated one-third octave bands of noise from two loudspeakers. The measurements are part of a European intercomparison project 'Sound attenuation in accordance with EN-24869-1'....

  8. Lessons learnt from participation in international inter-comparison exercise for environmental radioactivity measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jha, S.K.; Pulhani, Vandana; Sartandel, Sangeeta

    2016-06-01

    Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Section of Health Physics Division is regularly carrying out surveillance of the radioactivity concentration in the environment. The laboratory participates in the inter-comparison exercises conducted by various international agencies for quality assurance and quality control of analytical estimations. This report summarizes the results of the analysis of radioactivity in environmental matrices of the inter-comparison exercises. The participation in inter-comparison exercises has demonstrated competence in radionuclide identification and estimations, equivalence with the results of other participating laboratories, validated adopted analytical methods, introduced traceability to measurement etc. at national and international level. (author)

  9. Projected changes to South Atlantic boundary currents and confluence region in the CMIP5 models: the role of wind and deep ocean changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontes, G. M.; Gupta, A. Sen; Taschetto, A. S.

    2016-09-01

    The South Atlantic (SA) circulation plays an important role in the oceanic teleconnections from the Indian, Pacific and Southern oceans to the North Atlantic, with inter-hemispheric exchanges of heat and salt. Here, we show that the large-scale features of the SA circulation are projected to change significantly under ‘business as usual’ greenhouse gas increases. Based on 19 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 there is a projected weakening in the upper ocean interior transport (stress curl over this region. The reduction in ocean interior circulation is largely compensated by a decrease in the net deep southward ocean transport (>1000 m), mainly related to a decrease in the North Atlantic deep water transport. Between 30° and 40°S, there is a consistent projected intensification in the Brazil current strength of about 40% (30%-58% interquartile range) primarily compensated by an intensification of the upper interior circulation across the Indo-Atlantic basin. The Brazil-Malvinas confluence is projected to shift southwards, driven by a weakening of the Malvinas current. Such a change could have important implications for the distribution of marine species in the southwestern SA in the future.

  10. Report on the IAEA coordinated research programme on the intercomparison of evaluations of actinide neutron nuclear data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yiftah, S.

    1979-03-01

    Following discussions and Consultants Meeting in 1976, the IAEA, in response to recommendations made formed two coordinated research projects (CRP): one on the Intercomparison of Evaluations of Actinide Neutron Nuclear Data, the other on the Measurement and Evaluation of Transactinium Isotope Nuclear Decay Data. This report covers work done, and to be done, in the framework of the first CRP, as well as some of the practical problems for future work. (B.G.)

  11. Key features of the IPSL ocean atmosphere model and its sensitivity to atmospheric resolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marti, Olivier; Braconnot, P.; Bellier, J.; Brockmann, P.; Caubel, A.; Noblet, N. de; Friedlingstein, P.; Idelkadi, A.; Kageyama, M. [Unite Mixte CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, IPSL/LSCE, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Dufresne, J.L.; Bony, S.; Codron, F.; Fairhead, L.; Grandpeix, J.Y.; Hourdin, F.; Musat, I. [Unite Mixte CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique-ENS-UPCM, IPSL/LMD, Paris Cedex 05 (France); Benshila, R.; Guilyardi, E.; Levy, C.; Madec, G.; Mignot, J.; Talandier, C. [unite mixte CNRS-IRD-UPMC, IPLS/LOCEAN, Paris Cedex 05 (France); Cadule, P.; Denvil, S.; Foujols, M.A. [Institut Pierre Simon Laplace des Sciences de l' Environnement (IPSL), Paris Cedex 05 (France); Fichefet, T.; Goosse, H. [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut d' Astronomie et de Geophysique Georges Lemaitre, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Krinner, G. [Unite mixte CNRS-UJF Grenoble, LGGE, BP96, Saint-Martin-d' Heres (France); Swingedouw, D. [CNRS/CERFACS, Toulouse (France)

    2010-01-15

    This paper presents the major characteristics of the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model. The model components and the coupling methodology are described, as well as the main characteristics of the climatology and interannual variability. The model results of the standard version used for IPCC climate projections, and for intercomparison projects like the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP 2) are compared to those with a higher resolution in the atmosphere. A focus on the North Atlantic and on the tropics is used to address the impact of the atmosphere resolution on processes and feedbacks. In the North Atlantic, the resolution change leads to an improved representation of the storm-tracks and the North Atlantic oscillation. The better representation of the wind structure increases the northward salt transports, the deep-water formation and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. In the tropics, the ocean-atmosphere dynamical coupling, or Bjerknes feedback, improves with the resolution. The amplitude of ENSO (El Nino-Southern oscillation) consequently increases, as the damping processes are left unchanged. (orig.)

  12. Inter-comparison of statistical downscaling methods for projection of extreme precipitation in Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sunyer Pinya, Maria Antonia; Hundecha, Y.; Lawrence, D.

    2015-01-01

    Information on extreme precipitation for future climate is needed to assess the changes in the frequency and intensity of flooding. The primary source of information in climate change impact studies is climate model projections. However, due to the coarse resolution and biases of these models......), three are bias correction (BC) methods, and one is a perfect prognosis method. The eight methods are used to downscale precipitation output from 15 regional climate models (RCMs) from the ENSEMBLES project for 11 catchments in Europe. The overall results point to an increase in extreme precipitation...... that at least 30% and up to approximately half of the total variance is derived from the SDMs. This study illustrates the large variability in the expected changes in extreme precipitation and highlights the need for considering an ensemble of both SDMs and climate models. Recommendations are provided...

  13. International NMR-based Environmental Metabolomics Intercomparison Exercise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Several fundamental requirements must be met so that NMR-based metabolomics and the related technique of metabonomics can be formally adopted into environmental monitoring and chemical risk assessment. Here we report an intercomparison exercise which has evaluated the effectivene...

  14. A comparison of metrics for assessing state-of-the-art climate models and implications for probabilistic projections of climate change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ring, Christoph; Pollinger, Felix; Kaspar-Ott, Irena; Hertig, Elke; Jacobeit, Jucundus; Paeth, Heiko

    2018-03-01

    A major task of climate science are reliable projections of climate change for the future. To enable more solid statements and to decrease the range of uncertainty, global general circulation models and regional climate models are evaluated based on a 2 × 2 contingency table approach to generate model weights. These weights are compared among different methodologies and their impact on probabilistic projections of temperature and precipitation changes is investigated. Simulated seasonal precipitation and temperature for both 50-year trends and climatological means are assessed at two spatial scales: in seven study regions around the globe and in eight sub-regions of the Mediterranean area. Overall, 24 models of phase 3 and 38 models of phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project altogether 159 transient simulations of precipitation and 119 of temperature from four emissions scenarios are evaluated against the ERA-20C reanalysis over the 20th century. The results show high conformity with previous model evaluation studies. The metrics reveal that mean of precipitation and both temperature mean and trend agree well with the reference dataset and indicate improvement for the more recent ensemble mean, especially for temperature. The method is highly transferrable to a variety of further applications in climate science. Overall, there are regional differences of simulation quality, however, these are less pronounced than those between the results for 50-year mean and trend. The trend results are suitable for assigning weighting factors to climate models. Yet, the implications for probabilistic climate projections is strictly dependent on the region and season.

  15. Amplified warming projections for high altitude regions of the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes from CMIP5 models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rangwala, Imtiaz; Sinsky, Eric; Miller, James R

    2013-01-01

    We use output from global climate models available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) for three different greenhouse gas emission scenarios to investigate whether the projected warming in mountains by the end of the 21st century is significantly different from that in low elevation regions. To remove the effects of latitudinal variation in warming rates, we focus on seasonal changes in the mid-latitude band of the northern hemisphere between 27.5° N and 40° N, where the two major mountain systems are the Tibetan Plateau/Himalayas in Asia and the Rocky Mountains in the United States. Results from the multi-model ensemble indicate that warming rates in mountains will be enhanced relative to non-mountain regions at the same latitude, particularly during the cold season. The strongest correlations of enhanced warming with elevation are obtained for the daily minimum temperature during winter, with the largest increases found for the Tibetan Plateau/Himalayas. The model projections indicate that this occurs, in part, because of proportionally greater increases in downward longwave radiation at higher elevations in response to increases in water vapor. The mechanisms for enhanced increases in winter and spring maximum temperatures in the Rockies appear to be influenced more by increases in surface absorption of solar radiation owing to a reduced snow cover. Furthermore, the amplification of warming with elevation is greater for a higher greenhouse gas emission scenario. (letter)

  16. Result of the intercomparison exercise on radon measuring instruments and radon detectors 'bev- radon ring 2005'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumgartner, A.; Maringer, F.J.; Michai, P.; Kreuziger, M.

    2006-01-01

    In spring 2005 the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (B.E.V.) invited all in Austria working radon measuring institutes to an intercomparison exercise at the radon calibration laboratory in the Arsenal. The aim of this intercomparison was on the one hand an objective inquiry and documentation of the current metrological potential on the section of radon measurement in Austria - both quantitative and qualitative- and on the other hand an initiative for the participating laboratories to optimize and improve their applied calibration-, measurement and analyse technique. Ten contacted Austrian radon laboratories were prepared to participate on the radon intercomparison exercise. The intercomparison exercise was carried out from 14. till 29. June at the radon calibration laboratory in the Arsenal of the B.E.V.. As radon emanation source a five stepped arranged, at the Arsenal built radon source was used. The source ( A.D.O.T.T.O. 1 is filled with a certified Ra- 226-standard solution of the Czech Metrological Institute (C.M.I.), Prag. A simple statistic based model was used for the evaluation and assessment of the results from the participants, which consider the statistic nature of the radioactive decay combined uncertainty. Altogether 183 measuring instruments participated the intercomparison exercise. Two reference measuring instruments, 22 active and 159 passive measuring instruments. The active measuring instruments formed 6 types of instruments and as passive radon detectors were 7 different types used from the participants. The positioning of the radon measuring instruments and detectors in the radon calibration laboratory was executed in regard to statistic points of view. From the active measuring instruments 17 could qualify and from the passive methods six from eight participants were in compliance to the given criteria. Radon measurements, which could have financial and economics relating implications (e.g. architectural redevelopment or

  17. An overview of results obtained in intercomparison exercises for determination of actinides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benedik, L.

    2013-01-01

    In recent years the Jožef Stefan Institute participated in numerous intercomparison exercises for determination of natural and man-made radionuclides. The reported values were mostly in good agreement with the resulting reference values. This paper describes an analysis of the measurement results obtained in intercomparison exercises for determination of actinides in the period from 2009 to 2011, organised by the National Physical Laboratory and the Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz. The review covers neptunium, plutonium and americium radioisotopes over this period. - Highlights: • The goal of this study is an overview of results obtained in intercomparison exercises for determination of actinides. • The disagreement of results for Np-237 was evaluated. • Improvements in separation procedures were done

  18. Partial support for the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Core Project Office

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prinn, Ronald G.

    2001-05-04

    IGAC provides an international framework for the planning, coordination, and execution of atmospheric--biospheric research with emphasis on projects which require resources beyond the capabilities of any single nation. The development of chemical emission inventories by IGAC scientists, the development and intercomparison under IGAC leadership of existing chemical transport models, the analysis of data gathered during IGAC-sponsored field campaigns, etc., has provided new scientific information essential to the development of the discipline.

  19. North Atlantic observations sharpen meridional overturning projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, R.; An, S.-I.; Fan, Y.; Evans, J. P.; Caesar, L.

    2018-06-01

    Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) projections are uncertain due to both model errors, as well as internal climate variability. An AMOC slowdown projected by many climate models is likely to have considerable effects on many aspects of global and North Atlantic climate. Previous studies to make probabilistic AMOC projections have broken new ground. However, they do not drift-correct or cross-validate the projections, and do not fully account for internal variability. Furthermore, they consider a limited subset of models, and ignore the skill of models at representing the temporal North Atlantic dynamics. We improve on previous work by applying Bayesian Model Averaging to weight 13 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 models by their skill at modeling the AMOC strength, and its temporal dynamics, as approximated by the northern North-Atlantic temperature-based AMOC Index. We make drift-corrected projections accounting for structural model errors, and for the internal variability. Cross-validation experiments give approximately correct empirical coverage probabilities, which validates our method. Our results present more evidence that AMOC likely already started slowing down. While weighting considerably moderates and sharpens our projections, our results are at low end of previously published estimates. We project mean AMOC changes between periods 1960-1999 and 2060-2099 of -4.0 Sv and -6.8 Sv for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emissions scenarios respectively. The corresponding average 90% credible intervals for our weighted experiments are [-7.2, -1.2] and [-10.5, -3.7] Sv respectively for the two scenarios.

  20. Results of the regional intercomparison exercise for the determination of operational quantity Hp(d) in Latin America

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saravi, M.; Zaretzky, A.; Lindner, C.; Diaz, J.; Walwyn, G.; Souza, D.; Amorin, R.; Gregory, B.; Papadopulos, S.; Meghzifene, A.; Ferruz Cruz, P.; Cruz Suarez, R.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: Several intercomparison exercises were organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the determination of operational quantities at the regional or interregional basis. These exercises revealed significant differences in the approach, methods and assumptions, and consequently in the measurement results obtained by participating laboratories. In the Latin America region, an intercomparison for determination of operational quantity Hp(10), organized within the frame of a technical cooperation regional project, was completed mid-2004, as a follow-up to previous exercises carried out during the 1990s. Eighteen laboratories from 19 member states participated in the first phase; the second phase grouped 15 laboratories from 16 member states. Dosimeter irradiations (5 different radiation qualities for photon simulating workplace fields) were done by 4 Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDL). The preparations for the exercise involved an audit by the IAEA SSDL, where reference irradiations were provided to all participants for verification of their system. During the first phase (2002/03), only 9 out of 18 laboratories met the performance requirements for such monitoring services. Necessary corrective actions and procedure verification were implemented, and staff involved in these evaluations were subsequently trained. During the second phase (2004), 11 out of 15 laboratories fulfilled the performance criteria. The 4 laboratories still having difficulties in assessing occupational exposure participated in a results meeting, during which problem areas were identified. An ongoing technical cooperation mission is expected to assist these laboratories accordingly. There has been a definite improvement in the second phase and most laboratories demonstrated a good performance in the quantity tested. The technical results clearly show that the laboratories' capability in assessing occupational exposure from external sources of radiation is

  1. Personnel-dosimetry intercomparison studies at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swaja, R.E.; Sims, C.S.

    1982-01-01

    Since 1974, seven annual personnel dosimetry intercomparison studies have been conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the Health Physics Reactor. These studies have produced more than 2000 measurements by 72 participating organizations of neutron and gamma dose equivalents between 0.1 to 15.0 mSv in six mixed radiation fields. The relative performance of three basic types of personnel neutron dosimeters (nuclear emulsion film, thermoluminescent, and track-etch) and two basic types of gamma dosimeters (film and thermoluminescent) was assessed based on experimental results obtained during the seven intercomparisons

  2. Preparation and application of radioactive soil samples for intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Zequan; Li Zhou; Li Pengxiang; Wang Ruijun; Ren Xiaona

    2014-01-01

    This article summarized the preparation process and intercomparison results of the simulated environmental radioactive soil samples. The components of the matrix were: SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , MgO, CaO, NaCl, KCl and TiO 2 . All of the components were milled, oven-dried, sieved and then blended together. The homogeneity test was according to GB 15000. 5-1994, and no significant differences were observed. The 3 H analysis soils were spiked natural soils with the moisture content of 15%. Eight laboratories attended this intercomparison. The results proves that the preparation of the simulated soils were suitable for the inter-laboratories comparison. (authors)

  3. The PMIP4 contribution to CMIP6 – Part 2 : Two interglacials, scientific objective and experimental design for Holocene and Last Interglacial simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Otto-bliesner, Bette L.; Braconnot, Pascale; Harrison, Sandy P.; Lunt, Daniel J.; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Albani, Samuel; Bartlein, Patrick J.; Capron, Emilie; Carlson, Anders E.; Dutton, Andrea; Fischer, Hubertus; Goelzer, Heiko|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/412549123; Govin, Aline; Haywood, Alan; Joos, Fortunat; Legrande, Allegra N.; Lipscomb, William H.; Lohmann, Gerrit; Mahowald, Natalie; Nehrbass-Ahles, Christoph; Pausata, Francesco S. R.; Peterschmitt, Jean-yves; Phipps, Steven J.; Renssen, Hans; Zhang, Qiong

    2017-01-01

    Two interglacial epochs are included in the suite of Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP4) simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The experimental protocols for simulations of the mid-Holocene (midHolocene, 6000 years before present) and the Last

  4. The AquaVIT-1 intercomparison of atmospheric water vapor measurement techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahey, D. W.; Gao, R.-S.; Möhler, O.; Saathoff, H.; Schiller, C.; Ebert, V.; Krämer, M.; Peter, T.; Amarouche, N.; Avallone, L. M.; Bauer, R.; Bozóki, Z.; Christensen, L. E.; Davis, S. M.; Durry, G.; Dyroff, C.; Herman, R. L.; Hunsmann, S.; Khaykin, S. M.; Mackrodt, P.; Meyer, J.; Smith, J. B.; Spelten, N.; Troy, R. F.; Vömel, H.; Wagner, S.; Wienhold, F. G.

    2014-09-01

    The AquaVIT-1 intercomparison of atmospheric water vapor measurement techniques was conducted at the aerosol and cloud simulation chamber AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, in October 2007. The overall objective was to intercompare state-of-the-art and prototype atmospheric hygrometers with each other and with independent humidity standards under controlled conditions. This activity was conducted as a blind intercomparison with coordination by selected referees. The effort was motivated by persistent discrepancies found in atmospheric measurements involving multiple instruments operating on research aircraft and balloon platforms, particularly in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, where water vapor reaches its lowest atmospheric values (less than 10 ppm). With the AIDA chamber volume of 84 m3, multiple instruments analyzed air with a common water vapor mixing ratio, by extracting air into instrument flow systems, by locating instruments inside the chamber, or by sampling the chamber volume optically. The intercomparison was successfully conducted over 10 days during which pressure, temperature, and mixing ratio were systematically varied (50 to 500 hPa, 185 to 243 K, and 0.3 to 152 ppm). In the absence of an accepted reference instrument, the absolute accuracy of the instruments was not established. To evaluate the intercomparison, the reference value was taken to be the ensemble mean of a core subset of the measurements. For these core instruments, the agreement between 10 and 150 ppm of water vapor is considered good with variation about the reference value of about ±10% (±1σ). In the region of most interest between 1 and 10 ppm, the core subset agreement is fair with variation about the reference value of ±20% (±1σ). The upper limit of precision was also derived for each instrument from the reported data. The implication for atmospheric measurements is that the

  5. Initial Results of an Intercomparison of AMS-Based Atmospheric 14CO2 Measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Miller, John; Lehman, Scott; Wolak, Chad; Turnbull, Jocelyn; Dunn, Gregory; Graven, Heather; Keeling, Ralph; Meijer, Harro A. J.; Aerts-Bijma, Anita Th; Palstra, Sanne W. L.; Smith, Andrew M.; Allison, Colin; Southon, John; Xu, Xiaomei; Nakazawa, Takakiyo; Aoki, Shuji; Nakamura, Toshio; Guilderson, Thomas; LaFranchi, Brian; Mukai, Hitoshi; Terao, Yukio; Uchida, Masao; Kondo, Miyuki

    2013-01-01

    This article presents results from the first 3 rounds of an international intercomparison of measurements of Delta(CO2)-C-14 in liter-scale samples of whole air by groups using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The ultimate goal of the intercomparison is to allow the merging of Delta(CO2)-C-14

  6. Specification of a test problem for HYDROCOIN [Hydrologic Code Intercomparison] Level 3 Case 2: Sensitivity analysis for deep disposal in partially saturated, fractured tuff

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prindle, R.W.

    1987-08-01

    The international Hydrologic Code Intercomparison Project (HYDROCOIN) was formed to evaluate hydrogeologic models and computer codes and their use in performance assessment for high-level radioactive waste repositories. Three principal activities in the HYDROCOIN Project are Level 1, verification and benchmarking of hydrologic codes; Level 2, validation of hydrologic models; and Level 3, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of the models and codes. This report presents a test case defined for the HYDROCOIN Level 3 activity to explore the feasibility of applying various sensitivity-analysis methodologies to a highly nonlinear model of isothermal, partially saturated flow through fractured tuff, and to develop modeling approaches to implement the methodologies for sensitivity analysis. These analyses involve an idealized representation of a repository sited above the water table in a layered sequence of welded and nonwelded, fractured, volcanic tuffs. The analyses suggested here include one-dimensional, steady flow; one-dimensional, nonsteady flow; and two-dimensional, steady flow. Performance measures to be used to evaluate model sensitivities are also defined; the measures are related to regulatory criteria for containment of high-level radioactive waste. 14 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs

  7. IAEA/SSDL intercomparison of calibration factors for therapy level ionization chambers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Jilong; Cheng Jinsheng; Guo Zhaohui; Li Kaibao

    2005-01-01

    Objective: By participating in IAEA-SSDL intercomparison, a dose to water calibration factor was introduced in order to check the measuring accuracy of 60 Co radiotherapy dose level standard and ensure the reliability and consistency of our calibration. Methods: The authors carried out both air kerma and absorbed dose to water calibrations against 60 Co γ-rays for one of our field class ionization chambers, and sent the results together with the chamber to IAEA dosimetry laboratory for calibration, then IAEA calibrated it and gave the deviation of the intercomparison. Results: The deviation of our air kerma calibration factors is -0.5%, and the deviation of our absorbed dose to water calibration factors is 0.4%. Conclusion: The deviation of calibration factors between IAEA and SSDL should be no more than ±1.5%. Therefore, the result of this intercomparison is considered satisfactory. (authors)

  8. Grimsel colloid exercise, an international intercomparison exercise on the sampling and characterization of groundwater colloids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degueldre, C.

    1990-01-01

    The Grimsel colloid exercise was an intercomparison exercise which consisted of an in situ sampling phase followed by a colloid characterization step. The goal of this benchmark exercise, which involved 12 laboratories, was to evaluate both sampling and characterization techniques with emphasis on the colloid specific size distribution. The sampling phase took place at the Grimsel test site between 1 and 13 February 1988 and the participating groups produced colloid samples using various methods. This work was carried out within the Community COCO Club, as a component of the Mirage project (second phase)

  9. Upper-soil moisture inter-comparison from SMOS's products and land surface models over the Iberian Peninsula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polcher, Jan; Barella-Ortiz, Anaïs; Aires, Filipe; Balsamo, Gianpaolo; Gelati, Emiliano; Rodríguez-Fernández, Nemesio

    2015-04-01

    Soil moisture is a key state variable of the hydrological cycle. It conditions runoff, infiltration and evaporation over continental surfaces, and is key for forecasting droughts and floods. It plays thus an important role in surface-atmosphere interactions. Surface Soil Moisture (SSM) can be measured by in situ measurements, by satellite observations or modelled using land surface models. As a complementary tool, data assimilation can be used to combine both modelling and satellite observations. The work presented here is an inter-comparison of retrieved and modelled SSM data, for the 2010 - 2012 period, over the Iberian Peninsula. The region has been chosen because its vegetation cover is not very dense and includes strong contrasts in the rainfall regimes and thus a diversity of behaviours for SSM. Furthermore this semi-arid region is strongly dependent on a good management of its water resources. Satellite observations correspond to the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) retrievals: the L2 product from an optimal interpolation retrieval, and 3 other products using Neural Network retrievals with different input information: SMOS time indexes, purely SMOS data, or addition of the European Advanced Scaterometer (ASCAT) backscattering, and the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) surface temperature information. The modelled soil moistures have been taken from the ORCHIDEE (ORganising Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic EcosystEms) and the HTESSEL (Hydrology-Tiled ECMWF Scheme for Surface Exchanges over Land) land surface models. Both models are forced with the same atmospheric conditions (as part of the Earth2Observe FP7 project) over the period but they represent the surface soil moisture with very different degrees of complexity. ORCHIDEE has 5 levels in the top 5 centimetres of soil while in HTESSEL this variable is part of the top soil moisture level. The two types of SMOS retrievals are compared to the model outputs in their spatial and temporal

  10. Primary standardization of cesium-137 for international intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srivastava, P.K.

    1977-01-01

    Primary standards of cesium-137 are of great importance for precise radiation measurements because, due to its simple decay-scheme and long half-life, it is widely used for the calibration of radiation detectors. Also 137 Cs is used for the measurement of fission-yield and uranium burn-up in reactor engineering studies. In view of these, an international intercomparison was organised on a limited scale to correlate the standards established at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Bombay(India) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), West Germany. The ''efficiency tracing technique'' was developed at BARC for the primary standardization of 137 Cs for this intercomparison. Two tracers, namely 82 Br and 60 Co, were employed to trace the beta efficiency of the 4 πβ-γ coincidence counting system. It is shown that this technique offers high accuracy and inherent reliability. The ''tracing-technique'' for 137 Cs standardization is briefly described. The gravimetric method of dilution and preparation of mixed sources of 137 Cs - 82 Br and 137 Cs - 60 Co are given. The various counting parameters and settings are included. Data reduction and the estimation of systematic and statistical errors are discussed. The results of the intercomparison, which are also included, show that the agreement between the measurments of BARC and PTB is within 0.5%. (author)

  11. The PMIP4 contribution to CMIP6 – Part 2: Two Interglacials, Scientific Objective and Experimental Design for Holocene and Last Interglacial Simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Otto-Bliesner, B.; Braconnot, P.; Harrison, S.P.; Renssen, H.

    2017-01-01

    Two interglacial epochs are included in the suite of Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP4) simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The experimental protocols for Tier 1 simulations of the mid-Holocene (midHolocene, 6000 years before present) and the Last

  12. Intercomparison of characterization techniques of filter radiometers in the ultraviolet region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abu-Kassem, I.; Karha, P.; Harrison, N. J.; Nevas, S.; Hartree, W. S.

    2008-01-01

    Narrow-band filter radiometers at 248 nm, 313 nm, 330 nm and 368 nm wavelengths were used to compare calibration facilities of spectral (irradiance) responsivity at HUT, NPL and BNM-INM. The results are partly in agreement within the stated uncertainties. Use of demanding artefacts in the intercomparison revealed that the wavelength scales of the participating institutes deviate more than expected. Such effects cannot be seen in typical intercomparisons of spectral responsivity or spectral transmittance, where spectrally neutral samples are used.(author)

  13. GEOSAF Part II. Demonstration of the operational and long-term safety of geological disposal facilities for radioactive waste. IAEA international intercomparison and harmonization project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumano, Yumiko; Bruno, Gerard [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). Vienna International Centre; Tichauer, Michael [IRSN, Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Hedberg, Bengt [Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2015-07-01

    International intercomparison and harmonization projects are one of the mechanisms developed by the IAEA for examining the application and use of safety standards, with a view to ensuring their effectiveness and working towards harmonization of approaches to the safety of radioactive waste management. The IAEA has organized a number of international projects on the safety of radioactive waste management; in particular on the issues related to safety demonstration for radioactive waste management facilities. In 2008, GEOSAF, Demonstration of The Operational and Long-Term Safety of Geological Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste, project was initiated. This project was completed in 2011 by delivering a project report focusing on the safety case for geological disposal facilities, a concept that has gained in recent years considerable prominence in the waste management area and is addressed in several international safety standards. During the course of the project, it was recognized that little work was undertaken internationally to develop a common view on the safety approach related to the operational phase of a geological disposal although long-term safety of disposal facility has been discussed for several decades. Upon completion of the first part of the GEOSAF project, it was decided to commence a follow-up project aiming at harmonizing approaches on the safety of geological disposal facilities for radioactive waste through the development of an integrated safety case covering both operational and long-term safety. The new project was named as GEOSAF Part II, which was initiated in 2012 initially as 2-year project, involving regulators and operators. GEOSAF Part II provides a forum to exchange ideas and experience on the development and review of an integrated operational and post-closure safety case for geological disposal facilities. It also aims at providing a platform for knowledge transfer. The project is of particular interest to regulatory

  14. Refining multi-model projections of temperature extremes by evaluation against land–atmosphere coupling diagnostics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Sippel

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The Earth's land surface and the atmosphere are strongly interlinked through the exchange of energy and matter. This coupled behaviour causes various land–atmosphere feedbacks, and an insufficient understanding of these feedbacks contributes to uncertain global climate model projections. For example, a crucial role of the land surface in exacerbating summer heat waves in midlatitude regions has been identified empirically for high-impact heat waves, but individual climate models differ widely in their respective representation of land–atmosphere coupling. Here, we compile an ensemble of 54 combinations of observations-based temperature (T and evapotranspiration (ET benchmarking datasets and investigate coincidences of T anomalies with ET anomalies as a proxy for land–atmosphere interactions during periods of anomalously warm temperatures. First, we demonstrate that a large fraction of state-of-the-art climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5 archive produces systematically too frequent coincidences of high T anomalies with negative ET anomalies in midlatitude regions during the warm season and in several tropical regions year-round. These coincidences (high T, low ET are closely related to the representation of temperature variability and extremes across the multi-model ensemble. Second, we derive a land-coupling constraint based on the spread of the T–ET datasets and consequently retain only a subset of CMIP5 models that produce a land-coupling behaviour that is compatible with these benchmark estimates. The constrained multi-model simulations exhibit more realistic temperature extremes of reduced magnitude in present climate in regions where models show substantial spread in T–ET coupling, i.e. biases in the model ensemble are consistently reduced. Also the multi-model simulations for the coming decades display decreased absolute temperature extremes in the constrained ensemble. On the other hand

  15. Are revised models better models? A skill score assessment of regional interannual variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperber, Kenneth R.; Participating AMIP Modelling Groups

    1999-05-01

    Various skill scores are used to assess the performance of revised models relative to their original configurations. The interannual variability of all-India, Sahel and Nordeste rainfall and summer monsoon windshear is examined in integrations performed under the experimental design of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project. For the indices considered, the revised models exhibit greater fidelity at simulating the observed interannual variability. Interannual variability of all-India rainfall is better simulated by models that have a more realistic rainfall climatology in the vicinity of India, indicating the beneficial effect of reducing systematic model error.

  16. IAEA AQCS catalogue for reference materials and intercomparison exercises 1998/1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    Fore more than thirty years the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through its Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS) programme, has been assisting Member States' laboratories to maintain and improve the reliability of their analyses by organizing intercomparison exercises and by preparing and distributing biological, environmental and marine reference materials. The catalogue consists principally of two parts: The list of all available IAEA reference materials grouped into five categories: reference materials for radionuclides; reference materials for trace, minor and major elements, including oxides; reference materials for stable isotopes; reference materials for organic contaminants and methyl mercury containing materials. Lists of all available IAEA reference materials sorted by analytes. In addition information on recommended half-life data and suppliers of radioactive sources is provided. Planned intercomparisons are advertised and request forms for participation in intercomparisons are included. Forms for ordering reference materials, quality control spectra for gamma-spectrometry on diskettes and AQCS related publications are also provided

  17. International intercomparison of neutron spectra evaluating methods using activation detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, A.

    1975-06-01

    The international intercomparison of neutron spectrum evaluation methods using activation detectors was organized by the IAEA in 1971 - 1972. All of the contributions and the results of a critical evaluation are presented here. The spectra of different contributors are compared to a reference spectrum by means of different integrals and weighting functions. Different cross section sets, foil numbers, energy point systems, guess spectra used by the contributors cause differences in the resulting spectra. The possible ways of separating these effects are also investigated. Suggestions are made for the organization of a new intercomparison on the basis of more uniform input data. (orig.) [de

  18. The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) Town Hall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruane, Alex; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Kyle, Page; Basso, Bruno; Winter, Jonathan; Asseng, Senthold

    2015-01-01

    AgMIP (www.agmip.org) is an international community of climate, crop, livestock, economics, and IT experts working to further the development and application of multi-model, multi-scale, multi-disciplinary agricultural models that can inform policy and decision makers around the world. This meeting will engage the AGU community by providing a brief overview of AgMIP, in particular its new plans for a Coordinated Global and Regional Assessment of climate change impacts on agriculture and food security for AR6. This Town Hall will help identify opportunities for participants to become involved in AgMIP and its 30+ activities.

  19. The intercomparison of 137Cs irradiator output measurement and personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), using TLD and film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazaroh; Susetyo Trijoko; Sri Inang Sunaryati

    2010-01-01

    Intercomparison of output measurement of 137 Cs irradiator and personal dose equivalent, Hp(10) using TLD and film have been carried out in the year of 2006 to 2008. According to IAEA recommendation, intercomparison is one of audit activities but it is performed in the spirit of collaboration and support rather than in the spirit of inspection. The aim of intercomparison of output measurement of 137 Cs irradiator is to verify the dose stated by the participant laboratories. Intercomparison is also to assess the competency of the participant, to keep traceability and consistency of measurement result, to assure that instrument work correctly and the result of evaluation was in agreement, and also for fulfilling one of the clauses of ISO-17025-2005. Besides that, this intercomparison aimed to facilitate link between the system and members of national measurement and transfer of experience in measurement technique and dose evaluation of radiation. The benefit of intercomparison is important among others as tests of proficiency in dose evaluation or measurement, upgrading quality of service and for obeying supervisor body legislation (BAPETEN). TLD was used as a means of output 137 Cs irradiator measurement, whereas film and TLD were used for dose intercomparison. This paper presented result of intercomparison of output measurement and evaluation of personal dose equivalent, Hp(10) in the year of 2006 to 2008 followed by 6 participants: Balai Pengamanan Fasilitas Kesehatan (BPFK) Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, Makasar, PTLR and Laboratory of Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Lingkungan (KKL)-PTKMR BATAN. In this intercomparison, the dose of TLD stated by participant were compared with the dose measured by Radiation Metrology Laboratory (LMR), and the results showed the differences were within 10 %, so it was satisfied. The results of intercomparison of personal dose equivalent, Hp(10) were evaluated based on ISO/IEC Guide 43-1, 1997 analysis and expressed as E n . The values of E n

  20. Summary of 'IAEA intercomparison of IBA software'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barradas, N.P.; Arstila, K.; Battistig, G.; Bianconi, M.; Dytlewski, N.; Jeynes, C.; Kotai, E.; Lulli, G.; Mayer, M.; Rauhala, E.; Szilagyi, E.; Thompson, M.

    2008-01-01

    The International Atomic Energy Agency has sponsored a formal intercomparison exercise for the seven depth profiling ion beam analysis codes, which are: GISA, RUMP, RBX, DEPTH, DataFurnace, SIMNRA and MCERD. This intercomparison is published in Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B [N.P. Barradas, K. Arstila, G. Battistig, M. Bianconi, N. Dytlewski, C. Jeynes, E. Kotai, G. Lulli, M. Mayer, E. Rauhala, E. Szilagyi, M. Thompson, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 262 (2007) 281-303] and summarised here. The codes implement all known physical effects and they are all evaluated. We demonstrate that there is agreement between codes often better than 0.1%; and also detailed agreement with real spectra, showing in particular that the SRIM 2003 stopping powers for Si are correct to 0.6% for 1.5 MeV He. For the case of heavy ion elastic recoil detection (HI-ERD) the single scattering codes performed poorly for scattered particles, although recoiled particles were calculated correctly

  1. Report on intercomparison exercise SR-54. Determination of impurities in U3O8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doubek, N.; Bagliano, G.; Deron, S.

    1984-04-01

    The report presents results of a laboratory intercomparison of impurities in U 3 O 8 sample organized by the IAEA's Analytical Quality Control Service. Twelve laboratories in 11 countries sent their results. The framework of the intercomparison was therefore conceived mainly as a ''mean'' to laboratories dealing with analysis of impurities in uranium samples to check the reliability of their results. The evaluation was based on 97 laboratory means obtained with emission spectroscopy, atomic absorption techniques and neutron activation analysis. The concentration of three elements could be certified as a result of this intercomparison; informational values could be established for an additional six elements

  2. Global Analysis of Climate Change Projection Effects on Atmospheric Rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espinoza, Vicky; Waliser, Duane E.; Guan, Bin; Lavers, David A.; Ralph, F. Martin

    2018-05-01

    A uniform, global approach is used to quantify how atmospheric rivers (ARs) change between Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 historical simulations and future projections under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 warming scenarios. The projections indicate that while there will be 10% fewer ARs in the future, the ARs will be 25% longer, 25% wider, and exhibit stronger integrated water vapor transports (IVTs) under RCP8.5. These changes result in pronounced increases in the frequency (IVT strength) of AR conditions under RCP8.5: 50% (25%) globally, 50% (20%) in the northern midlatitudes, and 60% (20%) in the southern midlatitudes. The models exhibit systematic low biases across the midlatitudes in replicating historical AR frequency ( 10%), zonal IVT ( 15%), and meridional IVT ( 25%), with sizable intermodel differences. A more detailed examination of six regions strongly impacted by ARs suggests that the western United States, northwestern Europe, and southwestern South America exhibit considerable intermodel differences in projected changes in ARs.

  3. Intercomparison of methods for determining 90Sr and 137Cs in plant samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sha Lianmao; Zhao Min; Tian Guizhi

    1986-01-01

    The results of intercomparison of methods for determining 90 Sr and 137 Cs in plant samples are reported. Nine laboratories participated in the intercomparison. The samples used in intercomparison were reed and tea powders. The analytical results of 90 Sr in reed and 137 Cs in tea from different laboratories show good comparability and follow the normal-distribution. Some results reported of 137 Cs in reed are apparently lower than others. The results of 90 Sr in tea from different laboratories have poor comparability. The results obtained by HDEHP rapid extraction chromatograph appear to be too high, and it's cause is discussed. The 95% confidence intervals of content of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in reed and tea samples are given

  4. An Adaptation Dilemma Caused by Impacts-Modeling Uncertainty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frieler, K.; Müller, C.; Elliott, J. W.; Heinke, J.; Arneth, A.; Bierkens, M. F.; Ciais, P.; Clark, D. H.; Deryng, D.; Doll, P. M.; Falloon, P.; Fekete, B. M.; Folberth, C.; Friend, A. D.; Gosling, S. N.; Haddeland, I.; Khabarov, N.; Lomas, M. R.; Masaki, Y.; Nishina, K.; Neumann, K.; Oki, T.; Pavlick, R.; Ruane, A. C.; Schmid, E.; Schmitz, C.; Stacke, T.; Stehfest, E.; Tang, Q.; Wisser, D.

    2013-12-01

    Ensuring future well-being for a growing population under either strong climate change or an aggressive mitigation strategy requires a subtle balance of potentially conflicting response measures. In the case of competing goals, uncertainty in impact estimates plays a central role when high confidence in achieving a primary objective (such as food security) directly implies an increased probability of uncertainty induced failure with regard to a competing target (such as climate protection). We use cross sectoral consistent multi-impact model simulations from the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP, www.isi-mip.org) to illustrate this uncertainty dilemma: RCP projections from 7 global crop, 11 hydrological, and 7 biomes models are combined to analyze irrigation and land use changes as possible responses to climate change and increasing crop demand due to population growth and economic development. We show that - while a no-regrets option with regard to climate protection - additional irrigation alone is not expected to balance the demand increase by 2050. In contrast, a strong expansion of cultivated land closes the projected production-demand gap in some crop models. However, it comes at the expense of a loss of natural carbon sinks of order 50%. Given the large uncertainty of state of the art crop model projections even these strong land use changes would not bring us ';on the safe side' with respect to food supply. In a world where increasing carbon emissions continue to shrink the overall solution space, we demonstrate that current impacts-modeling uncertainty is a luxury we cannot afford. ISI-MIP is intended to provide cross sectoral consistent impact projections for model intercomparison and improvement as well as cross-sectoral integration. The results presented here were generated within the first Fast-Track phase of the project covering global impact projections. The second phase will also include regional projections. It is the aim

  5. Intercomparison of radon gas detectors 1997 at PSI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schuler, Christoph; Butterweck-Dempewolf, Gernot

    1998-05-01

    Between Nov 14 and Nov 20, 1997, the Reference Laboratory for Radon Gas Activity Concentration Measurements at Paul Scherrer Institut performed the 1997 Radon Intercomparison Exercise. Radon gas detectors and instruments were exposed in the PSI Radon Chamber during seven days in a reference atmosphere with an average radon gas concentration of 3860 Bqm -3 . The majority of the participants at this intercomparison were Swiss Radon Gas Measurement Laboratories acknowledged by the Swiss Federal Office for Health. Criteria for this acknowledgement are a deviation of the measurement results to the reference value below 15% (traceability criterion) and a standard deviation of the mean of five detector measurement results below 15% (reproducibility criterion). With the exception of three participants, the results of electret ionisation chambers, track etch detectors and measuring instruments fulfilled the demanded traceability and reproducibility criteria. (author)

  6. Analysis of precipitation teleconnections in CMIP models as a measure of model fidelity in simulating precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langenbrunner, B.; Neelin, J.; Meyerson, J.

    2011-12-01

    The accurate representation of precipitation is a recurring issue in global climate models, especially in the tropics. Poor skill in modeling the variability and climate teleconnections associated with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) also persisted in the latest Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) campaigns. Observed ENSO precipitation teleconnections provide a standard by which we can judge a given model's ability to reproduce precipitation and dynamic feedback processes originating in the tropical Pacific. Using CMIP3 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) runs as a baseline, we compare precipitation teleconnections between models and observations, and we evaluate these results against available CMIP5 historical and AMIP runs. Using AMIP simulations restricts evaluation to the atmospheric response, as sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in AMIP are prescribed by observations. We use a rank correlation between ENSO SST indices and precipitation to define teleconnections, since this method is robust to outliers and appropriate for non-Gaussian data. Spatial correlations of the modeled and observed teleconnections are then evaluated. We look at these correlations in regions of strong precipitation teleconnections, including equatorial S. America, the "horseshoe" region in the western tropical Pacific, and southern N. America. For each region and season, we create a "normalized projection" of a given model's teleconnection pattern onto that of the observations, a metric that assesses the quality of regional pattern simulations while rewarding signals of correct sign over the region. Comparing this to an area-averaged (i.e., more generous) metric suggests models do better when restrictions on exact spatial dependence are loosened and conservation constraints apply. Model fidelity in regional measures remains far from perfect, suggesting intrinsic issues with the models' regional sensitivities in moist processes.

  7. Radiocarbon intercomparison program for Chauvet Cave

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuzange, M.T.; Delque-Kolic, E.; Oberlin, C.; Goslar, T.; Grootes, P.M.; Nadeau, M.J.; Higham, T.; Ramsey, C.B.; Kaltnecker, E.; Paterne, M.; Valladas, H.; Van der Plicht, J.; Van der Plicht, J.; Clottes, J.; Geneste, J.M.

    2007-01-01

    We present the first results of an accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon intercomparison program on 3 different charcoal samples collected in one of the hearths of the Megaceros gallery of Chauvet Cave (Ardeche, France). This cave, rich in parietal decoration, is important for the study of the appearance and evolution of prehistoric art because certain drawings have been 14 C dated to the Aurignacian period at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic. The new dates indicate an age of about 32,000 BP, which is consistent with this attribution and in agreement with the results from the same sector of the cave measured previously at the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE). Six laboratories were involved in the intercomparison. Samples were measured in 4 AMS facilities: Center for Isotope Research, Groningen University, the Netherlands; the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, UK; the Centre de datation par le carbone 14, Univ. Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France (measured by AMS facilities of Poznan University, Poland); and the LSCE, UMR CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, France (measured by the Leibniz-Labor of Christian-Albrechts-Universitat Kiel, Germany). (authors)

  8. GEO-LEO reflectance band inter-comparison with BRDF and atmospheric scattering corrections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Tiejun; Xiong, Xiaoxiong Jack; Keller, Graziela; Wu, Xiangqian

    2017-09-01

    The inter-comparison of the reflective solar bands between the instruments onboard a geostationary orbit satellite and onboard a low Earth orbit satellite is very helpful to assess their calibration consistency. GOES-R was launched on November 19, 2016 and Himawari 8 was launched October 7, 2014. Unlike the previous GOES instruments, the Advanced Baseline Imager on GOES-16 (GOES-R became GOES-16 after November 29 when it reached orbit) and the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) on Himawari 8 have onboard calibrators for the reflective solar bands. The assessment of calibration is important for their product quality enhancement. MODIS and VIIRS, with their stringent calibration requirements and excellent on-orbit calibration performance, provide good references. The simultaneous nadir overpass (SNO) and ray-matching are widely used inter-comparison methods for reflective solar bands. In this work, the inter-comparisons are performed over a pseudo-invariant target. The use of stable and uniform calibration sites provides comparison with appropriate reflectance level, accurate adjustment for band spectral coverage difference, reduction of impact from pixel mismatching, and consistency of BRDF and atmospheric correction. The site in this work is a desert site in Australia (latitude -29.0 South; longitude 139.8 East). Due to the difference in solar and view angles, two corrections are applied to have comparable measurements. The first is the atmospheric scattering correction. The satellite sensor measurements are top of atmosphere reflectance. The scattering, especially Rayleigh scattering, should be removed allowing the ground reflectance to be derived. Secondly, the angle differences magnify the BRDF effect. The ground reflectance should be corrected to have comparable measurements. The atmospheric correction is performed using a vector version of the Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum modeling and BRDF correction is performed using a semi

  9. ABACC's laboratory intercomparison program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, Gevaldo L. de; Esteban, Adolfo; Almeida, Silvio G. de; Araujo, Radier M. de; Rocha, Zildete

    1996-01-01

    A Laboratory Intercomparison Program involving Brazilian and Argentine laboratories, with the special participation of New Brunswick Laboratory - DOE and IAEA Seibersdorf Safeguards Laboratory, was implanted by ABACC having as main purpose to qualify a network to provide analytical services to this Agency on its role as administrator of the Common System of Accountability and Control of Nuclear Materials. For the first round robin of this Program, 15 laboratories were invited to perform elemental analysis on UO 2 samples, by using any desired method. Thirteen confirmed the participation and 10 reported the results. After an evaluation of the results by using a Two-Way Variance Analysis applied to a nested error model, it was found that 5 of them deviate less than 0.1% from the reference value established for the UO 2 uranium contents, being thus situated within the limits adopted for the target values, while the remaining ones reach a maximal deviation of 0.44%. The outcome of this evaluation, was sent to the laboratories, providing them with a feedback to improve their performance by applying corrective actions to the detected sources of errors or bias related to the methods techniques and procedures. (author)

  10. Statistically downscaled climate projections to support evaluating climate change risks for hydropower

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brekke, L.

    2008-01-01

    This paper described a web-served public access archive of down-scaled climate projections developed as a tool for water managers of river and hydropower systems. The archive provided access to climate projection data at basin-relevant resolution and included an extensive compilation of down-scale climate projects designed to support risk-based adaptation planning. Downscaled translations of 112 contemporary climate projections produced using the World Climate Research Program's coupled model intercomparison project were also included. Datasets for the coupled model included temperature and precipitation, monthly time-steps, and geographic coverage for the United States and portions of Mexico and Canada. It was concluded that the archive will be used to develop risk-based studies on shifts in seasonal patterns, changes in mean annual runoff, and associated responses in water resources and hydroelectric power management. Case studies demonstrating reclamation applications of archive content and potential applications for hydroelectric power production impacts were included. tabs., figs

  11. Projection of future climate changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boucher, Olivier; Dufresne, Jean-Louis; Vial, Jessica; Brun, Eric; Cattiaux, Julien; Chauvin, Fabrice; Salas y Melia, David; Voldoire, Aurore; Bopp, Laurent; Braconnot, Pascale; Ciais, Philippe; Yiou, Pascal; Guilyardi, Eric; Mignot, Juliette; Guivarch, Celine

    2015-01-01

    Climate models provide the opportunity to anticipate how the climate system may change due to anthropogenic activities during the 21. century. Studies are based on numerical simulations that explore the evolution of the mean climate and its variability according to different socio-economic scenarios. We present a selection of results from phase 5 of the Climate model intercomparison project (CMIP5) with an illustrative focus on the two French models that participated to this exercise. We describe the effects of human perturbations upon surface temperature, precipitation, the cryo-sphere, but also extreme weather events and the carbon cycle. Results show a number of robust features, on the amplitude and geographical patterns of the expected changes and on the processes at play in these changes. They also show the limitations of such a prospective exercise and persistent uncertainties on some key aspects. (authors)

  12. Intercomparison programs - a tool for the implementation of a quality assurance program in bioassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mesquita, Sueli A. de; Sousa, Wanderson O.; Juliao, Ligia M.Q.C.; Santos, Maristela S.; Fernandes, Paulo C.P.

    2009-01-01

    In vitro bioassay laboratories need to have means to demonstrate that they are technically competent, operate an effective quality system, and are able to generate technically valid calibration and test results. The reliability of the results of measurements has a high influence on the reliability of the dose assessment. Inter-laboratory tests are one of the tools for assessing the analytical consistency of in vitro bioassay laboratories. The intercomparison exercises provide an opportunity to compare radiochemistry techniques for in vitro analysis of biological samples. The in vitro Laboratory of the Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria has therefore participated in the intercomparison exercises sponsored by PROCORAD, ARCAL and IAEA since 1998. The intercomparison exercises comprise measurements of gamma and beta emitters in urine samples and alpha emitters in urine and faecal samples. This paper presents the performance of the IRD in vitro bioassay laboratory in the past intercomparisons. The results demonstrate that in vitro laboratory is able to generate technically valid results, which also guarantee the support for a quality assurance program and accreditation by competent organism in Brazil. (author)

  13. Improving Climate Projections Using "Intelligent" Ensembles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Noel C.; Taylor, Patrick C.

    2015-01-01

    Recent changes in the climate system have led to growing concern, especially in communities which are highly vulnerable to resource shortages and weather extremes. There is an urgent need for better climate information to develop solutions and strategies for adapting to a changing climate. Climate models provide excellent tools for studying the current state of climate and making future projections. However, these models are subject to biases created by structural uncertainties. Performance metrics-or the systematic determination of model biases-succinctly quantify aspects of climate model behavior. Efforts to standardize climate model experiments and collect simulation data-such as the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)-provide the means to directly compare and assess model performance. Performance metrics have been used to show that some models reproduce present-day climate better than others. Simulation data from multiple models are often used to add value to projections by creating a consensus projection from the model ensemble, in which each model is given an equal weight. It has been shown that the ensemble mean generally outperforms any single model. It is possible to use unequal weights to produce ensemble means, in which models are weighted based on performance (called "intelligent" ensembles). Can performance metrics be used to improve climate projections? Previous work introduced a framework for comparing the utility of model performance metrics, showing that the best metrics are related to the variance of top-of-atmosphere outgoing longwave radiation. These metrics improve present-day climate simulations of Earth's energy budget using the "intelligent" ensemble method. The current project identifies several approaches for testing whether performance metrics can be applied to future simulations to create "intelligent" ensemble-mean climate projections. It is shown that certain performance metrics test key climate processes in the models, and

  14. Dosimeter irradiations for the 1996-1998 IAEA co-ordinated research project on intercomparison for individual monitoring of external exposure from photon radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleinikov, V.E.; Ambrosi, P.; Buermann, L.; Bartlett, D.T.; McClure, D.R.; Csete, I.; Fominykh, V.I.; Oborin, A.V.; Stadtmann, H.

    1999-01-01

    This paper gives information on the facilities used by the irradiating laboratories, how the irradiations in both Phase II and Phase III were performed, as well as the procedures followed to ensure that all irradiations were done so that any uncertainty in the dose estimates of the irradiating laboratories, for the purpose of this intercomparison, can be negligible. (author)

  15. Result of the intercomparison exercise on radon measuring instruments and radon detectors 'bev- radon ring 2005'

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baumgartner, A. [Vienna Univ. of Technology, Atominstitut, Wien (Austria); Maringer, F.J.; Michai, P.; Kreuziger, M. [BEV-Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying, Wien (Austria)

    2006-07-01

    In spring 2005 the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (B.E.V.) invited all in Austria working radon measuring institutes to an intercomparison exercise at the radon calibration laboratory in the Arsenal. The aim of this intercomparison was on the one hand an objective inquiry and documentation of the current metrological potential on the section of radon measurement in Austria - both quantitative and qualitative- and on the other hand an initiative for the participating laboratories to optimize and improve their applied calibration-, measurement and analyse technique. Ten contacted Austrian radon laboratories were prepared to participate on the radon intercomparison exercise. The intercomparison exercise was carried out from 14. till 29. June at the radon calibration laboratory in the Arsenal of the B.E.V.. As radon emanation source a five stepped arranged, at the Arsenal built radon source was used. The source ( A.D.O.T.T.O. 1 is filled with a certified Ra- 226-standard solution of the Czech Metrological Institute (C.M.I.), Prag. A simple statistic based model was used for the evaluation and assessment of the results from the participants, which consider the statistic nature of the radioactive decay combined uncertainty. Altogether 183 measuring instruments participated the intercomparison exercise. Two reference measuring instruments, 22 active and 159 passive measuring instruments. The active measuring instruments formed 6 types of instruments and as passive radon detectors were 7 different types used from the participants. The positioning of the radon measuring instruments and detectors in the radon calibration laboratory was executed in regard to statistic points of view. From the active measuring instruments 17 could qualify and from the passive methods six from eight participants were in compliance to the given criteria. Radon measurements, which could have financial and economics relating implications (e.g. architectural redevelopment or

  16. Assessing doses to terrestrial wildlife at a radioactive waste disposal site: inter-comparison of modelling approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansen, M P; Barnett, C L; Beresford, N A; Brown, J E; Černe, M; Howard, B J; Kamboj, S; Keum, D-K; Smodiš, B; Twining, J R; Vandenhove, H; Vives i Batlle, J; Wood, M D; Yu, C

    2012-06-15

    Radiological doses to terrestrial wildlife were examined in this model inter-comparison study that emphasised factors causing variability in dose estimation. The study participants used varying modelling approaches and information sources to estimate dose rates and tissue concentrations for a range of biota types exposed to soil contamination at a shallow radionuclide waste burial site in Australia. Results indicated that the dominant factor causing variation in dose rate estimates (up to three orders of magnitude on mean total dose rates) was the soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides that included variation in transfer parameter values as well as transfer calculation methods. Additional variation was associated with other modelling factors including: how participants conceptualised and modelled the exposure configurations (two orders of magnitude); which progeny to include with the parent radionuclide (typically less than one order of magnitude); and dose calculation parameters, including radiation weighting factors and dose conversion coefficients (typically less than one order of magnitude). Probabilistic approaches to model parameterisation were used to encompass and describe variable model parameters and outcomes. The study confirms the need for continued evaluation of the underlying mechanisms governing soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides to improve estimation of dose rates to terrestrial wildlife. The exposure pathways and configurations available in most current codes are limited when considering instances where organisms access subsurface contamination through rooting, burrowing, or using different localised waste areas as part of their habitual routines. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Projection of spatial and temporal changes of rainfall in Sarawak of Borneo Island using statistical downscaling of CMIP5 models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sa'adi, Zulfaqar; Shahid, Shamsuddin; Chung, Eun-Sung; Ismail, Tarmizi bin

    2017-11-01

    This study assesses the possible changes in rainfall patterns of Sarawak in Borneo Island due to climate change through statistical downscaling of General Circulation Models (GCM) projections. Available in-situ observed rainfall data were used to downscale the future rainfall from ensembles of 20 GCMs of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) for four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios, namely, RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5. Model Output Statistics (MOS) based downscaling models were developed using two data mining approaches known as Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The SVM was found to downscale all GCMs with normalized mean square error (NMSE) of 48.2-75.2 and skill score (SS) of 0.94-0.98 during validation. The results show that the future projection of the annual rainfalls is increasing and decreasing on the region-based and catchment-based basis due to the influence of the monsoon season affecting the coast of Sarawak. The ensemble mean of GCMs projections reveals the increased and decreased mean of annual precipitations at 33 stations with the rate of 0.1% to 19.6% and one station with the rate of - 7.9% to - 3.1%, respectively under all RCP scenarios. The remaining 15 stations showed inconsistency neither increasing nor decreasing at the rate of - 5.6% to 5.2%, but mainly showing a trend of decreasing rainfall during the first period (2010-2039) followed by increasing rainfall for the period of 2070-2099.

  18. Results of the third CEC intercomparison of active and passive detectors for the measurement of radon and radon decay products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miles, J.C.H.; Sinnaeve, J.

    1988-01-01

    In 1982 and 1984 the radiation protection research programme of the European Communities organized intercomparisons of radon and radon daughter measurement techniques, and the results were published (Miles et al., 1983; Miles and Sinnaeve, 1986. The second of these intercomparisons was carried out as part of a wider exercise sponsored jointly by the CEC and the OECD/NEA (OECD, 1983). The third CEC intercomparison, held at the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in the United Kingdom in 1987, again constituted the European regional part of this wider exercise. The intercomparison on the European region was carried out in two stages, the first for passive integrating detectors and the second for active instruments, usually by spot measurements. Twenty-one laboratories participated in the intercomparison, of passive dosimetry and 17 in that for active dosimetry. Passive detectors have been used in many European countries to carry out surveys of exposure in homes and to monitor occupational exposure. The exposures for the intercomparison of passive detectors were carried out in June, July and August 1987 at NRPB. The intercomparison of active detectors was carried out over three days in October 1987, when scientists from the participating laboratories brought their equipment to NRPB

  19. Improving National Water Modeling: An Intercomparison of two High-Resolution, Continental Scale Models, CONUS-ParFlow and the National Water Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tijerina, D.; Gochis, D.; Condon, L. E.; Maxwell, R. M.

    2017-12-01

    Development of integrated hydrology modeling systems that couple atmospheric, land surface, and subsurface flow is growing trend in hydrologic modeling. Using an integrated modeling framework, subsurface hydrologic processes, such as lateral flow and soil moisture redistribution, are represented in a single cohesive framework with surface processes like overland flow and evapotranspiration. There is a need for these more intricate models in comprehensive hydrologic forecasting and water management over large spatial areas, specifically the Continental US (CONUS). Currently, two high-resolution, coupled hydrologic modeling applications have been developed for this domain: CONUS-ParFlow built using the integrated hydrologic model ParFlow and the National Water Model that uses the NCAR Weather Research and Forecasting hydrological extension package (WRF-Hydro). Both ParFlow and WRF-Hydro include land surface models, overland flow, and take advantage of parallelization and high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities; however, they have different approaches to overland subsurface flow and groundwater-surface water interactions. Accurately representing large domains remains a challenge considering the difficult task of representing complex hydrologic processes, computational expense, and extensive data needs; both models have accomplished this, but have differences in approach and continue to be difficult to validate. A further exploration of effective methodology to accurately represent large-scale hydrology with integrated models is needed to advance this growing field. Here we compare the outputs of CONUS-ParFlow and the National Water Model to each other and with observations to study the performance of hyper-resolution models over large domains. Models were compared over a range of scales for major watersheds within the CONUS with a specific focus on the Mississippi, Ohio, and Colorado River basins. We use a novel set of approaches and analysis for this comparison

  20. Assessment and simulation of global terrestrial latent heat flux by synthesis of CMIP5 climate models and surface eddy covariance observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yunjun Yao; Shunlin Liang; Xianglan Li; Shaomin Liu; Jiquan Chen; Xiaotong Zhang; Kun Jia; Bo Jiang; Xianhong Xie; Simon Munier; Meng Liu; Jian Yu; Anders Lindroth; Andrej Varlagin; Antonio Raschi; Asko Noormets; Casimiro Pio; Georg Wohlfahrt; Ge Sun; Jean-Christophe Domec; Leonardo Montagnani; Magnus Lund; Moors Eddy; Peter D. Blanken; Thomas Grunwald; Sebastian Wolf; Vincenzo Magliulo

    2016-01-01

    The latent heat flux (LE) between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere is a major driver of the globalhydrological cycle. In this study, we evaluated LE simulations by 45 general circulation models (GCMs)in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) by a comparison...

  1. A New Paradigm for Diagnosing Contributions to Model Aerosol Forcing Error

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A. L.; Feldman, D. R.; Freidenreich, S.; Paynter, D.; Ramaswamy, V.; Collins, W. D.; Pincus, R.

    2017-12-01

    A new paradigm in benchmark absorption-scattering radiative transfer is presented that enables both the globally averaged and spatially resolved testing of climate model radiation parameterizations in order to uncover persistent sources of biases in the aerosol instantaneous radiative effect (IRE). A proof of concept is demonstrated with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory AM4 and Community Earth System Model 1.2.2 climate models. Instead of prescribing atmospheric conditions and aerosols, as in prior intercomparisons, native snapshots of the atmospheric state and aerosol optical properties from the participating models are used as inputs to an accurate radiation solver to uncover model-relevant biases. These diagnostic results show that the models' aerosol IRE bias is of the same magnitude as the persistent range cited ( 1 W/m2) and also varies spatially and with intrinsic aerosol optical properties. The findings underscore the significance of native model error analysis and its dispositive ability to diagnose global biases, confirming its fundamental value for the Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project.

  2. Monitoring Air Quality over China: Evaluation of the modeling system of the PANDA project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouarar, Idir; Katinka Petersen, Anna; Brasseur, Guy; Granier, Claire; Xie, Ying; Wang, Xuemei; Fan, Qi; Wang, Lili

    2015-04-01

    Air pollution has become a pressing problem in Asia and specifically in China due to rapid increase in anthropogenic emissions related to growth of China's economic activity and increasing demand for energy in the past decade. Observed levels of particulate matter and ozone regularly exceed World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines in many parts of the country leading to increased risk of respiratory illnesses and other health problems. The EU-funded project PANDA aims to establish a team of European and Chinese scientists to monitor air pollution over China and elaborate air quality indicators in support of European and Chinese policies. PANDA combines state-of-the-art air pollution modeling with space and surface observations of chemical species to improve methods for monitoring air quality. The modeling system of the PANDA project follows a downscaling approach: global models such as MOZART and MACC system provide initial and boundary conditions to regional WRF-Chem and EMEP simulations over East Asia. WRF-Chem simulations at higher resolution (e.g. 20km) are then performed over a smaller domain covering East China and initial and boundary conditions from this run are used to perform simulations at a finer resolution (e.g. 5km) over specific megacities like Shanghai. Here we present results of model simulations for January and July 2010 performed during the first year of the project. We show an intercomparison of the global (MACC, EMEP) and regional (WRF-Chem) simulations and a comprehensive evaluation with satellite measurements (NO2, CO) and in-situ data (O3, CO, NOx, PM10 and PM2.5) at several surface stations. Using the WRF-Chem model, we demonstrate that model performance is influenced not only by the resolution (e.g. 60km, 20km) but also the emission inventories used (MACCity, HTAPv2), their resolution and diurnal variation, and the choice of initial and boundary conditions (e.g. MOZART, MACC analysis).

  3. CAUSES: Diagnosis of the Summertime Warm Bias in CMIP5 Climate Models at the ARM Southern Great Plains Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chengzhu; Xie, Shaocheng; Klein, Stephen A.; Ma, Hsi-yen; Tang, Shuaiqi; Van Weverberg, Kwinten; Morcrette, Cyril J.; Petch, Jon

    2018-03-01

    All the weather and climate models participating in the Clouds Above the United States and Errors at the Surface project show a summertime surface air temperature (T2 m) warm bias in the region of the central United States. To understand the warm bias in long-term climate simulations, we assess the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, with long-term observations mainly from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program Southern Great Plains site. Quantities related to the surface energy and water budget, and large-scale circulation are analyzed to identify possible factors and plausible links involved in the warm bias. The systematic warm season bias is characterized by an overestimation of T2 m and underestimation of surface humidity, precipitation, and precipitable water. Accompanying the warm bias is an overestimation of absorbed solar radiation at the surface, which is due to a combination of insufficient cloud reflection and clear-sky shortwave absorption by water vapor and an underestimation in surface albedo. The bias in cloud is shown to contribute most to the radiation bias. The surface layer soil moisture impacts T2 m through its control on evaporative fraction. The error in evaporative fraction is another important contributor to T2 m. Similar sources of error are found in hindcast from other Clouds Above the United States and Errors at the Surface studies. In Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project simulations, biases in meridional wind velocity associated with the low-level jet and the 500 hPa vertical velocity may also relate to T2 m bias through their control on the surface energy and water budget.

  4. Intercomparison of 131I activity measurements in nuclear medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, G. Y.; Yang, H. K.; Lim, C. I.; Lee, H. K.; Jeong, H. K.

    2004-01-01

    Activity measurements in nuclear medicine using a dose calibrator have been performed for several decades and their reliability has varied. To minimise the radiation dose to patients with radionuclides, it is necessary to ensure that the sample administered is accurately assayed. Recognizing the importance of intercomparison in nuclear medicine and the need to make access to activity standards traceable to the international measurement system, the KFDA, as a national secondary standard dosimetry laboratory (SSDL), started an intercomparison program in 2002. This program was initiated by survey to all nuclear medicine centres regarding general information about their dose calibrators, radioisotopes etc. 71 nuclear medicine centres (79 dose calibrators) participated in the intercomparison program with 131 I isotope. To assess the accuracy of clinical measurements of the activity of 131 I solutions and to determine the reason for the disagreement, an intercomparison was conducted using 4 ml aliquots in 10 ml P6 vial with a total activity in the region of 10 -20 MBq. The reference time of decay for all solutions was 0:00 on 25 September 2002. The half-life used was 8.04 days. For the evaluation of solution in KFDA, a sealed, high pressure and re-entrant ionisation chamber, NPL-CRC radionuclide calibrators were used. The verification of our calibration quality was by means of a comparison with the Korea Primary Standard Laboratory (KRISS). The activity ratio of KFDA to KRISS for the 131 I solutions is 1.011. The difference between the value quoted by the clinic, A hospital and the value obtained by the KFDA, A KFDA , is expressed as a percent deviation, i.e. DEV(%) 100x(A hospital -A KFDA )/A KFDA . From the data obtained it was found that 61% of the calibrators showed a deviation within +/-5%; 23% had a deviation in the range 5% 131 I solution activity measurements, using dose calibrators in Koreas, and also to provide the participants with a traceable standard to

  5. Australian participation in international intercomparisons of environmental dosemeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boas, J.F.; David, R.C.; Jones, J.

    2002-01-01

    The Environmental Measurements Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy has conducted international intercomparisons of environmental dosemeters at regular intervals since 1974. This paper reports the results obtained in the 10th and 11th intercomparisons by JFB and JGY at the Australian Radiation Laboratory (in 1992 and 1996 respectively) and in the 12th intercomparison by JFB and DRCT at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and by JGY and JJ at Australian Radiation Serviceces during 2000 and 2001. The ARL/ARPANSA measurements used a simple dosemeter holder containing two CaSO 4 :Dy impregnated Teflon discs, one unshielded and the other shielded by approximately 2.4 mm of Cu. The ARS measurements used a commercially available TLD badge case containing a CaSO 4 :Dy impregnated Teflon card. The commercial badge case was not symmetrical in design. The filtration in the front and rear sections of the commercial badge case varied from an open area to an area shielded by copper, tin and cadmium. The results obtained were generally within ±15% of the reference values measured by EML using high-pressure ionisation chambers for dosemeters exposed hi the field to environmental radiation and for dosemeters given a single exposure to 137 Cs or 241 Am at EML or an associated laboratory. Similar agreement was obtained for dosemeters exposed in the field and also given a single exposure to 137 Cs radiation. In order to obtain this measure of agreement, the dosemeters were individually calibrated and the readouts corrected for fading. Copyright (2002) Australasian Radiation Protection Society Inc

  6. Statistical modeling of CMIP5 projected changes in extreme wet spells over China in the late 21st century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Lianhua; Li, Yun; Jiang, Zhihong

    2017-08-01

    The observed intensity, frequency, and duration (IFD) of summer wet spells, defined here as extreme events with one or more consecutive days in which daily precipitation exceeds a given threshold (the 95th percentile), and their future changes in RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in the late 21st century over China, are investigated by using the wet spell model (WSM) and by extending the point process approach to extreme value analysis. Wet spell intensity is modeled by a conditional generalized Pareto distribution, frequency by a Poisson distribution, and duration by a geometric distribution, respectively. The WSM is able to realistically model summer extreme rainfall spells during 1961-2005, as verified with observations at 553 stations throughout China. To minimize the impact of systematic biases over China in the global climate models (GCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), five best GCMs are selected based on their performance to reproduce observed wet spell IFD and average precipitation during the historical period. Furthermore, a quantile-quantile scaling correction procedure is proposed and applied to produce ensemble projections of wet spell IFD and corresponding probability distributions. The results show that in the late 21st century, most of China will experience more extreme rainfall and less low-intensity rainfall. The intensity and frequency of wet spells are projected to increase considerably, while the duration of wet spells will increase but to a much less extent. The IFD changes in RCP8.5 are in general much larger than those in RCP4.5.

  7. Tropical and Subtropical Cloud Transitions in Weather and Climate Prediction Models: The GCSS/WGNE Pacific Cross-Section Intercomparison (GPCI)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, J.; Cardoso, S.; Bonazzola, M.; Cole, J.; DeGenio, A.; DeMott, C.; Franklin, C.; Hannay, C.; Jakob, C.; Jiao, Y.; hide

    2011-01-01

    A model evaluation approach is proposed in which weather and climate prediction models are analyzed along a Pacific Ocean cross section, from the stratocumulus regions off the coast of California, across the shallow convection dominated trade winds, to the deep convection regions of the ITCZ the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Cloud System Study/Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (GCSS/ WGNE) Pacific Cross-Section Intercomparison (GPCI). The main goal of GPCI is to evaluate and help understand and improve the representation of tropical and subtropical cloud processes in weather and climate prediction models. In this paper, a detailed analysis of cloud regime transitions along the cross section from the subtropics to the tropics for the season June July August of 1998 is presented. This GPCI study confirms many of the typical weather and climate prediction model problems in the representation of clouds: underestimation of clouds in the stratocumulus regime by most models with the corresponding consequences in terms of shortwave radiation biases; overestimation of clouds by the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) in the deep tropics (in particular) with the corresponding impact in the outgoing longwave radiation; large spread between the different models in terms of cloud cover, liquid water path and shortwave radiation; significant differences between the models in terms of vertical cross sections of cloud properties (in particular), vertical velocity, and relative humidity. An alternative analysis of cloud cover mean statistics is proposed where sharp gradients in cloud cover along the GPCI transect are taken into account. This analysis shows that the negative cloud bias of some models and ERA-40 in the stratocumulus regions [as compared to the first International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP)] is associated not only with lower values of cloud cover in these regimes, but also with a stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition that occurs too

  8. Environmental radioactivity measurement intercomparison exercise 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jerome, S.M.

    1991-05-01

    In a recent national intercomparison exercise, 49 laboratories involved in making environmental radioactivity measurements took part in the analysis of samples supplied by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom. There were two sets of samples; one containing pure β-emitters and one containing β/γ-emitters. Two thirds of the participants measured the β/γ-emitter sample only, the remainder measured both. The results are presented. (author)

  9. Intercomparison of Aerosol Optical Depth from Brewer Ozone spectrophotometers and CIMEL sunphotometers measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Cheymol

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The Langley plot method applied on the Brewer Ozone measurements can provide accurate Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD in the UV-B. We present seven intercomparisons between AOD retrieved from Brewer Ozone measurements at 320 nm and AOD measured by CIMEL sunphotometer at 340 nm or 440 nm (shifted to 320 nm in using the Angström's law, which are stored in the international AERONET database. Only the intercomparisons between co-located instruments can be used to validate the Langley Plot Method applied to the Brewer measurements: in this case, all the correlation coefficients are above 0.82. If the instruments are not at the same site, the correlation between the AOD retrieved by both instruments is much lower. In applying the Angström's law the intercomparison is improved compared to previous study.

  10. Ocean acidification over the next three centuries using a simple global climate carbon-cycle model: projections and sensitivities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hartin, Corinne A.; Bond-Lamberty, Benjamin; Patel, Pralit; Mundra, Anupriya

    2016-08-01

    Continued oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is projected to significantly alter the chemistry of the upper oceans over the next three centuries, with potentially serious consequences for marine ecosystems. Relatively few models have the capability to make projections of ocean acidification, limiting our ability to assess the impacts and probabilities of ocean changes. In this study we examine the ability of Hector v1.1, a reduced-form global model, to project changes in the upper ocean carbonate system over the next three centuries, and quantify the model's sensitivity to parametric inputs. Hector is run under prescribed emission pathways from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and compared to both observations and a suite of Coupled Model Intercomparison (CMIP5) model outputs. Current observations confirm that ocean acidification is already taking place, and CMIP5 models project significant changes occurring to 2300. Hector is consistent with the observational record within both the high- (> 55°) and low-latitude oceans (< 55°). The model projects low-latitude surface ocean pH to decrease from preindustrial levels of 8.17 to 7.77 in 2100, and to 7.50 in 2300; aragonite saturation levels (ΩAr) decrease from 4.1 units to 2.2 in 2100 and 1.4 in 2300 under RCP 8.5. These magnitudes and trends of ocean acidification within Hector are largely consistent with the CMIP5 model outputs, although we identify some small biases within Hector's carbonate system. Of the parameters tested, changes in [H+] are most sensitive to parameters that directly affect atmospheric CO2 concentrations – Q10 (terrestrial respiration temperature response) as well as changes in ocean circulation, while changes in ΩAr saturation levels are sensitive to changes in ocean salinity and Q10. We conclude that Hector is a robust tool well suited for rapid ocean acidification

  11. Spectroradiometer Intercomparison and Impact on Characterizing Photovoltaic Device Performance: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Habte, A.; Andreas, A.; Ottoson, L.; Gueymard, C.; Fedor, G.; Fowler, S.; Peterson, J.; Naranen, E.; Kobashi, T.; Akiyama, A.; Takagi, S.

    2014-11-01

    Indoor and outdoor testing of photovoltaic (PV) device performance requires the use of solar simulators and natural solar radiation, respectively. This performance characterization requires accurate knowledge of spectral irradiance distribution that is incident on the devices. Spectroradiometers are used to measure the spectral distribution of solar simulators and solar radiation. On September 17, 2013, a global spectral irradiance intercomparison using spectroradiometers was organized by the Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This paper presents highlights of the results of this first intercomparison, which will help to decrease systematic inter-laboratory differences in the measurements of the outputs or efficiencies of PV devices and harmonize laboratory experimental procedures.

  12. Long-term changes in lower tropospheric baseline ozone concentrations: Comparing chemistry-climate models and observations at northern midlatitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrish, D. D.; Lamarque, J.-F.; Naik, V.; Horowitz, L.; Shindell, D. T.; Staehelin, J.; Derwent, R.; Cooper, O. R.; Tanimoto, H.; Volz-Thomas, A.; Gilge, S.; Scheel, H.-E.; Steinbacher, M.; Fröhlich, M.

    2014-05-01

    Two recent papers have quantified long-term ozone (O3) changes observed at northern midlatitude sites that are believed to represent baseline (here understood as representative of continental to hemispheric scales) conditions. Three chemistry-climate models (NCAR CAM-chem, GFDL-CM3, and GISS-E2-R) have calculated retrospective tropospheric O3 concentrations as part of the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 model intercomparisons. We present an approach for quantitative comparisons of model results with measurements for seasonally averaged O3 concentrations. There is considerable qualitative agreement between the measurements and the models, but there are also substantial and consistent quantitative disagreements. Most notably, models (1) overestimate absolute O3 mixing ratios, on average by 5 to 17 ppbv in the year 2000, (2) capture only 50% of O3 changes observed over the past five to six decades, and little of observed seasonal differences, and (3) capture 25 to 45% of the rate of change of the long-term changes. These disagreements are significant enough to indicate that only limited confidence can be placed on estimates of present-day radiative forcing of tropospheric O3 derived from modeled historic concentration changes and on predicted future O3 concentrations. Evidently our understanding of tropospheric O3, or the incorporation of chemistry and transport processes into current chemical climate models, is incomplete. Modeled O3 trends approximately parallel estimated trends in anthropogenic emissions of NOx, an important O3 precursor, while measured O3 changes increase more rapidly than these emission estimates.

  13. Asymmetric response of tropical cyclone activity to global warming over the North Atlantic and western North Pacific from CMIP5 model projections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Doo-Sun R; Ho, Chang-Hoi; Chan, Johnny C L; Ha, Kyung-Ja; Kim, Hyeong-Seog; Kim, Jinwon; Kim, Joo-Hong

    2017-01-30

    Recent improvements in the theoretical understanding of the relationship between tropical cyclones (TCs) and their large-scale environments have resulted in significant improvements in the skill for forecasting TC activity at daily and seasonal time-scales. However, future changes in TC activity under a warmer climate remain uncertain, particularly in terms of TC genesis locations and subsequent pathways. Applying a track-pattern-based statistical model to 22 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) model runs for the historical period and the future period corresponding to the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 emissions scenarios, this study shows that in future climate conditions, TC passage frequency will decrease over the North Atlantic, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, but will increase over the western North Pacific, especially that hits Korea and Japan. Unlike previous studies based on fine-resolution models, an ensemble mean of CMIP5 models projects an increase in TC activity in the western North Pacific, which is owing to enhanced subtropical deep convection and favorable dynamic conditions therein in conjunction with the expansion of the tropics and vice versa for the North Atlantic. Our results suggest that North America will experience less TC landfalls, while northeast Asia will experience more TCs than in the present-day climate.

  14. Intercomparison 2003 for Radon measurement services at PSI

    CERN Document Server

    Butterweck, G

    2003-01-01

    Twelve radon measurement services participated in the 2003 Radon Intercomparison Exercise performed at the Reference Laboratory for Radon Gas Activity Concentration Measurements at Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) during March 13th to 24th, 2003. Ten of these laboratories were approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and their participation in the intercomparison exercise was a requirement to warrant quality of measurement. Radon gas detectors (etched-track and electret ionisation chambers) and instruments (ionisation chambers and electrostatic precipitation) were exposed in the PSI Radon Chamber in a reference atmosphere with an average radon gas concentration of 1950 Bqm sup - sup 3 leading to a radon gas exposure of 517 kBqhm sup - sup 3. Additional five electret-detectors of an approved measuring service were purchased by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health for a spot check. Two of these were exposed as described above, two had an exposure of 247 kBqhm sup - sup 3 at an average radon concen...

  15. Interpretation of complexometric titration data: An intercomparison of methods for estimating models of trace metal complexation by natural organic ligands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pižeta, I.; Sander, S.G.; Hudson, R.J.M.; Omanovic, D.; Baars, O.; Barbeau, K.A.; Buck, K.N.; Bundy, R.M.; Carrasco, G.; Croot, P.L.; Garnier, C.; Gerringa, L.J.A.; Gledhill, M.; Hirose, K.; Kondo, Y.; Laglera, L.M.; Nuester, J.; Rijkenberg, M.J.A.; Takeda, S.; Twining, B.S.; Wells, M.

    2015-01-01

    With the common goal of more accurately and consistently quantifying ambient concentrations of free metal ions and natural organic ligands in aquatic ecosystems, researchers from 15 laboratories that routinely analyze trace metal speciation participated in an intercomparison of statistical methods

  16. Intercomparison Measurements Zavazna Poruba '98

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kostial, J.; Nemcovic, V.; Cabanekova, H.; Durcik, M.; Svatosova, O.; Fueloep, M.; Buban, P.; Galbavy, V.; Dzubara, M.; Svatos, J.

    1998-01-01

    The periodical intercomparison exercises of mobile radiological laboratories was organized in order to improve the measuring methods and to gain a good basis for quality assurance. 20 teams from 10 countries were registered for the workshop from which 20 arrived and participated only as observers. There altogether 73 participants. The list of participants is enclosed in and of this report. The aims of 1998 intercomparison measurements were: (1) to compare the results of the measurements by in-situ spectrometry assuming the different distribution; (2) to improve cooperation among different institutions in Europe; (3) to test the ability of the teams to produce results at the spot; (4) to test the teams capability to produce results for Cs-137 with real distribution without having soil density and alpha/ro prior measurement. The program of the workshop consisted from two parts: field exercises and presentations. Field exercises were: (1) In-situ gamma spectrometry of natural and artificial radionuclides and their contribution to ambient dose rate over an area with heterogeneous distribution of the contamination of cesium-137 at Zavazna Poruba. (2) Dose rate measurement from cobalt-60 source; (3) Identification and determination of activity and depth of a buried source by in-situ spectrometry; (4) Search for lost sources by mobile radiological laboratory; (6) In-situ measurements and dose rate measurement above the water-level of Liptovska Mara; (6) In-situ gamma spectrometry on the bank of the dam an area Liptovsky Trnovec

  17. ENES the European Network for Earth System modelling and its infrastructure projects IS-ENES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guglielmo, Francesca; Joussaume, Sylvie; Parinet, Marie

    2016-04-01

    The scientific community working on climate modelling is organized within the European Network for Earth System modelling (ENES). In the past decade, several European university departments, research centres, meteorological services, computer centres, and industrial partners engaged in the creation of ENES with the purpose of working together and cooperating towards the further development of the network, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. As of 2015, the consortium counts 47 partners. The climate modelling community, and thus ENES, faces challenges which are both science-driven, i.e. analysing of the full complexity of the Earth System to improve our understanding and prediction of climate changes, and have multi-faceted societal implications, as a better representation of climate change on regional scales leads to improved understanding and prediction of impacts and to the development and provision of climate services. ENES, promoting and endorsing projects and initiatives, helps in developing and evaluating of state-of-the-art climate and Earth system models, facilitates model inter-comparison studies, encourages exchanges of software and model results, and fosters the use of high performance computing facilities dedicated to high-resolution multi-model experiments. ENES brings together public and private partners, integrates countries underrepresented in climate modelling studies, and reaches out to different user communities, thus enhancing European expertise and competitiveness. In this need of sophisticated models, world-class, high-performance computers, and state-of-the-art software solutions to make efficient use of models, data and hardware, a key role is played by the constitution and maintenance of a solid infrastructure, developing and providing services to the different user communities. ENES has investigated the infrastructural needs and has received funding from the EU FP7 program for the IS-ENES (InfraStructure for ENES) phase I and II

  18. An international intercomparison of passive dosemeters, electronic dosemeters and dose rate meters used for environmental radiation measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøtter-Jensen, L.; Thompson, I.M.G.

    1995-01-01

    during 1994. The intercomparison was organised by the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig, Germany, and by the Riso National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark. This paper describes the intercomparison experiments performed at the newly established Riso Natural Environmental Radiation...

  19. Sensitivity of global and regional terrestrial carbon storage to the direct CO2 effect and climate change based on the CMIP5 model intercomparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jing; Dan, Li; Huang, Mei

    2014-01-01

    Global and regional land carbon storage has been significantly affected by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate change. Based on fully coupled climate-carbon-cycle simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), we investigate sensitivities of land carbon storage to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate change over the world and 21 regions during the 130 years. Overall, the simulations suggest that consistently spatial positive effects of the increasing CO2 concentrations on land carbon storage are expressed with a multi-model averaged value of 1.04 PgC per ppm. The stronger positive values are mainly located in the broad areas of temperate and tropical forest, especially in Amazon basin and western Africa. However, large heterogeneity distributed for sensitivities of land carbon storage to climate change. Climate change causes decrease in land carbon storage in most tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. In these regions, decrease in soil moisture (MRSO) and enhanced drought somewhat contribute to such a decrease accompanied with rising temperature. Conversely, an increase in land carbon storage has been observed in high latitude and altitude regions (e.g., northern Asia and Tibet). The model simulations also suggest that global negative impacts of climate change on land carbon storage are predominantly attributed to decrease in land carbon storage in tropics. Although current warming can lead to an increase in land storage of high latitudes of Northern Hemisphere due to elevated vegetation growth, a risk of exacerbated future climate change may be induced due to release of carbon from tropics.

  20. Sensitivity of global and regional terrestrial carbon storage to the direct CO2 effect and climate change based on the CMIP5 model intercomparison.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Peng

    Full Text Available Global and regional land carbon storage has been significantly affected by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate change. Based on fully coupled climate-carbon-cycle simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5, we investigate sensitivities of land carbon storage to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate change over the world and 21 regions during the 130 years. Overall, the simulations suggest that consistently spatial positive effects of the increasing CO2 concentrations on land carbon storage are expressed with a multi-model averaged value of 1.04 PgC per ppm. The stronger positive values are mainly located in the broad areas of temperate and tropical forest, especially in Amazon basin and western Africa. However, large heterogeneity distributed for sensitivities of land carbon storage to climate change. Climate change causes decrease in land carbon storage in most tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. In these regions, decrease in soil moisture (MRSO and enhanced drought somewhat contribute to such a decrease accompanied with rising temperature. Conversely, an increase in land carbon storage has been observed in high latitude and altitude regions (e.g., northern Asia and Tibet. The model simulations also suggest that global negative impacts of climate change on land carbon storage are predominantly attributed to decrease in land carbon storage in tropics. Although current warming can lead to an increase in land storage of high latitudes of Northern Hemisphere due to elevated vegetation growth, a risk of exacerbated future climate change may be induced due to release of carbon from tropics.

  1. The future of coastal upwelling in the Humboldt current from model projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oyarzún, Damián; Brierley, Chris M.

    2018-03-01

    The Humboldt coastal upwelling system in the eastern South Pacific ocean is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. A weakening of the upwelling activity could lead to severe ecological impacts. As coastal upwelling in eastern boundary systems is mainly driven by wind stress, most studies so far have analysed wind patterns change through the 20th and 21st Centuries in order to understand and project the phenomenon under specific forcing scenarios. Mixed results have been reported, and analyses from General Circulation Models have suggested even contradictory trends of wind stress for the Humboldt system. In this study, we analyse the ocean upwelling directly in 13 models contributing to phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) in both the historical simulations and an extreme climate change scenario (RCP8.5). The upwelling is represented by the upward ocean mass flux, a newly-included variable that represents the vertical water transport. Additionally, wind stress, ocean stratification, Ekman layer depth and thermocline depth were also analysed to explore their interactions with coastal upwelling throughout the period studied. The seasonal cycle of coastal upwelling differs between the Northern and Southern Humboldt areas. At lower latitudes, the upwelling season spans most of the autumn, winter and spring. However, in the Southern Humboldt area the upwelling season takes place in spring and the summertime with downwelling activity in winter. This persists throughout the Historical and RCP8.5 simulations. For both the Northern and Southern Humboldt areas an increasing wind stress is projected. However, different trends of upwelling intensity are observed away from the sea surface. Whereas wind stress will continue controlling the decadal variability of coastal upwelling on the whole ocean column analysed (surface to 300 m depth), an increasing disconnect with upwelling intensity is projected below 100 m depth throughout the 21

  2. LGM permafrost distribution: how well can the latest PMIP multi-model ensembles reconstruct?

    OpenAIRE

    K. Saito; T. Sueyoshi; S. Marchenko; V. Romanovsky; B. Otto-Bliesner; J. Walsh; N. Bigelow; A. Hendricks; K. Yoshikawa

    2013-01-01

    Global-scale frozen ground distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was reconstructed using multi-model ensembles of global climate models, and then compared with evidence-based knowledge and earlier numerical results. Modeled soil temperatures, taken from Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase III (PMIP3) simulations, were used to diagnose the subsurface thermal regime and determine underlying frozen ground types for the present-day (pre-industrial; 0 k) and the LGM (...

  3. Results of the regional intercomparison on internal dosimetry – 2013: Interpretation of monitoring data for effective dose assessment due to internal exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojo, A.M.; Puerta, N.; Gossio, S.; Gómez Parada, I.

    2015-01-01

    Internal dosimetry intercomparisons are essential for the verification of the models applied and the results consistency. To that aim, the 1. Regional Intercomparison Exercise was organized in 2005 in the frame of the RLA 9/049. The results of this exercise led to the 2. Regional Intercomparison Exercise in 2013, which was organized in the frame of the RLA 9/066 and coordinated by Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear (ARN) of Argentina. Four simulated cases covering intakes of “1”3”1I, “1”3”7Cs and Tritium were proposed. The exercise counted with the participation of 19 centres from 13 countries. This report shows a complete analysis of the participant’s results in this 2nd. exercise, useful to test their skills and acquired knowledge, particularly in applying the IDEAS guidelines. It is important to highlight the improvement in the general performance of the participants. (authors) [es

  4. Analysis of the REAL-84 intercomparison exercise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-10-01

    The document presents the conclusions and the recommendations of the specialists' meeting organized by the IAEA and held in Jackson Hole (USA) between 27-29 May 1987 as a result of the analysis of the REAL-84 intercomparison exercise for improving the accuracy in radiation damage predictions in the neutron environment using good quality input data and proper calculation methods. 6 refs

  5. Second radiocarbon intercomparison program for the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc cave, Ardeche, France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quiles, A.; Valladas, H.; Kaltnecker, E.; Geneste, J.M.; Clottes, J.; Berthier, B.; Delque-Kolic, E.; Dumoulin, J.P.

    2014-01-01

    The Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave is one of the most important sites for the study of the earliest manifestations and development of prehistoric art at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic. Different dating techniques have been performed thus far (AMS 14 C, U/Th TIMS, 36 Cl dating) to model the chronological framework of this decorated cave. The cave yielded several large charcoal fragments, which enabled the opportunity for obtaining multiple dates; thus, a First Radiocarbon Intercomparison Program (FIP) was initiated in 2004 using three charcoal pieces. The FIP demonstrated that those cross-dated samples belonged to a time period associated with the first human occupation. One of the statistical interests of an intercomparison program is to reduce the uncertainty on the sample age; thus, to further assess the accuracy of the chronological framework, the Second Intercomparison Program (SIP) involving 10 international 14 C laboratories was carried out on two pieces of charcoal found inside two hearth structures of the Galerie des Megaceros. Each laboratory used its own pretreatment and AMS facilities. In total, 21 and 22 measurements were performed, respectively, which yielded consistent results averaging ∼32 ka BP. Two strategies have currently been developed to identify statistical outliers and to deal with them; both lead to quasi-identical calibrated combined densities. Finally, the new results were compared with those of the FIP, leading to the important conclusion that five different samples from at least three different hearth structures give really tightened temporal densities, associated with one short human occupation in the Galerie des Megaceros. (authors)

  6. An intercomparison of Canadian external dosimetry processors for radiation protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-10-01

    The five Canadian external dosimetry processors have participated in a two-stage intercomparison. The first stage involved dosimeters to known radiation fields under controlled laboratory conditions. The second stage involved exposing dosimeters to radiation fields in power reactor working environments. The results for each stage indicated the dose reported by each processor relative to an independently determined dose and relative to the others. The results of the intercomparisons confirm the original supposition: namely that the average differences in reported dose among five processors are much less than the uncertainty limits recommended by the ICRP. This report provides a description of the experimental methods as well as a discussion of the results for each stage. The report also includes a set of recommendations

  7. Intercomparisons in the radiation monitoring network of the Czech Republic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuckova, S; Malatova, I [National Radiation Protection Inst., Prague (Czech Republic); Drabova, D [State Office for Nuclear Safety, Prague (Czech Republic)

    1996-12-31

    In Czech Republic, altogether 11 laboratories, equipped by semiconductor gamma spectrometry supply regularly to the Centre of Radiation Monitoring Network the measured data about the radionuclide activity concentration in different environmental samples, participating thus in monitoring of radiation situation in the country. The Center of Radiation Monitoring Network of Czech Republic periodically organizes through its reference laboratories interlaboratory comparison tests ensuring thus quality of the measurements within the radiation monitoring network. A ring intercomparison test was organized in 1994. The piece of steel rather highly contaminated by {sup 60}Co was used. In the intercomparison test 1994-1995 of pulverized concrete breeze-block containing fly ash with natural radionuclides were used. Results of this measurement is given as an example (authors).

  8. Latinamerican Biological Dosimetry Network (LBDNET). International Biological Dosimetry intercomparison Program (exercise 2007-2008)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Giorgio, Marina; Vallerga, Maria B.; Radl, A.; Taja, Maria R.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes the International Biological Dosimetry Intercomparison Program (exercise 2007-2008) - developed within the framework of the IAEA regional project - RLA/9/054 (Establishment of national capabilities for response to radiological and nuclear emergency) whose general objectives are: assess reproducibility inter-laboratory; identify problems and provide the necessary modifications for collaborative work in accidental situations requiring activation of mutual assistance mechanisms which will form the basis of the Organization of LBDNET. This exercise involves the laboratories of the region: Argentina (laboratory support), Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay and the laboratory of the Autonomous University of Barcelona-Espana (Joan Francesc Barquinero and staff). Finally, these countries will meet the next time for the drafting of a final report and later publication. (author)

  9. Intercomparison of model predictions of tritium concentrations in soil and foods following acute airborne HTO exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barry, P.J.; Watkins, B.M.; Belot, Y.; Davis, P.A.; Edlund, O.; Galeriu, D.; Raskob, W.; Russell, S.; Togawa, O.

    1998-01-01

    This paper describes the results of a model intercomparision exercise for predicting tritium transport through foodchains. Modellers were asked to assume that farmland was exposed for one hour to an average concentration in air of 10 4 MBq tritium m -3 . They were given the initial soil moisture content and 30 days of hourly averaged historical weather and asked to predict HTO and OBT concentrations in foods at selected times up to 30 days later when crops were assumed to be harvested. Two fumigations were postulated, one at 10.00 h (i.e., in day-light), and the other at 24.00 h (i.e., in darkness).Predicted environmental media concentrations after the daytime exposure agreed within an order of magnitude in most cases. Important sources of differences were variations in choices of numerical values for transport parameters. The different depths of soil layers used in the models appeared to make important contributions to differences in predictions for the given scenario. Following the night-time exposure, however, greater differences in predicted concentrations appeared. These arose largely because of different ways key processes were assumed to be affected by darkness. Uptake of HTO by vegetation and the rate it is converted to OBT were prominent amongst these processes. Further research, experimental data and modelling intercomparisons are required to resolve some of these issues. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  10. The second EURADOS intercomparison of national network systems used to provide early warning of a nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saez-Vergara, J. C.; Thompson, I. M. G.; Gurriaran, R.; Dombrowski, H.; Funck, E.; Neumaier, S.

    2007-01-01

    In 1999 and 2002, the EURADOS Working Group on Environmental Monitoring organised two European intercomparison exercises of national network systems used to provide early warning in case of a nuclear accident. In total, 12 European countries, represented by more than 40 scientists, participated in these two intercomparisons with more than 35 different dose rate detectors. In addition, an in situ gamma spectrometry intercomparison was performed by a group of European scientists during the 2002 exercise. Results of these spectrometry measurements will be reported elsewhere. This report summarises the results of the second intercomparison, performed in 2002, at the environmental dosimetry facilities of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany. The unique combination of the ultra-low background Underground Laboratory (UDO) and two free-field sites (a floating platform on a lake showing an almost pure cosmic radiation field and a free-field gamma ray irradiation facility) provide the particular opportunity to precisely quantify the inherent background of the detectors and to calibrate them almost free of any background and traceable to PTB's primary standards. In addition, the intercomparison comprised investigations on the energy and dose rate dependence of the detectors' response to gamma radiation as well as on the response to cosmic radiation. Finally, the sensitivity of the detector systems to small dose rate variations, similar to that caused by a passing overhead radioactive plume, was studied under realistic free-field conditions. Following the Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM, the participants of the 2002 intercomparison were asked to report their results in terms of the operational quantity ambient dose equivalent, H*(10). Although the verification of the individual calibrations showed smaller discrepancies than those in the 1999 intercomparison, in a few cases, these discrepancies would be still unacceptably high in the case of a real

  11. LGM permafrost distribution: how well can the latest PMIP multi-model ensembles perform reconstruction?

    OpenAIRE

    Saito, K.; Sueyoshi, T.; Marchenko, S.; Romanovsky, V.; Otto-Bliesner, B.; Walsh, J.; Bigelow, N.; Hendricks, A.; Yoshikawa, K.

    2013-01-01

    Here, global-scale frozen ground distribution from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) has been reconstructed using multi-model ensembles of global climate models, and then compared with evidence-based knowledge and earlier numerical results. Modeled soil temperatures, taken from Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project phase III (PMIP3) simulations, were used to diagnose the subsurface thermal regime and determine underlying frozen ground types for the present day (pre-industrial; 0 kya) an...

  12. Photon dosimetry intercomparisons at Tygerberg and Groote Schuur hospitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, D.T.L.; Symons, J.E.; Schreuder, A.N.; Van der Merwe, E.J.; Rossouw, A.; Hough, J.K.; Lazarus, G.L.

    1994-08-01

    A national photon dosimetry intercomparison was undertaken at 8 hospitals at the beginning of 1989 prior to the commencement of randomised clinical trials involving neutron therapy at the National Accelerator Centre. The results obtained were in agreement at all but two hospitals. Following these studies it was agreed that a uniform photon dosimetry protocol, the AAPM TG2 protocol, be adopted countrywide. The clinical program at the National Accelerator Centre is now far advanced and it was deemed appropriate to undertake a new photon dosimetry intercomparison at two local hospitals, through which all patients are referred. The procedure involved was to compare the doses measured at each hospital under specified conditions by National Accelerator staff with the doses measured by the hospital physicists using their own equipment and protocols. The results obtained were in good agreement, confirming the validity of the dosimetry techniques used. 8 refs., 8 tabs

  13. Evaluation of CMIP5 models for projection of future precipitation change in Bornean tropical rainforests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Mubasher; Yusof, Khamaruzaman Wan; Mustafa, Muhammad Raza Ul; Mahmood, Rashid; Jia, Shaofeng

    2017-10-01

    We present the climate change impact on the annual and seasonal precipitation over Rajang River Basin (RRB) in Sarawak by employing a set of models from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Based on the capability to simulate the historical precipitation, we selected the three most suitable GCMs (i.e. ACCESS1.0, ACCESS1.3, and GFDL-ESM2M) and their mean ensemble (B3MMM) was used to project the future precipitation over the RRB. Historical (1976-2005) and future (2011-2100) precipitation ensembles of B3MMM were used to perturb the stochastically generated future precipitation over 25 rainfall stations in the river basin. The B3MMM exhibited a significant increase in precipitation during 2080s, up to 12 and 8% increase in annual precipitation over upper and lower RRB, respectively, under RCP8.5, and up to 7% increase in annual precipitation under RCP4.5. On the seasonal scale, Mann-Kendal trend test estimated statistically significant positive trend in the future precipitation during all seasons; except September to November when we only noted significant positive trend for the lower RRB under RCP4.5. Overall, at the end of the twenty-first century, an increase in annual precipitation is noteworthy in the whole RRB, with 7 and 10% increase in annual precipitation under the RCP4.5 and the RCP8.5, respectively.

  14. Analysis of international intercomparisons results organized by Japan for integrating 222Rn-220Rn detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Yunyun; Cui Hongxing; Zhang Qingzhao; Shang Bing; Su Xu

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To guarantee the quality of measurements with the radon-thoron discriminative detectors of our laboratory. Methods: LD-P radon-thoron discriminative detector participated in the international intercomparison for integrating radon/thoron detectors organized by National Institute of Radiological Science (NIRS, Japan). Detectors were sent to NIRS for exposure. Radon intercomparison was conducted with radon chamber providing three levels of exposure: low, medium and high levels. Thoron intercomparison was carried out at thoron chamber, which also provided three levels of exposure: low, medium and high levels. Detectors were posted back to our laboratory for etching and analysis after exposure. Then the measured values were submitted to NIRS. Finally the reference values were informed of us. Results: The relative percent difference (RPD) between the measured value and the reference value for radon was -13.8%, -14.4% and -17.1% at low, medium and high levels respectively, and that of thoron were -14.4%, 8.9% and -3.2% at three levels respectively. Conclusions: Both radon and thoron measurement of our detectors rank as 'Category Ⅰ' in the 4th international intercomparisons for integrating radon/thoron detectors with the NIRS radon/thoron chambers. (authors)

  15. The April 1994 and October 1994 radon intercomparisons at EML

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisenne, I.M.; George, A.C.; Perry, P.M.; Keller, H.W.

    1995-10-01

    Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) are the backbone of many commercial and research processes and programs. QA/QC research tests the state of a functioning system, be it the production of manufactured goods or the ability to make accurate and precise measurements. The quality of the radon measurements in the US have been tested under controlled conditions in semi-annual radon gas intercomparison exercises sponsored by the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) since 1981. The two Calendar Year 1994 radon gas intercomparison exercises were conducted in the EML exposure chamber. Thirty-two groups including US Federal facilities, USDOE contractors, national and state laboratories, universities and foreign institutions participated in these exercises. The majority of the participant's results were within ±10% of the EML value at radon concentrations of 570 and 945 Bq m -3

  16. Dosimetric intercomparison in Cobalt 60 unities using TLD-100 crystals and CaSO4: Dy + Ptfe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaona, E.; Azorin N, J.; Perez P, M.A.; Castillo H, M.; Flores F, F.; Guzman R, L.V.

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to design and construct a phantom in basis of thermoplastic polymer of methyl methacrylate that is reutilizable and which allows to do an analysis of the absorbed doses in thermoluminescent crystals (Tl) exposed to cobalt 60 to establish the dosimetric intercomparison in cobalt units which allows to do the follow-up of the Quality assurance programs, standardization of calibration procedures, dosimetry and TLD post intercomparison in radiotherapy. This work allows also prove new thermoluminescent materials of national manufacture developed by Juan Azorin and collaborators as the CaSO 4 : Dy + Ptfe. This is a first study which is realized in Mexico with the system crystal-phantom for aims to intercomparison in cobalt 60 units. In this work participate eight unities of cobalt 60 of different trades belonging at four radiotherapy centers. The results of the dose intercomparison of the eight unities of cobalt 60 were in the range 0.95-1.13, taking in account that the values between 0.95 and 1.05 were considered acceptable in terms of the requirements by the standing legislation. (Author)

  17. Impacts of climate change on peanut yield in China simulated by CMIP5 multi-model ensemble projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hanqing; Tian, Zhan; Zhong, Honglin; Fan, Dongli; Shi, Runhe; Niu, Yilong; He, Xiaogang; Chen, Maosi

    2017-09-01

    Peanut is one of the major edible vegetable oil crops in China, whose growth and yield are very sensitive to climate change. In addition, agriculture climate resources are expected to be redistributed under climate change, which will further influence the growth, development, cropping patterns, distribution and production of peanut. In this study, we used the DSSAT-Peanut model to examine the climate change impacts on peanut production, oil industry and oil food security in China. This model is first calibrated using site observations including 31 years' (1981-2011) climate, soil and agronomy data. This calibrated model is then employed to simulate the future peanut yield based on 20 climate scenarios from 5 Global Circulation Models (GCMs) developed by the InterSectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) driven by 4 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Results indicate that the irrigated peanut yield will decrease 2.6% under the RCP 2.6 scenario, 9.9% under the RCP 4.5 scenario and 29% under the RCP 8.5 scenario, respectively. Similarly, the rain-fed peanut yield will also decrease, with a 2.5% reduction under the RCP 2.6 scenario, 11.5% reduction under the RCP 4.5 scenario and 30% reduction under the RCP 8.5 scenario, respectively.

  18. Intercomparison I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortes P, A.; Garcia D, O.; Becerril V, A.

    1997-01-01

    Assuming the importance that have the use of measurement procedures which yield consistent results with other laboratories it is necessary to participate in international intercomparisons. In this time, the Radioactive patterns laboratory (LPR) at Metrology Department of National Institute of Nuclear Research participated in the Quality Appraisement Program (QAP) which was organized by the Energy Department of the United States in march 1997. In this program soil samples, vegetables and contaminated air filters were distributed with different radioisotopes. This laboratory took part in the measurement and analysis of one of the air filters. This filter was contaminated with 12 radioisotopes, 7 β emissors, 4 α and γ emissors and a β pure emissor. The β - γ emissors were measured with a gamma spectrometer system with a Ge high purity detector. From the 7 activity measurements corresponding to the β, γ emissors were qualified as acceptable. In this work, the used equipment is described and the procedure followed is reported for the problem filter measurement as well as the obtained results. (Author)

  19. From Past to future: the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project's contribution to CMIP6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kageyama, Masa; Braconnot, Pascale; Harrison, Sandy; Haywood, Alan; Jungclaus, Johann; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako

    2016-04-01

    Since the 1990s, PMIP has developed with the following objectives: 1/to evaluate the ability of climate models used for climate prediction in simulating well-documented past climates outside the range of present and recent climate variability; 2/to understand the mechanisms of these climate changes, in particular the role of the different climate feedbacks. To achieve these goals, PMIP has actively fostered paleo-data syntheses, multi-model analyses, including analyses of relationships between model results from past and future simulations, and model-data comparisons. For CMIP6, PMIP will focus on five past periods: - the Last Millennium (850 CE - present), to analyse natural climate variability on multidecadal or longer time-scales - the mid-Holocene, 6000 years ago, to compare model runs with paleodata for a period of warmer climate in the Northern Hemisphere, with an enhanced hydrological cycle - the Last Glacial Maximum, 21000 years ago, to evaluate the ability of climate models to represent a cold climate extreme and examine whether paleoinformation about this period can help and constrain climate sensitivity - the Last InterGlacial (~127,000 year ago), which provides a benchmark for a period of high sea-level stand - the mid-Pliocene warm period (~3.2 million years ago), which allows for the evaluation of the model's long-term response to a CO2 level analogous to the modern one. This poster will present the rationale of these "PMIP4-CMIP6" experiments. Participants are invited to come and discuss about the experimental set-up and the model output to be distributed via CMIP6. For more information and discussion of the PMIP4-CMIP6 experimental design, please visit: https://wiki.lsce.ipsl.fr/pmip3/doku.php/pmip3:cmip6:design:index

  20. Forward Model Studies of Water Vapor Using Scanning Microwave Radiometers, Global Positioning System, and Radiosondes during the Cloudiness Intercomparison Experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mattioli, Vinia; Westwater, Ed R.; Gutman, S.; Morris, Victor R.

    2005-01-01

    Brightness temperatures computed from five absorption models and radiosonde observations were analyzed by comparing them with measurements from three microwave radiometers at 23.8 and 31.4 GHz. Data were obtained during the Cloudiness Inter-Comparison experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's (ARM) site in North-Central Oklahoma in 2003. The radiometers were calibrated using two procedures, the so-called instantaneous ?tipcal? method and an automatic self-calibration algorithm. Measurements from the radiometers were in agreement, with less than a 0.4-K difference during clear skies, when the instantaneous method was applied. Brightness temperatures from the radiometer and the radiosonde showed an agreement of less than 0.55 K when the most recent absorption models were considered. Precipitable water vapor (PWV) computed from the radiometers were also compared to the PWV derived from a Global Positioning System station that operates at the ARM site. The instruments agree to within 0.1 cm in PWV retrieval

  1. Beta dosimetry using partial body dosimeters II. Results of intercomparison measurements of 1998/1999 - PTB report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambrosi, P.; Helmstaedter, K.

    2000-12-01

    In 1998 the PTB organised a second series of intercomparison measurements for selected beta dosimeters worn on the extremities. In April 1999 these intercomparison measurements and the results obtained were discussed in a one day meeting. The contributions given and the results obtained and the conclusions drawn after extensive discussions are presented in this PTB report. (orig.) [de

  2. Report on the intercomparison for the isotope standards limestone KH 2 and polyethylene foil PEF 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerstenberger, H.; Herrmann, M.

    1983-01-01

    The isotope abundance of 13 C and 18 O of a carbonate was measured by an intercomparison in order to create a new working standard for the mass spectrometric determination of isotopic variations in natural materials. For the same purpose a polyethylene was subjected an intercomparison and the abundance of 13 C and D has been determined. (author)

  3. Preliminary report on an intercomparison of methods for processing Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parr, R.M.; Houtermans, H.; Schaerf, K.

    1978-01-01

    An intercomparison has been organized by the IAEA for the purpose of evaluating methods for processing Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectra. These spectra cover an energy range of about 1MeV and, with one exception, contain only well separated single peaks; another spectrum contains double peaks with various relative intensities and degrees of overlap. The spectra were prepared in such a way that the areas and positions of all peaks, relative to a standard spectrum which is also provided, are known exactly. The intercomparison enables the user to test the ability of his methods (1) to detect small peaks near the limit of detectability; (2) to determine the position and area of more easily detectable peaks, and (3) to determine the position and area of overlapping double peaks. The method of preparation of the spectra and the organization of the intercomparison are described in this report. (author)

  4. Total ozone measurement: Intercomparison of prototype New Zealand filter instrument and Dobson spectrophotometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basher, R. E.

    1978-01-01

    A five month intercomparison showed that the total ozone amounts of a prototype narrowband interference filter instrument were 7% less than those of a Dobson instrument for an ozone range of 0.300 to 0.500 atm cm and for airmasses less than two. The 7% bias was within the intercomparison calibration uncertainty. An airmass dependence in the Dobson instrument made the bias relationship airmass-dependent but the filter instrument's ozone values were generally constant to 2% up to an airmass of four. Long term drift in the bias was negligible.

  5. Assessing doses to terrestrial wildlife at a radioactive waste disposal site: Inter-comparison of modelling approaches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johansen, M.P., E-mail: mathew.johansen@ansto.gov.au [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW, 2232 (Australia); Barnett, C.L., E-mail: clb@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster (United Kingdom); Beresford, N.A., E-mail: nab@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster (United Kingdom); Brown, J.E., E-mail: justin.brown@nrpa.no [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Oesteraas (Norway); Cerne, M., E-mail: marko.cerne@ijs.si [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Howard, B.J., E-mail: bjho@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster (United Kingdom); Kamboj, S., E-mail: skamboj@anl.gov [Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States); Keum, D.-K., E-mail: dkkeum@kaeri.re.kr [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Smodis, B. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Twining, J.R., E-mail: jrt@ansto.gov.au [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW, 2232 (Australia); Vandenhove, H., E-mail: hvandenh@sckcen.be [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Mol (Belgium); Vives i Batlle, J., E-mail: jvbatll@sckcen.be [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Mol (Belgium); Wood, M.D., E-mail: m.d.wood@salford.ac.uk [University of Salford, Manchester (United Kingdom); Yu, C., E-mail: cyu@anl.gov [Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States)

    2012-06-15

    Radiological doses to terrestrial wildlife were examined in this model inter-comparison study that emphasised factors causing variability in dose estimation. The study participants used varying modelling approaches and information sources to estimate dose rates and tissue concentrations for a range of biota types exposed to soil contamination at a shallow radionuclide waste burial site in Australia. Results indicated that the dominant factor causing variation in dose rate estimates (up to three orders of magnitude on mean total dose rates) was the soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides that included variation in transfer parameter values as well as transfer calculation methods. Additional variation was associated with other modelling factors including: how participants conceptualised and modelled the exposure configurations (two orders of magnitude); which progeny to include with the parent radionuclide (typically less than one order of magnitude); and dose calculation parameters, including radiation weighting factors and dose conversion coefficients (typically less than one order of magnitude). Probabilistic approaches to model parameterisation were used to encompass and describe variable model parameters and outcomes. The study confirms the need for continued evaluation of the underlying mechanisms governing soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides to improve estimation of dose rates to terrestrial wildlife. The exposure pathways and configurations available in most current codes are limited when considering instances where organisms access subsurface contamination through rooting, burrowing, or using different localised waste areas as part of their habitual routines. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Assessment of modelled dose rates to terrestrial biota from radionuclides. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The substantial variation among current approaches is quantifiable. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The dominant variable was soil

  6. The projected demise of Barnes Ice Cap: Evidence of an unusually warm 21st century Arctic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, A.; Flowers, G. E.; Miller, G. H.; Refsnider, K. A.; Young, N. E.; Radić, V.

    2017-03-01

    As a remnant of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, Barnes Ice Cap owes its existence and present form in part to the climate of the last glacial period. The ice cap has been sustained in the present interglacial climate by its own topography through the mass balance-elevation feedback. A coupled mass balance and ice-flow model, forced by Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 climate model output, projects that the current ice cap will likely disappear in the next 300 years. For greenhouse gas Representative Concentration Pathways of +2.6 to +8.5 Wm-2, the projected ice-cap survival times range from 150 to 530 years. Measured concentrations of cosmogenic radionuclides 10Be, 26Al, and 14C at sites exposed near the ice-cap margin suggest the pending disappearance of Barnes Ice Cap is very unusual in the last million years. The data and models together point to an exceptionally warm 21st century Arctic climate.

  7. HPLC/DAD Intercomparison on Phytoplankton Pigments (HIP-1, HIP-2, HIP-3 and HIP-4)

    OpenAIRE

    CANUTI Elisabetta; RAS Josephine; GRUNG Merete; ROTTGERS Rudiger; COSTA GOELA Priscilla; ARTUSO Florinda; CATALDI Dario

    2016-01-01

    From 2009 to 2015, in the context of the MERIS (Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) validation activities, the JRC Marine Optical Laboratory organised four HPLC Intercomparison exercises for Phytoplankton Pigment measurements (HIP-1, HIP-2, HIP-3 and HIP-4), involving seven European accredited and reference laboratories. The objectives of these intercomparison exercises were: creating a reference community at European level for phytoplankton pigment analysis capable of supporting satel...

  8. Preliminary results of the alpha particle registration intercomparison ALRIT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paretzke, H.G.

    1976-01-01

    In view of the widespread interest in alpha particle registration with solid state nuclear track detectors, an international intercomparison of such measurements has been arranged. Sixteen sets of fourteen detectors each were sent to GSF-Neuherberg, there irradiated carefully with different alpha particle fields, and then returned for evaluation. Fourteen irradiation runs were made for each set simulating seven different irradiation situations commonly encountered in practical applications. The preliminary results of this intercomparison reported in this paper are based on the results of eight sets. They show good agreement with respect to the determination of track densities in the case of vertical incident alpha particles. Also the results obtained for determination of particle energies and angle of incidence in most cases were rather accurate. However, apparently it is still rather difficult to determine accurately and precisely the specific activity of alpha emitters on a thick filter positioned at some distance, i.e. for the case of 2π-incidence and a broad energy spectrum. (orig.) [de

  9. Summary of 'IAEA intercomparison of IBA software'

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barradas, N.P. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); Centro de Fisica Nuclear da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. 1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal); Arstila, K. [K.U.Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, B-3001 (Belgium); Battistig, G. [MFA Research Institute for Technical Physics and Material Science, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Bianconi, M. [CNR-IMM-Sezione di Bologna, Via P.Gobetti, 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Dytlewski, N. [International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna (Austria); Jeynes, C. [University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre, Guildford GU2 7XH, England (United Kingdom)], E-mail: c.jeynes@surrey.ac.uk; Kotai, E. [KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Lulli, G. [CNR-IMM-Sezione di Bologna, Via P.Gobetti, 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Mayer, M. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Rauhala, E. [Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 (Finland); Szilagyi, E. [KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Thompson, M. [Department of MS and E/Bard Hall 328, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

    2008-04-15

    The International Atomic Energy Agency has sponsored a formal intercomparison exercise for the seven depth profiling ion beam analysis codes, which are: GISA, RUMP, RBX, DEPTH, DataFurnace, SIMNRA and MCERD. This intercomparison is published in Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B [N.P. Barradas, K. Arstila, G. Battistig, M. Bianconi, N. Dytlewski, C. Jeynes, E. Kotai, G. Lulli, M. Mayer, E. Rauhala, E. Szilagyi, M. Thompson, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 262 (2007) 281-303] and summarised here. The codes implement all known physical effects and they are all evaluated. We demonstrate that there is agreement between codes often better than 0.1%; and also detailed agreement with real spectra, showing in particular that the SRIM 2003 stopping powers for Si are correct to 0.6% for 1.5 MeV He. For the case of heavy ion elastic recoil detection (HI-ERD) the single scattering codes performed poorly for scattered particles, although recoiled particles were calculated correctly.

  10. Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Trends and Implications of Climate Change on National and International Security

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-01

    Honduras Senegal Ethiopia Iran Rwanda Fiji Libya Pakistan Source: World Bank 2009. 99 100 52 I CHAPTER 3 101 102 103 POTENTIAL...Southern Command Perspective Mr. Rod Snider American Red Cross American Red Cross and Climate Change MG Bob Barnes Nature Conservancy The Nature ...Model Intercomparison Project CMIP5 5th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project CO2 carbon dioxide COE Center of Excellence for Disaster Management

  11. Results of the 1982 intercomparison (collaborative test) on J 131 in milk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiechen, A.; Bundesanstalt fuer Milchforschung, Kiel

    1982-01-01

    The quality control of J 131 measurements in milk in the Federal Republik of Germany by an intercomparison performed in March 1982 showed a reasonable result. About two thirds of the laboratories engaged in this intercomparison had no trouble with their analytical tools. To improve the standard of J 131 determinations, laboratories with deviations from the true value were pointed to possible systematic errors. In the Federal Republik of Germany those methods for the determination of J 131 in milk have been successfully used which concentrate the iodine of the milk on an anion exchanger column and measure the J 131 directly by gammaspectrometry. (orig.) [de

  12. Reactor neutron activation analysis on reference materials from intercomparison runs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pantelica, A.; Salagean, M.

    2003-01-01

    A review of using the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique in our laboratory to determine major, minor and trace elements in mineral and biological samples from international intercomparison runs organised by IAEA Vienna, IAEA-MEL Monaco, 'pb-anal' Kosice, INCT Warszawa and IPNT Krakow is presented. Neutron irradiation was carried out at WWR-S reactor in Bucharest (short and long irradiation) during 1982-1997 and at TRIGA reactor in Pitesti (long irradiation) during the later period. The following type of materials were analysed: soils, marine sediments, uranium phosphate ore, water sludge, copper flue dust, whey powder, yeast, cereal flour (rye and wheat), marine animal tissue (mussel, garfish and tuna fish), as well as vegetal tissue (seaweed, cabbage, spinach, alfalfa, algae, tea leaves and herbs). The following elements could be, in general, determined: Ag, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, K, La, Lu, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, U, W, Yb and Zn of long-lived radionuclides, as well as Al, Ca, Cl, Cu, Mg, Mn, and Ti of short-lived radionuclides. Data obtained in our laboratory for various matrix samples presented and compared with the intercomparison certified values. The intercomparison exercises offer to the participating laboratories the opportunity to test the accuracy of their analytical methods as well as to acquire valuable Reference Materials/ standards for future analytical applications. (authors)

  13. Psacoin level 1A intercomparison probabilistic system assessment code (PSAC) user group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nies, A.; Laurens, J.M.; Galson, D.A.; Webster, S.

    1990-01-01

    This report describes an international code intercomparison exercise conducted by the NEA Probabilistic System Assessment Code (PSAC) User Group. The PSACOIN Level 1A exercise is the third of a series designed to contribute to the verification of probabilistic codes that may be used in assessing the safety of radioactive waste disposal systems or concepts. Level 1A is based on a more realistic system model than that used in the two previous exercises, and involves deep geological disposal concepts with a relatively complex structure of the repository vault. The report compares results and draws conclusions with regard to the use of different modelling approaches and the possible importance to safety of various processes within and around a deep geological repository. In particular, the relative significance of model uncertainty and data variability is discussed

  14. INTERCOMPARISON OF RESULTS FOR A PWR ROD EJECTION ACCIDENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DIAMOND,D.J.; ARONSON,A.; JO,J.; AVVAKUMOV,A.; MALOFEEV,V.; SIDOROV,V.; FERRARESI,P.; GOUIN,C.; ANIEL,S.; ROYER,M.E.

    1999-10-01

    This study is part of an overall program to understand the uncertainty in best-estimate calculations of the local fuel enthalpy during the rod ejection accident. Local fuel enthalpy is used as the acceptance criterion for this design-basis event and can also be used to estimate fuel damage for the purpose of determining radiological consequences. The study used results from neutron kinetics models in PARCS, BARS, and CRONOS2, codes developed in the US, the Russian Federation, and France, respectively. Since BARS uses a heterogeneous representation of the fuel assembly as opposed to the homogeneous representations in PARCS and CRONOS, the effect of the intercomparison was primarily to compare different intra-assembly models. Quantitative comparisons for core power, reactivity, assembly fuel enthalpy and pin power were carried out. In general the agreement between methods was very good providing additional confidence in the codes and providing a starting point for a quantitative assessment of the uncertainty in calculated fuel enthalpy using best-estimate methods.

  15. Multi-model uncertainty analysis in predicting grain N for crop rotations in Europe

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yin, X.; Kersebaum, K. C.; Kollas, C.; Baby, S.; Beaudoin, N.; Manevski, K.; Palosuo, T.; Nendel, C.; Wu, L.; Hoffmann, M.; Hoffmann, H. D.; Sharif, B.; Armas-Herrera, C.; Bindi, M.; Charfeddine, M.; Conradt, T.; Constantin, J.; Ewert, F.; Ferrise, R.; Gaiser, T.; de Cortazar-Atauri, I. G.; Giglio, L.; Hlavinka, Petr; Lana, M.; Launay, M.; Louarn, G.; Manderscheid, R.; Mary, B.; Mirschel, W.; Moriondo, M.; Oeztuerk, M.; Pacholski, A.; Ripoche-Wachter, D.; Roetter, R. P.; Ruget, F.; Trnka, Miroslav; Ventrella, D.; Weigel, H-J.; Olesen, J. E.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 84, mar (2017), s. 152-165 ISSN 1161-0301 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1415 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : air co2 enrichment * climate-change * catch crops * nitrogen-fertilization * wheat production * winter-wheat * model stics * sugar-beet * wide-range * growth * Continuous simulation * Grain N * Model calibration * Model ensemble * Model inter-comparison * Single year simulation Subject RIV: GC - Agronomy OBOR OECD: Agronomy , plant breeding and plant protection Impact factor: 3.757, year: 2016

  16. Yield risks in global maize markets: Historical evidence and projections in key regions of the world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson B. Villoria

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Simultaneous worldwide crop failures stemming from a more unstable climate may reduce the scope for international trade to compensate food shortages and stabilize food prices across the various regions of the world. Understanding the effects of changes in crop productivity on global markets requires knowledge about the extent to which crop yields may be systematically related across producing and consuming centers. This short communication contributes to this knowledge by investigating the potential changes in the strength of two key sources of supply risks in global maize markets: yield variance and cross-country yield correlation. We focus on the largest producing and consuming countries of the world. We capitalize on yield projections from the Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison project. Exploratory analysis of the skill of the underlying GGCMI models in reproducing key moments of the distribution of observed yields reveals that they overstate observed variances but faithfully reproduce observed patterns of cross-country correlations. We find no evidence of an increase in the degree of cross-country dependency of maize yields. We also find a higher incidence of what would be considered extremely low maize yields by present-time standards stemming from the projected downward trend in yields levels toward mid-century. The weak dependency of maize yields across countries, an the possibility of reducing the higher incidence of extremes through policies aimed to reverse the climate-induced downward trends in yields, suggest that international trade can become a valuable tool to ameliorate the effects of more unstable crop yields. Keywords: Extremely low yields, Maize markets, Food prices, Agricultural yields, Systemic risk in agriculture, Global agriculture, AgMIP, Global gridded crop model intercomparison

  17. Projections of Rainfall and Surface Temperature from CMIP5 Models under RCP4.5 and 8.5 over BIMSTEC Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charan Pattnayak, Kanhu; Kar, Sarat Chandra; Kumari Pattnayak, Rashmita

    2015-04-01

    Rainfall and surface temperature are the most important climatic variables in the context of climate change. Thus, these variables simulated from fifth phase of the Climate Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5) models have been compared against Climatic Research Unit (CRU) observed data and projected for the twenty first century under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios. Results for the seven countries under Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have been examined. Six CMIP5 models namely GFDL-CM3, GFDL-ESM2M, GFDL-ESM2G, HadGEM2-AO, HadGEM2-CC and HadGEM2-ES have been chosen for this study. The study period has been considered is from 1861 to 2100. From this period, initial 145 years i.e. 1861 to 2005 is reference or historical period and the later 95 years i.e. 2005 to 2100 is projected period. The climate change in the projected period has been examined with respect to the reference period. In order to validate the models, the mean annual rainfall and temperature has been compared with CRU over the reference period 1901 to 2005. Comparison reveals that most of the models are able to capture the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature over most of the regions of BIMSTEC countries. Therefore these model data can be used to study the future changes in the 21st Century. Four out six models shows that the rainfall over Central and North India, Thailand and eastern part of Myanmar shows decreasing trend and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka shows an increasing trend in both RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. In case of temperature, all of the models show an increasing trend over all the BIMSTEC countries in both scenarios, however, the rate of increase is relatively less over Sri Lanka than the other countries. Annual cycles of rainfall and temperature over Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand

  18. CGILS : Results from the first phase of an international project to understand the physical mechanisms of low cloud feedbacks in single column models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, M.; Bretherton, C.S.; Blossey, P.N.; Austin, P.H.; Bacmeister, J.T.; Bony, S.; Brient, F.; Cheedela, S.K.; Cheng, A.; Del Genio, A.D.; De Roode, S.R.; Endo, S.; Franklin, C.N.; Golaz, J.C.; Hannay, C.; Heus, T.; Isotta, F.A.; Dufresne, J.L.; Kang, I.S.; Kawai, H.; Köhler, M.; Larson, V.E.; Liu, Y.; Lock, A.P.; Lohmann, U.; Khairoutdinov, M.F.; Molod, A.M.; Neggers, R.A.J.; Rasch, P.; Sandu, I.; Senkbeil, R.; Siebesma, A.P.; Siegenthaler-Le Drian, C.; Stevens, B.; Suarez, M.J.; Xu, K.M.; Von Salzen, K.; Webb, M.J.; Wolf, A.; Zhao, M.

    2013-01-01

    CGILS—the CFMIP-GASS Intercomparison of Large Eddy Models (LESs) and single column models (SCMs)—investigates the mechanisms of cloud feedback in SCMs and LESs under idealized climate change perturbation. This paper describes the CGILS results from 15 SCMs and 8 LES models. Three cloud regimes over

  19. Results of the Argentinian intercomparison on internal dosimetry – 2014. Interpretation of monitoring data for effective dose assessment due to internal exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojo, A.M.; Puerta, N.; Gossio, S.; Gómez Parada, I.

    2015-01-01

    Internal dosimetry intercomparisons are essential for the verification of the models applied and the results consistency. To that aim, in 2014 the National Intercomparison Exercise was organized and coordinated by the Internal Dosimetry Laboratory of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) of Argentina. Four simulated cases covering intakes of “1”3”1I, “1”3”7Cs and tritium were proposed. The exercise counted with the participation of four internal dosimetry services from the nuclear power plants (NA-SA CNA and NA-SA CNE) and the CNEA Atomic Centres: Bariloche (CAB) and Ezeiza (CAE). This report shows a complete analysis of the participant’s results in this exercise. (authors) [es

  20. Results of the European Community's beta intercomparison programme of individual dosemeters in 1986

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigard, T.; Sequin, H.; Chartier, J.L.; Christensen, P.; Francis, T.M.; Lembo, L.

    1988-01-01

    For over 20 years, the Commission of the European Communities, in collaboration with competent laboratories in the member states, has been conducting intercomparisons of individual dosemeters with the objective of improving technique for monitoring ionizing radiation and establishing a common basis for dose assessment within the Community. These programmes not only serve the participants with an opportunity to validate their calibration and measuring procedures but also help to create a forum in which to exchange information and discuss experience with other participants. The performance and results of such an intercomparison exercise conducted in 1986 are reported here

  1. BRICK v0.2, a simple, accessible, and transparent model framework for climate and regional sea-level projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Tony E.; Bakker, Alexander M. R.; Ruckert, Kelsey; Applegate, Patrick; Slangen, Aimée B. A.; Keller, Klaus

    2017-07-01

    Simple models can play pivotal roles in the quantification and framing of uncertainties surrounding climate change and sea-level rise. They are computationally efficient, transparent, and easy to reproduce. These qualities also make simple models useful for the characterization of risk. Simple model codes are increasingly distributed as open source, as well as actively shared and guided. Alas, computer codes used in the geosciences can often be hard to access, run, modify (e.g., with regards to assumptions and model components), and review. Here, we describe the simple model framework BRICK (Building blocks for Relevant Ice and Climate Knowledge) v0.2 and its underlying design principles. The paper adds detail to an earlier published model setup and discusses the inclusion of a land water storage component. The framework largely builds on existing models and allows for projections of global mean temperature as well as regional sea levels and coastal flood risk. BRICK is written in R and Fortran. BRICK gives special attention to the model values of transparency, accessibility, and flexibility in order to mitigate the above-mentioned issues while maintaining a high degree of computational efficiency. We demonstrate the flexibility of this framework through simple model intercomparison experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate that BRICK is suitable for risk assessment applications by using a didactic example in local flood risk management.

  2. Future projections of synoptic weather types over the Arabian Peninsula during the twenty-first century using an ensemble of CMIP5 models

    KAUST Repository

    El Kenawy, Ahmed M.

    2016-07-28

    An assessment of future change in synoptic conditions over the Arabian Peninsula throughout the twenty-first century was performed using 20 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) database. We employed the mean sea level pressure (SLP) data from model output together with NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and compared the relevant circulation types produced by the Lamb classification scheme for the base period 1975–2000. Overall, model results illustrated good agreement with the reanalysis, albeit with a tendency to underestimate cyclonic (C) and southeasterly (SE) patterns and to overestimate anticyclones and directional flows. We also investigated future projections for each circulation-type during the rainy season (December–May) using three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), comprising RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5. Overall, two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP 8.5) revealed a statistically significant increase in weather types favoring above normal rainfall in the region (e.g., C and E-types). In contrast, weather types associated with lower amounts of rainfall (e.g., anticyclones) are projected to decrease in winter but increase in spring. For all scenarios, there was consistent agreement on the sign of change (i.e., positive/negative) for the most frequent patterns (e.g., C, SE, E and A-types), whereas the sign was uncertain for less recurrent types (e.g., N, NW, SE, and W). The projected changes in weather type frequencies in the region can be viewed not only as indicators of change in rainfall response but may also be used to inform impact studies pertinent to water resource planning and management, extreme weather analysis, and agricultural production.

  3. Future projections of synoptic weather types over the Arabian Peninsula during the twenty-first century using an ensemble of CMIP5 models

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Kenawy, Ahmed M.; McCabe, Matthew F.

    2017-10-01

    An assessment of future change in synoptic conditions over the Arabian Peninsula throughout the twenty-first century was performed using 20 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) database. We employed the mean sea level pressure (SLP) data from model output together with NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and compared the relevant circulation types produced by the Lamb classification scheme for the base period 1975-2000. Overall, model results illustrated good agreement with the reanalysis, albeit with a tendency to underestimate cyclonic (C) and southeasterly (SE) patterns and to overestimate anticyclones and directional flows. We also investigated future projections for each circulation-type during the rainy season (December-May) using three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), comprising RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5. Overall, two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP 8.5) revealed a statistically significant increase in weather types favoring above normal rainfall in the region (e.g., C and E-types). In contrast, weather types associated with lower amounts of rainfall (e.g., anticyclones) are projected to decrease in winter but increase in spring. For all scenarios, there was consistent agreement on the sign of change (i.e., positive/negative) for the most frequent patterns (e.g., C, SE, E and A-types), whereas the sign was uncertain for less recurrent types (e.g., N, NW, SE, and W). The projected changes in weather type frequencies in the region can be viewed not only as indicators of change in rainfall response but may also be used to inform impact studies pertinent to water resource planning and management, extreme weather analysis, and agricultural production.

  4. Results of the 1996-1998 IAEA co-ordinated research project on intercomparison for individual monitoring of external exposure to photon radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouvrard, R.; Boehm, J.

    1999-01-01

    This paper presents the conclusions drawn at the end of the intercomparison, the purpose of which was to examine the performance of the dosimetry systems in radiation fields similar to those encountered in practical routine monitoring. These fields included, for a range of doses, mixed normally incident and wide angle fields of simulated direct source and room scatter radiation for some typical energy distributions and high-energy photons (6-7 MeV) with and without secondary electron equilibrium. Almost all of the participating services satisfied the evaluation criteria on overall accuracy for all fields. (author)

  5. Report on the intercomparison run IAEA-155 trace elements in whey powder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeiller, E.; Strachnov, V.; Dekner, R.

    1990-11-01

    Analytical results need to be reliable, and analysts are well serviced to test their complete analytical systems, methods, instruments, personnel, data reduction, etc., on a frequent basis. Besides the use of standard reference materials, the intercomparison runs provide an excellent opportunity for the determination of accuracy. By comparing their results with results obtained by different methods of preparation and measurement, the participating laboratories have the opportunity to check their analytical performances. At the same time the IAEA's AQCS can establish the concentration of some elements for certification purposes. The participants were requested to determine as many elements as possible with emphasis on ''essential'' and ''toxic'' elements related to human health and environmental pollution in the intercomparison whey powder sample (IAEA-155) as well as in the control sample IAEA. It was expected that the results for IAEA would improve the evaluation of the intercomparison results of IAEA-155 as the concentrations of some inorganic constituents were well established in the IAEA sample. In total 69 laboratories from 24 different countries participated in this exercise. As a basis for the evaluation, 580 laboratory means were reported comprising 2699 individual results for 45 elements. For 3 additional elements information was supplied that the value was below the detection limits of the methods. Even though information and data on 48 elements were reported for IAEA-155 only 4 elements are assigned Class A and 13 elements Class B recommended values. The elements Mg, Mn, Na and P were assigned ''Class A''. But contrary to some former intercomparison exercises, this time sufficient results could be obtained to set ''Class B'' recommended values for some ''difficult to determine'' elements like Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se. Figs, 45 tabs

  6. Intercomparison and calibration of dose calibrators used in nuclear medicine facilities

    CERN Document Server

    Costa, A M D

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this work was to establish a working standard for intercomparison and calibration of dose calibrators used in most of nuclear medicine facilities for the determination of the activity of radionuclides administered to patients in specific examinations or therapeutic procedures. A commercial dose calibrator, a set of standard radioactive sources, and syringes, vials and ampoules with radionuclide solutions used in nuclear medicine were utilized in this work. The commercial dose calibrator was calibrated for radionuclide solutions used in nuclear medicine. Simple instrument tests, such as linearity response and variation response with the source volume at a constant source activity concentration were performed. This instrument may be used as a reference system for intercomparison and calibration of other activity meters, as a method of quality control of dose calibrators utilized in nuclear medicine facilities.

  7. Results from 2010 Caliban Criticality Dosimetry Intercomparison

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veinot, K. G.

    2011-10-12

    The external dosimetry program participated in a criticality dosimetry intercomparison conducted at the Caliban facility in Valduc, France in 2010. Representatives from the dosimetry and instrumentation groups were present during testing which included irradiations of whole-body beta/gamma (HBGT) and neutron thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), a fixed nuclear accident dosimeter (FNAD), electronic alarming dosimeters, and a humanoid phantom filled with reference man concentrations of sodium. This report reviews the testing procedures, preparations, irradiations, and presents results of the tests.

  8. Projection Models 2010

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Illerup, J. B.; Birr-Pedersen, K.; Mikkelsen, M. H

    Models for projection of SO2-, NOx-, NMVOC- and NH3-emissions to the atmosphere have been developed and the Danish emissions have been projected until 2010 from a basis scenario including all implemented and planned measures. The projections of the four pollutants indicate that it may be difficult...

  9. Dosimetry audits and intercomparisons in radiotherapy: A Malaysian profile

    Science.gov (United States)

    M. Noor, Noramaliza; Nisbet, A.; Hussein, M.; Chu S, Sarene; Kadni, T.; Abdullah, N.; Bradley, D. A.

    2017-11-01

    Quality audits and intercomparisons are important in ensuring control of processes in any system of endeavour. Present interest is in control of dosimetry in teletherapy, there being a need to assess the extent to which there is consistent radiation dose delivery to the patient. In this study we review significant factors that impact upon radiotherapy dosimetry, focusing upon the example situation of radiotherapy delivery in Malaysia, examining existing literature in support of such efforts. A number of recommendations are made to provide for increased quality assurance and control. In addition to this study, the first level of intercomparison audit i.e. measuring beam output under reference conditions at eight selected Malaysian radiotherapy centres is checked; use being made of 9 μm core diameter Ge-doped silica fibres (Ge-9 μm). The results of Malaysian Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) participation in the IAEA/WHO TLD postal dose audit services during the period between 2011 and 2015 will also been discussed. In conclusion, following review of the development of dosimetry audits and the conduct of one such exercise in Malaysia, it is apparent that regular periodic radiotherapy audits and intercomparison programmes should be strongly supported and implemented worldwide. The programmes to-date demonstrate these to be a good indicator of errors and of consistency between centres. A total of ei+ght beams have been checked in eight Malaysian radiotherapy centres. One out of the eight beams checked produced an unacceptable deviation; this was found to be due to unfamiliarity with the irradiation procedures. Prior to a repeat measurement, the mean ratio of measured to quoted dose was found to be 0.99 with standard deviation of 3%. Subsequent to the repeat measurement, the mean distribution was 1.00, and the standard deviation was 1.3%.

  10. Extremity ring dosimetry intercomparison in reference and workplace fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ginjaume, M.; Carinou, E.; Donadille, L.; Jankowski, J.; Rimpler, A.; Sans Merce, M.; Vanhavere, F.; Denoziere, M.; Daures, J.; Bordy, J. M.; Itie, C.; Covens, P.

    2008-01-01

    An intercomparison of ring dosemeters has been organised with the aim of assessing the technical capabilities of available extremity dosemeters and focusing on their performance at clinical workplaces with potentially high extremity doses. Twenty-four services from 16 countries participated in the intercomparison. The dosemeters were exposed to reference photon ( 137 Cs) and beta ( 147 Pm, 85 Kr and 90 Sr/ 90 Y) fields together with fields representing realistic exposure situations in interventional radiology (direct and scattered radiation) and nuclear medicine ( 99m Tc and 18 F). It has been found that most dosemeters provided satisfactory measurements of H p (0.07) for photon radiation, both in reference and realistic fields. However, only four dosemeters fulfilled the established requirements for all radiation qualities. The main difficulties were found for the measurement of low-energy beta radiation. Finally, the results also showed a general under-response of detectors to 18 F, which was attributed to the difficulties of the dosimetric systems to measure the positron contribution to the dose. (authors)

  11. Assessing radiation impact at a protected coastal sand dune site: an intercomparison of models for estimating the radiological exposure of non-human biota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, Michael D., E-mail: mwood@liv.ac.u [Institute for Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Ecosystem Research (SWIMMER), Nicholson Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3GP (United Kingdom); School of Biological Sciences, Nicholson Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3GP (United Kingdom); Beresford, Nicholas A.; Barnett, Catherine L. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); Copplestone, David [Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Richard Fairclough House, Knutsford Road, Latchford, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 1HG (United Kingdom); Leah, Richard T. [Institute for Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Ecosystem Research (SWIMMER), Nicholson Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3GP (United Kingdom); School of Biological Sciences, Nicholson Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside L69 3GP (United Kingdom)

    2009-12-15

    This paper presents the application of three publicly available biota dose assessment models (the ERICA Tool, R and D128/SP1a and RESRAD-BIOTA) to an assessment of the Drigg coastal sand dunes. Using measured {sup 90}Sr, {sup 99}Tc, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 238}Pu, {sup 239+240}Pu and {sup 241}Am activity concentrations in sand dune soil, activity concentration and dose rate predictions are made for a range of organisms including amphibians, birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, plants and fungi. Predicted biota activity concentrations are compared to measured data where available. The main source of variability in the model predictions is the transfer parameters used and it is concluded that developing the available transfer databases should be a focus of future research effort. The value of taking an informed user approach to investigate the way in which models may be expected to be applied in practice is highlighted and a strategy for the future development of intercomparison exercises is presented.

  12. Assessing radiation impact at a protected coastal sand dune site: an intercomparison of models for estimating the radiological exposure of non-human biota

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, Michael D.; Beresford, Nicholas A.; Barnett, Catherine L.; Copplestone, David; Leah, Richard T.

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents the application of three publicly available biota dose assessment models (the ERICA Tool, R and D128/SP1a and RESRAD-BIOTA) to an assessment of the Drigg coastal sand dunes. Using measured 90 Sr, 99 Tc, 137 Cs, 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu and 241 Am activity concentrations in sand dune soil, activity concentration and dose rate predictions are made for a range of organisms including amphibians, birds, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, plants and fungi. Predicted biota activity concentrations are compared to measured data where available. The main source of variability in the model predictions is the transfer parameters used and it is concluded that developing the available transfer databases should be a focus of future research effort. The value of taking an informed user approach to investigate the way in which models may be expected to be applied in practice is highlighted and a strategy for the future development of intercomparison exercises is presented.

  13. Intercomparison of radiation protection devices in a high-energy stray neutron field. Part III: Instrument response

    CERN Document Server

    Silari, M; Beck, P; Bedogni, R; Cale, E; Caresana, M; Domingo, C; Donadille, L; Dubourg, N; Esposito, A; Fehrenbacher, G; Fernández, F; Ferrarini, M; Fiechtner, A; Fuchs, A; García, M J; Golnik, N; Gutermuth, F; Khurana, S; Klages, Th; Latocha, M; Mares, V; Mayer, S; Radon, T; Reithmeier, H; Rollet, S; Roos, H; Rühm, W; Sandri, S; Schardt, D; Simmer, G; Spurný, F; Trompier, F; Villa-Grasa, C; Weitzenegger, E; Wiegel, B; Wielunski, M; Wissmann, F; Zechner, A; Zielczyński, M

    2009-01-01

    The European Commission has funded within its 6th Framework Programme a three-year project (2005–2007) called CONRAD, COordinated Network for RAdiation Dosimetry. The organizational framework for this project was provided by the European radiation Dosimetry Group EURADOS. Work Package 6 of CONRAD dealt with “complex mixed radiation fields at workplaces” and in this context it organised a benchmark exercise, which included both measurements and calculations, in a stray radiation field at a high-energy particle accelerator at GSI, Germany. The aim was to intercompare the response of several types of active detectors and passive dosemeters in a well-characterised workplace field. The Monte Carlo simulations of the radiation field and the experimental determination of the neutron spectra with various Bonner Sphere Spectrometers are discussed in Rollet et al. (2008) and in Wiegel et al. (2008). This paper focuses on the intercomparison of the response of the dosemeters in terms of ambient dose equivalent. Th...

  14. RENEB intercomparisons applying the conventional Dicentric Chromosome Assay (DCA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oestreicher, Ursula; Samaga, Daniel; Ainsbury, Elizabeth; Antunes, Ana Catarina; Baeyens, Ans; Barrios, Leonardo; Beinke, Christina; Beukes, Philip; Blakely, William F; Cucu, Alexandra; De Amicis, Andrea; Depuydt, Julie; De Sanctis, Stefania; Di Giorgio, Marina; Dobos, Katalin; Dominguez, Inmaculada; Duy, Pham Ngoc; Espinoza, Marco E; Flegal, Farrah N; Figel, Markus; Garcia, Omar; Monteiro Gil, Octávia; Gregoire, Eric; Guerrero-Carbajal, C; Güçlü, İnci; Hadjidekova, Valeria; Hande, Prakash; Kulka, Ulrike; Lemon, Jennifer; Lindholm, Carita; Lista, Florigio; Lumniczky, Katalin; Martinez-Lopez, Wilner; Maznyk, Nataliya; Meschini, Roberta; M'kacher, Radia; Montoro, Alegria; Moquet, Jayne; Moreno, Mercedes; Noditi, Mihaela; Pajic, Jelena; Radl, Analía; Ricoul, Michelle; Romm, Horst; Roy, Laurence; Sabatier, Laure; Sebastià, Natividad; Slabbert, Jacobus; Sommer, Sylwester; Stuck Oliveira, Monica; Subramanian, Uma; Suto, Yumiko; Que, Tran; Testa, Antonella; Terzoudi, Georgia; Vral, Anne; Wilkins, Ruth; Yanti, LusiYanti; Zafiropoulos, Demetre; Wojcik, Andrzej

    2017-01-01

    Two quality controlled inter-laboratory exercises were organized within the EU project 'Realizing the European Network of Biodosimetry (RENEB)' to further optimize the dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) and to identify needs for training and harmonization activities within the RENEB network. The general study design included blood shipment, sample processing, analysis of chromosome aberrations and radiation dose assessment. After manual scoring of dicentric chromosomes in different cell numbers dose estimations and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were submitted by the participants. The shipment of blood samples to the partners in the European Community (EU) were performed successfully. Outside the EU unacceptable delays occurred. The results of the dose estimation demonstrate a very successful classification of the blood samples in medically relevant groups. In comparison to the 1st exercise the 2nd intercomparison showed an improvement in the accuracy of dose estimations especially for the high dose point. In case of a large-scale radiological incident, the pooling of ressources by networks can enhance the rapid classification of individuals in medically relevant treatment groups based on the DCA. The performance of the RENEB network as a whole has clearly benefited from harmonization processes and specific training activities for the network partners.

  15. International whole body counter intercomparison based on BOMAB phantom simulating 4 years old child

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Battisti, P.; Tarroni, G.

    1995-11-01

    In April 1993 a whole body counter intercomparison campaign, The 1993 Intercomparison/Intercalibration, started. The campaign has been organized by The Canadian National Reference Centre for In-Vivo Monitoring of Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada and The United States Department of Energy and it was based on measurements on a BOMAB type phantom simulating a 4 years old child. The phantom was filled with radioactive tissue substitute resin and an unknown quantity of radioactivity. Each facility was asked to determine the identity and amount of the radionuclide(s), knowing that the specific activity in the 10 BOMAB's sections was the same. Each facility was also asked to calculate the minimum detectable activity of all the radionuclides detected in the phantom. 35 Facilities from 20 different Countries took part in the initiative. The Institute for Radiation Protection of the Environment Department of ENEA (ENEA AMB IRP) represented Italy. Intercomparison results supplied by ENEA AMB IRP as radionuclides identification, activity data and associated precision, minimum detectable activity levels, can be considered satisfactory and comparable with results supplied by similar-facilities

  16. Regional inter-comparison of measurements of personal dose equivalent Hp(10) using photon beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bero, M.; Zahili, M.; Kharita, M.H.

    2012-11-01

    The overall objective is to verify performance and to improve the Individual Monitoring services (IMS). This can be achieved with the following specific objectives of the intercomparison:1. To assess the capabilities of the dosimetry services to measure the quantity H p (10) in photon (gamma and x-ray) fields. 2. To help the participating Member States in achieving sufficiently accurate dosimetry service and, if necessary, 3. To provide guidelines for improvements and not simply a test of the performance of the existing dosimetric service. Actually a significant improvement has been achieved by the participants in the accuracy of evaluating personal dose equivalent from 15% in the first phase to 5% in the second phase. Some participants used the results of the inter-comparison to verify the calibration and to improve their dosimetric procedures, but from the results it was clear that some participants need to a technical support especially in calibration and using their measuring system in the field of personal monitoring. The conclusion contains advises, solutions, propositions and evaluation for all situations which noticed during the intercomparison. (authors)

  17. Intercomparison of aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions in stratiform orographic mixed-phase clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhlbauer, A.; Hashino, T.; Xue, L.; Teller, A.; Lohmann, U.; Rasmussen, R. M.; Geresdi, I.; Pan, Z.

    2010-09-01

    Anthropogenic aerosols serve as a source of both cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN) and affect microphysical properties of clouds. Increasing aerosol number concentrations is hypothesized to retard the cloud droplet coalescence and the riming in mixed-phase clouds, thereby decreasing orographic precipitation. This study presents results from a model intercomparison of 2-D simulations of aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions in stratiform orographic mixed-phase clouds. The sensitivity of orographic precipitation to changes in the aerosol number concentrations is analysed and compared for various dynamical and thermodynamical situations. Furthermore, the sensitivities of microphysical processes such as coalescence, aggregation, riming and diffusional growth to changes in the aerosol number concentrations are evaluated and compared. The participating numerical models are the model from the Consortium for Small-Scale Modeling (COSMO) with bulk microphysics, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with bin microphysics and the University of Wisconsin modeling system (UWNMS) with a spectral ice habit prediction microphysics scheme. All models are operated on a cloud-resolving scale with 2 km horizontal grid spacing. The results of the model intercomparison suggest that the sensitivity of orographic precipitation to aerosol modifications varies greatly from case to case and from model to model. Neither a precipitation decrease nor a precipitation increase is found robustly in all simulations. Qualitative robust results can only be found for a subset of the simulations but even then quantitative agreement is scarce. Estimates of the aerosol effect on orographic precipitation are found to range from -19% to 0% depending on the simulated case and the model. Similarly, riming is shown to decrease in some cases and models whereas it increases in others, which implies that a decrease in riming with increasing aerosol load is not a robust result

  18. An Intercomparison of Model Predictions for an Urban Contamination Resulting from the Explosion of a Radiological Dispersal Device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Won Tae; Jeong, Hyo Jun; Kim, Eun Han; Han, Moon Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-03-15

    The METRO-K is a model for a radiological dose assessment due to a radioactive contamination in the Korean urban environment. The model has been taken part in the Urban Remediation Working Group within the IAEA's (International Atomic Energy Agency) EMRAS (Environmental Modeling for Radiation Safety) program. The Working Croup designed for the intercomparison of radioactive contamination to be resulted from the explosion of a radiological dispersal device in a hypothetical city. This paper dealt intensively with a part among a lot of predictive results which had been performed in the EMRAS program. The predictive results of three different models (METRO-K, RESRAD-RDD, CPHR) were submitted to the Working Group. The gap of predictive results was due to the difference of mathematical modeling approaches, parameter values, understanding of assessors. Even if final results (for example, dose rates from contaminated surfaces which might affect to a receptor) are similar, the understanding on the contribution of contaminated surfaces showed a great difference. Judging from the authors, it is due to the lack of understanding and information on radioactive terrors as well as the social and cultural gaps which assessors have been experienced. Therefore, it can be known that the experience of assessors and their subjective judgements might be important factors to get reliable results. If the acquisition of a little additional information is possible, it was identified that the METRO-K might be a useful tool for decision support against contamination resulting from radioactive terrors by improving the existing model.

  19. An Intercomparison of Model Predictions for an Urban Contamination Resulting from the Explosion of a Radiological Dispersal Device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Won Tae; Jeong, Hyo Jun; Kim, Eun Han; Han, Moon Hee

    2009-01-01

    The METRO-K is a model for a radiological dose assessment due to a radioactive contamination in the Korean urban environment. The model has been taken part in the Urban Remediation Working Group within the IAEA's (International Atomic Energy Agency) EMRAS (Environmental Modeling for Radiation Safety) program. The Working Croup designed for the intercomparison of radioactive contamination to be resulted from the explosion of a radiological dispersal device in a hypothetical city. This paper dealt intensively with a part among a lot of predictive results which had been performed in the EMRAS program. The predictive results of three different models (METRO-K, RESRAD-RDD, CPHR) were submitted to the Working Group. The gap of predictive results was due to the difference of mathematical modeling approaches, parameter values, understanding of assessors. Even if final results (for example, dose rates from contaminated surfaces which might affect to a receptor) are similar, the understanding on the contribution of contaminated surfaces showed a great difference. Judging from the authors, it is due to the lack of understanding and information on radioactive terrors as well as the social and cultural gaps which assessors have been experienced. Therefore, it can be known that the experience of assessors and their subjective judgements might be important factors to get reliable results. If the acquisition of a little additional information is possible, it was identified that the METRO-K might be a useful tool for decision support against contamination resulting from radioactive terrors by improving the existing model.

  20. The effects of intervening interference on working memory for sound location as a function of inter-comparison interval.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ries, Dennis T; Hamilton, Traci R; Grossmann, Aurora J

    2010-09-01

    This study examined the effects of inter-comparison interval duration and intervening interference on auditory working memory (AWM) for auditory location. Interaural phase differences were used to produce localization cues for tonal stimuli and the difference limen for interaural phase difference (DL-IPD) specified as the equivalent angle of incidence between two sound sources was measured in five different conditions. These conditions consisted of three different inter-comparison intervals [300 ms (short), 5000 ms (medium), and 15,000 ms (long)], the medium and long of which were presented both in the presence and absence of intervening tones. The presence of intervening stimuli within the medium and long inter-comparison intervals produced a significant increase in the DL-IPD compared to the medium and long inter-comparison intervals condition without intervening tones. The result obtained in the condition with a short inter-comparison interval was roughly equivalent to that obtained for the medium inter-comparison interval without intervening tones. These results suggest that the ability to retain information about the location of a sound within AWM decays slowly; however, the presence of intervening sounds readily disrupts the retention process. Overall, the results suggest that the temporal decay of information within AWM regarding the location of a sound from a listener's environment is so gradual that it can be maintained in trace memory for tens of seconds in the absence of intervening acoustic signals. Conversely, the presence of intervening sounds within the retention interval may facilitate the use of context memory, even for shorter retention intervals, resulting in a less detailed, but relevant representation of the location that is resistant to further degradation. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. EURADOS intercomparisons in external radiation dosimetry: similarities and differences among exercises for whole-body photon, whole-body neutron, extremity, eye-lens and passive area dosemeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romero, Ana M.; Grimbergen, Tom; McWhan, Andrew; Stadtmann, Hannes; Fantuzzi, Elena; Clairand, Isabelle; Neumaier, Stefan; Dombrowski, Harald; Figel, Markus

    2016-01-01

    The European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) has been organising dosimetry intercomparisons for many years in response to an identified requirement from individual monitoring services (IMS) for independent performance tests for dosimetry systems. The participation in intercomparisons gives IMS the opportunity to show compliance with their own quality management system, compare results with other participants and develop plans for improving their dosimetry systems. In response to growing demand, EURADOS has increased the number of intercomparisons for external radiation dosimetry. Most of these fit into the programme of self-financing intercomparisons for dosemeters routinely used by IMS. This programme is being coordinated by EURADOS working group 2 (WG2). Up to now, this programme has included four intercomparisons for whole-body dosemeters in photon fields, one for extremity dosemeters in photon and beta fields, and one for whole-body dosemeters in neutron fields. Other EURADOS working groups have organised additional intercomparisons including events in 2014 for eye-lens dosemeters and passive area dosemeters for environmental monitoring. In this paper, the organisation and achievements of these intercomparisons are compared in detail focusing on the similarities and differences in their execution. (authors)

  2. Modelling land surface - atmosphere interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Søren Højmark

    representation of groundwater in the hydrological model is found to important and this imply resolving the small river valleys. Because, the important shallow groundwater is found in the river valleys. If the model does not represent the shallow groundwater then the area mean surface flux calculation......The study is investigates modelling of land surface – atmosphere interactions in context of fully coupled climatehydrological model. With a special focus of under what condition a fully coupled model system is needed. Regional climate model inter-comparison projects as ENSEMBLES have shown bias...... by the hydrological model is found to be insensitive to model resolution. Furthermore, this study highlights the effect of bias precipitation by regional climate model and it implications for hydrological modelling....

  3. BRICK v0.2, a simple, accessible, and transparent model framework for climate and regional sea-level projections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. E. Wong

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Simple models can play pivotal roles in the quantification and framing of uncertainties surrounding climate change and sea-level rise. They are computationally efficient, transparent, and easy to reproduce. These qualities also make simple models useful for the characterization of risk. Simple model codes are increasingly distributed as open source, as well as actively shared and guided. Alas, computer codes used in the geosciences can often be hard to access, run, modify (e.g., with regards to assumptions and model components, and review. Here, we describe the simple model framework BRICK (Building blocks for Relevant Ice and Climate Knowledge v0.2 and its underlying design principles. The paper adds detail to an earlier published model setup and discusses the inclusion of a land water storage component. The framework largely builds on existing models and allows for projections of global mean temperature as well as regional sea levels and coastal flood risk. BRICK is written in R and Fortran. BRICK gives special attention to the model values of transparency, accessibility, and flexibility in order to mitigate the above-mentioned issues while maintaining a high degree of computational efficiency. We demonstrate the flexibility of this framework through simple model intercomparison experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate that BRICK is suitable for risk assessment applications by using a didactic example in local flood risk management.

  4. Intercomparison run for uranium and tritium determination in urine samples, organised by Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Argentina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serdeiro, Nelida H.; Equillor, Hugo E.; Bonino, Nestor O.

    2003-01-01

    The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN), Argentina, has carried out an intercomparison run for tritium and uranium determination in urine, in November 2002. The aim of this exercise was to assess the performance of the laboratories that usually inform these radionuclides and to provide technical support in order to have an appropriate occupational monitoring in vitro. In the present work, the results of the intercomparison and the assessment of each laboratory are published. (author)

  5. Intercomparison run for uranium and tritium determination in urine samples, organised by Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Argentina

    CERN Document Server

    Serdeiro, N H; Equillor, H E

    2003-01-01

    The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN), Argentina, has carried out an intercomparison run for tritium and uranium determination in urine, in November 2002. The aim of this exercise was to assess the performance of the laboratories that usually inform these radionuclides and to provide technical support in order to have an appropriate occupational monitoring in vitro. In the present work, the results of the intercomparison and the assessment of each laboratory are published.

  6. Results of the 2001 NRPB intercomparison of passive radon detectors

    CERN Document Server

    Howarth, C B

    2002-01-01

    As in previous years, an intercomparison of passive radon detectors was held at NRPB in 2001. Forty-seven laboratories submitted 62 sets of passive detectors to this intercomparison. The exercise included three exposures to radon and its decay products at different equilibrium factors. An additional exposure at the CERN - EU high Energy Reference Facility (CERF) to a simulated cosmic ray spectrum was also offered to participants. After exposure, the detectors were returned to their originating laboratories for assessment. Participants reported the estimated exposure for each detector before they were notified of the exposures given to the detectors. The results obtained by participating laboratories were classified according to the spread of results from detectors exposed together and by the difference between the mean result of each group and the actual exposure given. Thirty-five percent of the laboratories achieved the highest classification for accuracy, while 9% were in the lowest category. The proportio...

  7. Tropospheric ozone lidar intercomparison experiment, TROLIX '91, field phase report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boesenberg, J.; Ancellet, G.; Bergwerff, H.; Cossart, G. v.; Fiedler, J.; Jonge, C. de; Mellqvist, J.; Mitev, V.; Sonnemann, G.; Swart, D.; Wallinder, E.

    1993-01-01

    The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Intercomparison Experiment TROLIX '91 has been initiated as part of the TESLAS subproject of the cooperative programme EUROTRAC. It has been performed in June 1991 at the Rijksinstitut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieuhygiene (RIVM) in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. The experiment was based on the simultaneous operation of different types of differential absorption lidars (DIAL), a special version of a Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy Instrument (DOAS), helicopter borne in situ instruments, and many other supporting measurements. After a short introduction to the general methodology the instruments are described, the experimental operations are explained, and a selection of data are presented. Some examples are given for the results of the intercomparison, as far as they have been available at the present stage of evaluation. The main purpose of this report, however, is to provide an overview over the material collected during the experiment, on order to facilitate further detailed studies in cooperation between the different groups which have participated. (orig.)

  8. Report on the intercomparison run IAEA-306 radionuclides in Baltic Sea sediment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballestra, S.; Vas, D.; Lopez, J.J.; Noshkin, V.

    1989-10-01

    The results of an intercomparison exercise on a Baltic Sea sediment sample, coded as IAEA-306, designed for the determination of artificial and natural radionuclide levels, are reported. This sample was collected in the fall 1986. It was anticipated that the concentrations of the artificial radionuclides in this sediment would be higher than the environmental levels usually found and, therefore, would constitute an excellent intercomparison sample. The data from 84 laboratories representing 34 countries have been evaluated. The most frequently measured radionuclides are: 90 Sr, 125 Sb, 134 Cs, 137 Cs, 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu, 241 Am, 40 K, 210 Pb- 210 Po, 226 Ra, 228 Ra, 228 Th, 230 Th, 232 Th, 234 U and 238 U. 6 refs, 13 tabs

  9. Solutions to HYDROCOIN [Hydrologic Code Intercomparison] Level 1 problems using STOKES and PARTICLE (Cases 1,2,4,7)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gureghian, A.B.; Andrews, A.; Steidl, S.B.; Brandstetter, A.

    1987-10-01

    HYDROCOIN (Hydrologic Code Intercomparison) Level 1 benchmark problems are solved using the finite element ground-water flow code STOKES and the pathline generating code PARTICLE developed for the Office of Crystalline Repository Development (OCRD). The objective of the Level 1 benchmark problems is to verify the numerical accuracy of ground-water flow codes by intercomparison of their results with analytical solutions and other numerical computer codes. Seven test cases were proposed for Level 1 to the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, the managing participant of HYDROCOIN. Cases 1, 2, 4, and 7 were selected by OCRD because of their appropriateness to the nature of crystalline repository hydrologic performance. The background relevance, conceptual model, and assumptions of each case are presented. The governing equations, boundary conditions, input parameters, and the solution schemes applied to each case are discussed. The results are shown in graphic and tabular form with concluding remarks. The results demonstrate the two-dimensional verification of STOKES and PARTICLE. 5 refs., 61 figs., 30 tabs

  10. Spatially distinct response of rice yield to autonomous adaptation under the CMIP5 multi-model projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Yonghee; Lee, Eun-Jeong; Im, Eun-Soon; Jung, Il-Won

    2017-02-01

    Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) is a very important staple crop, as it feeds more than half of the world's population. Numerous studies have focused on the negative impacts of climate change on rice production. However, there is little debate on which region of the world is more vulnerable to climate change and how adaptation to this change can mitigate the negative impacts on rice production. We investigated the impacts of climate change on rice yield, based on simulations combining a global crop model, M-GAZE, and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) multi-model projections. Our focus was the impact of mitigating emission forcings (representative concentration pathway RCP 4.5 vs. RCP 8.5) and autonomous adaptation (i.e., changing crop variety and planting date) on rice yield. In general, our results showed that climate change due to anthropogenic warming leads to a significant reduction in rice yield. However, autonomous adaptation provides the potential to reduce the negative impact of global warming on rice yields in a spatially distinct manner. The adaptation was less beneficial for countries located at a low latitude (e.g., Cambodia, Thailand, Brazil) compared to mid-latitude countries (e.g., USA, China, Pakistan), as regional climates at the lower latitudes are already near the upper temperature thresholds for acceptable rice growth. These findings suggest that the socioeconomic effects from rice production in lowlatitude countries can be highly vulnerable to anthropogenic global warming. Therefore, these countries need to be accountable to develop transformative adaptation strategies, such as adopting (or developing) heat-tolerant varieties, and/or improve irrigation systems and fertilizer use efficiency.

  11. Intercomparison of whole-body averaged SAR in European and Japanese voxel phantoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dimbylow, Peter J; Hirata, Akimasa; Nagaoka, Tomoaki

    2008-01-01

    This paper provides an intercomparison of the HPA male and female models, NORMAN and NAOMI with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) male and female models, TARO and HANAKO. The calculations of the whole-body SAR in these four phantoms were performed at the HPA, at NICT and at the Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT). These were for a plane wave with a vertically aligned electric field incident upon the front of the body from 30 MHz to 3 GHz for isolated conditions. As well as investigating the general differences through this frequency range, particular emphasis was placed on the assumptions of how dielectric properties are assigned to tissues (particularly skin and fat) and the consequence of using different algorithms for calculating SAR at the higher frequencies.

  12. Come rain or shine: Multi-model Projections of Climate Hazards affecting Transportation in the South Central United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullens, E.; Mcpherson, R. A.

    2016-12-01

    This work develops detailed trends in climate hazards affecting the Department of Transportation's Region 6, in the South Central U.S. Firstly, a survey was developed to gather information regarding weather and climate hazards in the region from the transportation community, identifying key phenomena and thresholds to evaluate. Statistically downscaled datasets were obtained from the Multivariate Adaptive Constructed Analogues (MACA) project, and the Asynchronous Regional Regression Model (ARRM), for a total of 21 model projections, two coupled model intercomparisons (CMIP3, and CMIP5), and four emissions pathways (A1Fi, B1, RCP8.5, RCP4.5). Specific hazards investigated include winter weather, freeze-thaw cycles, hot and cold extremes, and heavy precipitation. Projections for each of these variables were calculated for the region, utilizing spatial mapping, and time series analysis at the climate division level. The results indicate that cold-season phenomena such as winter weather, freeze-thaw, and cold extremes, decrease in intensity and frequency, particularly with the higher emissions pathways. Nonetheless, specific model and downscaling method yields variability in magnitudes, with the most notable decreasing trends late in the 21st century. Hot days show a pronounced increase, particularly with greater emissions, producing annual mean 100oF day frequencies by late 21st century analogous to the 2011 heatwave over the central Southern Plains. Heavy precipitation, evidenced by return period estimates and counts-over-thresholds, also show notable increasing trends, particularly between the recent past through mid-21st Century. Conversely, mean precipitation does not show significant trends and is regionally variable. Precipitation hazards (e.g., winter weather, extremes) diverge between downscaling methods and their associated model samples much more substantially than temperature, suggesting that the choice of global model and downscaled data is particularly

  13. The 2008 intercomparison exercise for radon gas measurement instruments at PSI; Die Vergleichsmessung 2008 fuer Radongasmessgeraete am PSI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butterweck, G.; Schuler, Ch.; Mayer, S.

    2010-09-15

    Sixteen radon measurement services participated in the 2008 Radon Intercomparison Exercise performed at the Reference Laboratory for Radon Gas Activity Concentration Measurements at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) during August 28{sup th} to September 7{sup th}, 2008 on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Twelve of these laboratories were approved by the FOPH and their participation in the intercomparison exercise was a requirement to warrant quality of measurement. Radon gas dosemeters (etched-track, electronic and electret ionisation chambers) and instruments (ionization chambers) were exposed in the PSI Radon Chamber in a reference atmosphere with an average radon gas concentration of 627 Bq m{sup -3} leading to a radon gas exposure of 155 kBq h m{sup -3}. One measuring instrument participating for testing purposes stored values for part of the exposure interval (30.8. - 7.9.2008). The exposure during this partial interval was 117 kBq h m{sup -3} at an average radon gas concentration of 624 Bq m{sup -3}. The exposure of 155 kBq h m{sup -3} was the lowest used at the PSI intercomparisons down to the present day. Especially the LLT electret ionisation chambers used by some of the laboratories reached the lower end of their measurement range with this exposure. Unexpected deviations of instruments of the same model seem to show a dependence on the serial number and thus production date. (authors)

  14. Report on intercomparison exercise SR-74 determination of impurities in U3O8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doubek, N.; Deron, S.

    1987-06-01

    The report presents results of a laboratory intercomparison of the determination of impurities in U 3 O 8 sample organized by the IAEA. Seven laboratories of six countries, sent their results regarding 31 elements. The evaluation was based on 121 laboratory means. The majority of the results were obtained by emission spectroscopy and by flame atomic absorption techniques. As a result of this intercomparison, recommended certification values can be assigned for the concentration of Cr, Cu and Mg. Information values can be provided for an additional twelve elements (Al, B, Co, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Sn, V, and Zn)

  15. A systematic intercomparison of regional flood frequency analysis models in a simulation framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganora, Daniele; Laio, Francesco; Claps, Pierluigi

    2015-04-01

    Regional frequency analysis (RFA) is a well-established methodology to provide an estimate of the flood frequency curve (or other discharge-related variables), based on the fundamental concept of substituting temporal information at a site (no data or short time series) by exploiting observations at other sites (spatial information). Different RFA paradigms exist, depending on the way the information is transferred to the site of interest. Despite the wide use of such methodology, a systematic comparison between these paradigms has not been performed. The aim of this study is to provide a framework wherein carrying out the intercomparison: we thus synthetically generate data through Monte Carlo simulations for a number of (virtual) stations, following a GEV parent distribution; different scenarios can be created to represent different spatial heterogeneity patterns by manipulating the parameters of the parent distribution at each station (e.g. with a linear variation in space of the shape parameter of the GEV). A special case is the homogeneous scenario where each station record is sampled from the same parent distribution. For each scenario and each simulation, different regional models are applied to evaluate the 200-year growth factor at each station. Results are than compared to the exact growth factor of each station, which is known in our virtual world. Considered regional approaches include: (i) a single growth curve for the whole region; (ii) a multiple-region model based on cluster analysis which search for an adequate number of homogeneous subregions; (iii) a Region-of-Influence model which defines a homogeneous subregion for each site; (iv) a spatially-smooth estimation procedure based on linear regressions.. A further benchmark model is the at-site estimate based on the analysis of the local record. A comprehensive analysis of the results of the simulations shows that, if the scenario is homogeneous (no spatial variability), all the regional approaches

  16. INDICATIVE MODEL OF DEVIATIONS IN PROJECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олена Борисівна ДАНЧЕНКО

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The article shows the process of constructing the project deviations indicator model. It based on a conceptual model of project deviations integrated management (PDIM. During the project different causes (such as risks, changes, problems, crises, conflicts, stress lead to deviations of integrated project indicators - time, cost, quality, and content. For a more detailed definition of where in the project deviations occur and how they are dangerous for the whole project, it needs to develop an indicative model of project deviations. It allows identifying the most dangerous deviations that require PDIM. As a basis for evaluation of project's success has been taken famous model IPMA Delta. During the evaluation, IPMA Delta estimated project management competence of organization in three modules: I-Module ("Individuals" - a self-assessment personnel, P-module ("Projects" - self-assessment of projects and/or programs, and O-module ("Organization" - used to conduct interviews with selected people during auditing company. In the process of building an indicative model of deviations in the project, the first step is the assessment of project management in the organization by IPMA Delta. In the future, built cognitive map and matrix of system interconnections of the project, which conducted simulations and built a scale of deviations for the selected project. They determined a size and place of deviations. To identify the detailed causes of deviations in the project management has been proposed to use the extended system of indicators, which is based on indicators of project management model Project Excellence. The proposed indicative model of deviations in projects allows to estimate the size of variation and more accurately identify the place of negative deviations in the project and provides the project manager information for operational decision making for the management of deviations in the implementation of the project

  17. The URban Greenhouse gas Emissions assessment through inverse modeling (URGE) project: a pilot study in the Oslo area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisso, I. J.; Lopez-Aparicio, S.; Schneider, P.; Schmidbauer, N.; Vogt, M.

    2017-12-01

    Norway has set the target of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 40% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. This goal will require the implementation of policy measures aiming at strong reductions of GHGs emissions, especially in the urban environment. The implementation of urban policy measures is still a challenging task and it requires control and verification for success. The URGE project aims at assessing the emission flux of GHGs including comprehensive uncertainty estimates based on inverse transport modelling techniques and optimized use of measurements. The final goal is to establish a coherent and consistent GHG urban emission inventory. This will be carried out in a case study in Oslo (Norway), where CO2 will be the priority compound. The overall outcome of the project will provide support in the development of strategies to effectively reduce GHG emissions in the urban environment. The overall goal will be reached through establishing the baseline urban CO2 emission inventory for Oslo; determining the optimal measurement locations based on transport modelling (with flexpart-wrf); designing and carrying out a pilot measurement campaign of the CO2-rich air downwind of the city plume combining state-of-the-art instruments (Picarro) and small sensors; assessing the feasibility of determining the background concentration surrounding the city with satellite measurements (OCO2); and providing optimised estimates of the emissions and their uncertainties via inverse modelling (source-receptor relationship). One of our main interests is the interoperability and exchange of information with similar activities in other urban areas. We will present the overall project and the preliminary results of the network design. We will discuss the data exchange formats, the algorithms and data structures that could be used for results and methodology intercomparisons as well as the suitability to apply the same techniques to other atmospheric compounds.

  18. Tropospheric jet response to Antarctic ozone depletion: An update with Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Seok-Woo; Han, Bo-Reum; Garfinkel, Chaim I.; Kim, Seo-Yeon; Park, Rokjin; Abraham, N. Luke; Akiyoshi, Hideharu; Archibald, Alexander T.; Butchart, N.; Chipperfield, Martyn P.; Dameris, Martin; Deushi, Makoto; Dhomse, Sandip S.; Hardiman, Steven C.; Jöckel, Patrick; Kinnison, Douglas; Michou, Martine; Morgenstern, Olaf; O’Connor, Fiona M.; Oman, Luke D.; Plummer, David A.; Pozzer, Andrea; Revell, Laura E.; Rozanov, Eugene; Stenke, Andrea; Stone, Kane; Tilmes, Simone; Yamashita, Yousuke; Zeng, Guang

    2018-05-01

    The Southern Hemisphere (SH) zonal-mean circulation change in response to Antarctic ozone depletion is re-visited by examining a set of the latest model simulations archived for the Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) project. All models reasonably well reproduce Antarctic ozone depletion in the late 20th century. The related SH-summer circulation changes, such as a poleward intensification of westerly jet and a poleward expansion of the Hadley cell, are also well captured. All experiments exhibit quantitatively the same multi-model mean trend, irrespective of whether the ocean is coupled or prescribed. Results are also quantitatively similar to those derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) high-top model simulations in which the stratospheric ozone is mostly prescribed with monthly- and zonally-averaged values. These results suggest that the ozone-hole-induced SH-summer circulation changes are robust across the models irrespective of the specific chemistry-atmosphere-ocean coupling.

  19. Naesliden project: FEM modelling strategies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borg, T.

    1980-05-15

    A schematized description is given of the different stages in the project. The aim is to show the development of the project and the strategies which have been chosen. The four different stages in the project are treated from the following points of view: the reasons for the choice of material models; the determination of model properties; and the control of the calculated values. In the origin plan for the project it was stated to only use a joint element model. However, it was shown to be a reasonable strategy to use both a general linear elastic model and a geometric restricted model with joint elements. During the course of the Project's development stages, it was found that a reduction in the number of rock types could be made without loss of generality. A modified strategy is suggested based on more studies of the rock bahavior and less advanced calculations in the first stages of the project.

  20. Decadal shifts of East Asian summer monsoon in a climate model free of explicit GHGs and aerosols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Renping; Zhu, Jiang; Zheng, Fei

    2016-12-01

    The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) experienced decadal transitions over the past few decades, and the associated "wetter-South-drier-North" shifts in rainfall patterns in China significantly affected the social and economic development in China. Two viewpoints stand out to explain these decadal shifts, regarding the shifts either a result of internal variability of climate system or that of external forcings (e.g. greenhouse gases (GHGs) and anthropogenic aerosols). However, most climate models, for example, the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-type simulations and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)-type simulations, fail to simulate the variation patterns, leaving the mechanisms responsible for these shifts still open to dispute. In this study, we conducted a successful simulation of these decadal transitions in a coupled model where we applied ocean data assimilation in the model free of explicit aerosols and GHGs forcing. The associated decadal shifts of the three-dimensional spatial structure in the 1990s, including the eastward retreat, the northward shift of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), and the south-cool-north-warm pattern of the upper-level tropospheric temperature, were all well captured. Our simulation supports the argument that the variations of the oceanic fields are the dominant factor responsible for the EASM decadal transitions.

  1. Results of the argentinian intercomparison on internal dosimetry 2014. Measurement of thyroid burden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojo, A.M.; Puerta, N.; Gossio, S.; Gómez Parada, I.

    2015-01-01

    Internal dosimetry intercomparisons are essential for the verification of the capability to perform direct measurements of “1”3”1I thyroid burden and the expertise in the interpretation of these data for dose assessment. To that aim, in 2014 the National Intercomparison Exercise was organized and coordinated by the Internal Dosimetry Laboratory of the Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear (ARN) of Argentina. The exercise counted with the participation of six internal dosimetry services: nuclear power plants (NA-SA CNA and NA-SA CNE), CNEA Atomic Centres: Bariloche (CAB) and Ezeiza (CAE), Roffo Institute (UBA – CNEA) and ARN. This report shows a complete analysis of the participant’s results in this exercise. (authors) [es

  2. The WACMOS-ET project - Part 2: Evaluation of global terrestrial evaporation data sets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gonzalez Miralles, D.; Jiménez, C.; Jung, M.; Michel, D.; Ershadi, A.; McCabe, M.F.; Hirschi, M.; Martens, B.; Dolman, A.J.; Fisher, J.B.; Mu, Q.; Seneviratne, S.I.; Wood, E.F.; Fernández-Prieto, D.

    2016-01-01

    The WAter Cycle Multi-mission Observation Strategy - EvapoTranspiration (WACMOS-ET) project aims to advance the development of land evaporation estimates on global and regional scales. Its main objective is the derivation, validation, and intercomparison of a group of existing evaporation retrieval

  3. Biological dosimetry after criticality accidents. Intercomparison exercise in the Silene Reactor - France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Giorgio, Marina; Vallerga, Maria B.; Taja, Maria R.

    2004-01-01

    The Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Institute (IRSN) organized an international biological dosimetry intercomparison, at the SILENE experimental reactor (Valduc, France), simulating different criticality scenarios: bare source 4 Gy, lead shield source 1 and 2 Gy and gamma pure 60 Co source 2 Gy. Fifteen laboratories were involved in this exercise, including the Argentine Biological Dosimetry Laboratory. The purposes of the intercomparison were: 1) To compare the unstable chromosome aberration (UCA) frequency observed by the different laboratories; and 2) To compare the dose estimation for gamma rays and neutrons. The objects of the present work were: I) To compare the mean frequency of UCA observed by the Argentine laboratory with the mean frequency observed by the participant laboratories as a whole. II) To compare the dose estimates performed by the Argentine lab with those estimated by the other laboratories involved in the second stage of the intercomparison. Overall, the mean frequencies of UCA and the correspondent 95% confidence limits obtained by the Argentine lab were consistent with the results obtained by the laboratories as a whole. For the gamma pure scenario, smaller variations were observed among laboratories in terms of dose (CV=18,2%) than in terms of frequency (CV=30,1%). For the mixed field scenarios, only four laboratories, including the Argentine lab, estimated gamma and neutron components of the total dose and just two (Argentine lab and lab 12) were in agreement with the given physical doses. The 1 Gy experiment presented lesser variations both in terms of frequency and dose than the other two scenarios. For the 4 and 2 Gy experiments, variations in neutron dose were more significant than variations in gamma dose, related to the magnitude of the dose. The results suggest that intercomparison exercises jointly with the accreditation of biological dosimetry by cytogenetic service laboratories, in compliance with ISO

  4. HYDROCOIN [HYDROlogic COde INtercomparison] Level 1: Benchmarking and verification test results with CFEST [Coupled Fluid, Energy, and Solute Transport] code: Draft report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yabusaki, S.; Cole, C.; Monti, A.M.; Gupta, S.K.

    1987-04-01

    Part of the safety analysis is evaluating groundwater flow through the repository and the host rock to the accessible environment by developing mathematical or analytical models and numerical computer codes describing the flow mechanisms. This need led to the establishment of an international project called HYDROCOIN (HYDROlogic COde INtercomparison) organized by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, a forum for discussing techniques and strategies in subsurface hydrologic modeling. The major objective of the present effort, HYDROCOIN Level 1, is determining the numerical accuracy of the computer codes. The definition of each case includes the input parameters, the governing equations, the output specifications, and the format. The Coupled Fluid, Energy, and Solute Transport (CFEST) code was applied to solve cases 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7; the Finite Element Three-Dimensional Groundwater (FE3DGW) Flow Model was used to solve case 6. Case 3 has been ignored because unsaturated flow is not pertinent to SRP. This report presents the Level 1 results furnished by the project teams. The numerical accuracy of the codes is determined by (1) comparing the computational results with analytical solutions for cases that have analytical solutions (namely cases 1 and 4), and (2) intercomparing results from codes for cases which do not have analytical solutions (cases 2, 5, 6, and 7). Cases 1, 2, 6, and 7 relate to flow analyses, whereas cases 4 and 5 require nonlinear solutions. 7 refs., 71 figs., 9 tabs

  5. Validation of 131I ecological transfer models and thyroid dose assessments using Chernobyl fallout data from the Plavsk district, Russia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zvonova, I.; Krajewski, P.; Berkovsky, V.; Ammann, M.; Duffa, C.; Filistovic, V.; Homma, T.; Kanyar, B.; Nedveckaite, T.; Simon, S.L.; Vlasov, O.; Webbe-Wood, D.

    2009-01-01

    Within the project “Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety” (EMRAS) organized by the IAEA in 2003 experimental data of 131I measurements following the Chernobyl accident in the Plavsk district of Tula region, Russia were used to validate the calculations of some radioecological transfer models. Nine models participated in the inter-comparison. Levels of 137Cs soil contamination in all the settlements and 131I/137Cs isotopic ratios in the depositions in some locations were used as the main input information. 370 measurements of 131I content in thyroid of townspeople and villagers, and 90 measurements of 131I concentration in milk were used for validation of the model predictions. A remarkable improvement in models performance comparing with previous inter-comparison exercise was demonstrated. Predictions of the various models were within a factor of three relative to the observations, discrepancies between the estimates of average doses to thyroid produced by most participant not exceeded a factor of ten. PMID:19783331

  6. 1983 international intercomparison of nuclear accident dosimetry systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swaja, R.E.; Greene, R.T.; Sims, C.S.

    1985-04-01

    An international intercomparison of nuclear accident dosimetry systems was conducted during September 12-16, 1983, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using the Health Physics Research Reactor operated in the pulse mode to simulate criticality accidents. This study marked the twentieth in a series of annual accident dosimetry intercomparisons conducted at ORNL. Participants from ten organizations attended this intercomparison and measured neutron and gamma doses at area monitoring stations and on phantoms for three different shield conditions. Results of this study indicate that foil activation techniques are the most popular and accurate method of determining accident-level neutron doses at area monitoring stations. For personnel monitoring, foil activation, blood sodium activation, and thermoluminescent (TL) methods are all capable of providing accurate dose estimates in a variety of radiation fields. All participants in this study used TLD's to determine gamma doses with very good results on the average. Chemical dosemeters were also shown to be capable of yielding accurate estimates of total neutron plus gamma doses in a variety of radiation fields. While 83% of all neutron measurements satisfied regulatory standards relative to reference values, only 39% of all gamma results satisfied corresponding guidelines for gamma measurements. These results indicate that continued improvement in accident dosimetry evaluation and measurement techniques is needed

  7. Evaluation of Brazilian intercomparison program data from 1991 to 1995 of radionuclide assays in environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vianna, Maria Elizabeth Couto M.; Tauhata, Luiz; Oliveira, Antonio Eduardo de; Oliveira, Josue Peter de; Clain, Almir Faria; Ferreira, Ana Cristina M.

    1998-01-01

    Historical radioanalytical data from the Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD) national intercomparison program from 1991 to 1995 were analyzed to evaluate the performance of sixteen Brazilian laboratories in radionuclide analyses in environmental samples. Data are comprised of measurements of radionuclides in 435 spiked environmental samples distributed in fifteen intercomparison runs comprised of 955 analyses. The general and specific radionuclide performances of the participating laboratories were evaluated relative to the reference value. Data analysis encourages improvements in beta emitter measurements

  8. Modelling the mid-Pliocene Warm Period climate with the IPSL coupled model and its atmospheric component LMDZ5A

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Contoux

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the experimental design and model results of the climate simulations of the mid-Pliocene Warm Period (mPWP, ca. 3.3–3 Ma using the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace model (IPSLCM5A, in the framework of the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP. We use the IPSL atmosphere ocean general circulation model (AOGCM, and its atmospheric component alone (AGCM, to simulate the climate of the mPWP. Boundary conditions such as sea surface temperatures (SSTs, topography, ice-sheet extent and vegetation are derived from the ones imposed by the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP, described in Haywood et al. (2010, 2011. We first describe the IPSL model main features, and then give a full description of the boundary conditions used for atmospheric model and coupled model experiments. The climatic outputs of the mPWP simulations are detailed and compared to the corresponding control simulations. The simulated warming relative to the control simulation is 1.94 °C in the atmospheric and 2.07 °C in the coupled model experiments. In both experiments, warming is larger at high latitudes. Mechanisms governing the simulated precipitation patterns are different in the coupled model than in the atmospheric model alone, because of the reduced gradients in imposed SSTs, which impacts the Hadley and Walker circulations. In addition, a sensitivity test to the change of land-sea mask in the atmospheric model, representing a sea-level change from present-day to 25 m higher during the mid-Pliocene, is described. We find that surface temperature differences can be large (several degrees Celsius but are restricted to the areas that were changed from ocean to land or vice versa. In terms of precipitation, impact on polar regions is minor although the change in land-sea mask is significant in these areas.

  9. Intercomparison of IAEA airborne particulate matter reference material. Appendix 19

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landsberger, Sheldon; Wu, De; Vermette, Stephen; Cizek, William

    1995-01-01

    Fifty air filters with fine and coarse fractions were prepared from NIST 2710 contaminated soil. Eighteen pairs were made and sent to seventeen laboratories of the CRP program on Applied Research on Air Pollution Using Nuclear-Related Analytical Techniques for elemental determination. The results of this intercomparison are discussed in this paper. (author)

  10. Understanding the effect of an excessive cold tongue bias on projecting the tropical Pacific SST warming pattern in CMIP5 models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ying, Jun; Huang, Ping; Lian, Tao; Tan, Hongjian

    2018-05-01

    An excessive cold tongue is a common bias among current climate models, and considered an important source of bias in projections of tropical Pacific climate change under global warming. Specifically, the excessive cold tongue bias is closely related to the tropical Pacific SST warming (TPSW) pattern. In this study, we reveal that two processes are the critical mechanisms by which the excessive cold tongue bias influences the projection of the TPSW pattern, based on 32 models from phase 5 of Coupled Model Intercomparison Projection (CMIP5). On the one hand, by assuming that the shortwave (SW) radiation to SST feedback is linearly correlated to the cold tongue SST, the excessive cold tongue bias can induce an overly weak negative SW-SST feedback in the central Pacific, which can lead to a positive SST warming bias in the central to western Pacific (around 150°E-140°W). Moreover, the overly weak local atmospheric dynamics response to SST is a key process of the overly weak SW-SST feedback, compared with the cloud response to atmospheric dynamics and the SW radiation response to cloud. On the other hand, the overly strong ocean zonal overturning circulation associated with the excessive cold tongue bias results in an overestimation of the ocean dynamical thermostat effect, with enhanced ocean stratification under global warming, leading to a negative SST warming bias in the central and eastern Pacific (around 170°W-120°W). These two processes jointly form a positive SST warming bias in the western Pacific, contributing to a La Niña-like warming bias. Therefore, we suggest a more realistic climatological cold tongue SST is needed for a more reliable projection of the TPSW pattern.

  11. Downscaled projections of Caribbean coral bleaching that can inform conservation planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Hooidonk, Ruben; Maynard, Jeffrey Allen; Liu, Yanyun; Lee, Sang-Ki

    2015-09-01

    Projections of climate change impacts on coral reefs produced at the coarse resolution (~1°) of Global Climate Models (GCMs) have informed debate but have not helped target local management actions. Here, projections of the onset of annual coral bleaching conditions in the Caribbean under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 are produced using an ensemble of 33 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-5 models and via dynamical and statistical downscaling. A high-resolution (~11 km) regional ocean model (MOM4.1) is used for the dynamical downscaling. For statistical downscaling, sea surface temperature (SST) means and annual cycles in all the GCMs are replaced with observed data from the ~4-km NOAA Pathfinder SST dataset. Spatial patterns in all three projections are broadly similar; the average year for the onset of annual severe bleaching is 2040-2043 for all projections. However, downscaled projections show many locations where the onset of annual severe bleaching (ASB) varies 10 or more years within a single GCM grid cell. Managers in locations where this applies (e.g., Florida, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, among others) can identify locations that represent relative albeit temporary refugia. Both downscaled projections are different for the Bahamas compared to the GCM projections. The dynamically downscaled projections suggest an earlier onset of ASB linked to projected changes in regional currents, a feature not resolved in GCMs. This result demonstrates the value of dynamical downscaling for this application and means statistically downscaled projections have to be interpreted with caution. However, aside from west of Andros Island, the projections for the two types of downscaling are mostly aligned; projected onset of ASB is within ±10 years for 72% of the reef locations. © 2015 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Climate projections and extremes in dynamically downscaled CMIP5 model outputs over the Bengal delta: a quartile based bias-correction approach with new gridded data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, M. Alfi; Islam, A. K. M. Saiful; Akanda, Ali Shafqat

    2017-11-01

    In the era of global warning, the insight of future climate and their changing extremes is critical for climate-vulnerable regions of the world. In this study, we have conducted a robust assessment of Regional Climate Model (RCM) results in a monsoon-dominated region within the new Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) and the latest Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios. We have applied an advanced bias correction approach to five RCM simulations in order to project future climate and associated extremes over Bangladesh, a critically climate-vulnerable country with a complex monsoon system. We have also generated a new gridded product that performed better in capturing observed climatic extremes than existing products. The bias-correction approach provided a notable improvement in capturing the precipitation extremes as well as mean climate. The majority of projected multi-model RCMs indicate an increase of rainfall, where one model shows contrary results during the 2080s (2071-2100) era. The multi-model mean shows that nighttime temperatures will increase much faster than daytime temperatures and the average annual temperatures are projected to be as hot as present-day summer temperatures. The expected increase of precipitation and temperature over the hilly areas are higher compared to other parts of the country. Overall, the projected extremities of future rainfall are more variable than temperature. According to the majority of the models, the number of the heavy rainy days will increase in future years. The severity of summer-day temperatures will be alarming, especially over hilly regions, where winters are relatively warm. The projected rise of both precipitation and temperature extremes over the intense rainfall-prone northeastern region of the country creates a possibility of devastating flash floods with harmful impacts on agriculture. Moreover, the effect of bias-correction, as presented in probable changes of both bias

  13. Host model uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcing estimates: results from the AeroCom Prescribed intercomparison study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Stier

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Simulated multi-model "diversity" in aerosol direct radiative forcing estimates is often perceived as a measure of aerosol uncertainty. However, current models used for aerosol radiative forcing calculations vary considerably in model components relevant for forcing calculations and the associated "host-model uncertainties" are generally convoluted with the actual aerosol uncertainty. In this AeroCom Prescribed intercomparison study we systematically isolate and quantify host model uncertainties on aerosol forcing experiments through prescription of identical aerosol radiative properties in twelve participating models. Even with prescribed aerosol radiative properties, simulated clear-sky and all-sky aerosol radiative forcings show significant diversity. For a purely scattering case with globally constant optical depth of 0.2, the global-mean all-sky top-of-atmosphere radiative forcing is −4.47 Wm−2 and the inter-model standard deviation is 0.55 Wm−2, corresponding to a relative standard deviation of 12%. For a case with partially absorbing aerosol with an aerosol optical depth of 0.2 and single scattering albedo of 0.8, the forcing changes to 1.04 Wm−2, and the standard deviation increases to 1.01 W−2, corresponding to a significant relative standard deviation of 97%. However, the top-of-atmosphere forcing variability owing to absorption (subtracting the scattering case from the case with scattering and absorption is low, with absolute (relative standard deviations of 0.45 Wm−2 (8% clear-sky and 0.62 Wm−2 (11% all-sky. Scaling the forcing standard deviation for a purely scattering case to match the sulfate radiative forcing in the AeroCom Direct Effect experiment demonstrates that host model uncertainties could explain about 36% of the overall sulfate forcing diversity of 0.11 Wm−2 in the AeroCom Direct Radiative Effect experiment. Host model errors in aerosol radiative forcing are largest in regions of uncertain host model

  14. Intercomparison of radiation dosimeters for individual monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-05-01

    The Co-ordinated Research Programme on Intercomparison for Individual Monitoring was established to provide participants with an opportunity to assess (1) their ability to measure external photon radiation fields and (2) the potential impact of introduction of the new operational quantities on their dosimetry programmes. Twenty-four laboratories from 18 IAEA Member States and three international organizations, including the IAEA, participated. The results of phase II of the CRP are presented in this document, which includes a compilation of the presentations and conclusions from the meeting. Refs, figs and tabs

  15. Quality audit of dosimetry in radiotherapy centers using postal dose TLD intercomparison in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramanathan, G.; Kadam, V.D.; Vinatha, S.P.; Soman, A.T.; Vijayam, M.; Shaha, V.V.; Abani, M.C.

    2001-01-01

    The national quality audit of dosimetry in radiation therapy centers using mailed TLDs is being carried out by RSS/ASSD of BARC since 1976, in collaboration with IAEA/WHO for India and neighbouring countries such as Mayanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The importance of the programme comes from the fact that consistent, high accuracy ( 60 Co machines ∼35 linear accelerators are being covered by the programme. This paper brings out the materials and methods used in the intercomparison. The results of intercomparison are analyzed to find the steps to improve the performance in quality audit of those centers whose results are outside the limit of acceptable deviation

  16. Nuclear accident dosimetry measurements at the fourth IAEA intercomparison, Harwell, United Kingdom, April 1975

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majborn, B.

    1975-11-01

    During the fourth IAEA intercomparison at Harwell, teams from several countries compared their systems for assessing doses in criticality accidents. The dosimeters were exposed to mixed pulses of neutron and gamma radiation produced by the VIPER reactor at AWRE, Aldermaston. Risoe participated in this intercomparison with the routine personnel dosimeters employed in 'criticality areas' at Risoe. These include the UKAEA criticality dosimeter for the measurement of neutron doses and the Risoe TLD badge for the measurement of gamma doses. The final results of the Risoe measurements are presented in this report in a form designed for ease of comparison with results of other pparticipants. (author)

  17. Intercomparison between ICRP60 and ICRP103

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahdy, M. T. A.

    2014-04-01

    In this project inter-comparison between the recommendations from ICRP publication 60, 1900 and the recommendations from ICRP publication 103, 2007 is made. The present 2007 recommendations is an update based on the latest available scientific information of the biology and physics of radiation exposure .This comparison covers the Exposure situations, Tissue Weighting Factors wT, Radiation Weighting Factors wR, and the three Fundamental Principles of Radiological Protection and the protection of the environment. ICRP has retained its fundamental hypothesis for the induction of stochastic effects of linearity of dose and effect without threshold and a dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) of 2 to derive nominal risk coefficients for low doses and low dose rates. While the overall detriment from low radiation doses has remained unchanged, ICRP has made adjustments to the values of the radiation and tissue weighting factors. In particular, the tissue weighting factor for breast has increased while that for gonads has decreased. There are some presentational changes to the system of protection. While ICRP has maintained the three fundamental principles-justification, optimization of protection, and dose limitation-it has attempted to develop a more holistic approach to radiological protection covering all exposure situations-planned, existing and emergency and all radiation sources, whether of natural or artificial origin. Dose constraints and reference levels are categorized into three bands which should assist in rationalizing the many values of dose restrictions given in earlier ICRP publications. (au)

  18. The NASA Reanalysis Ensemble Service - Advanced Capabilities for Integrated Reanalysis Access and Intercomparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamkin, G.; Schnase, J. L.; Duffy, D.; Li, J.; Strong, S.; Thompson, J. H.

    2017-12-01

    NASA's efforts to advance climate analytics-as-a-service are making new capabilities available to the research community: (1) A full-featured Reanalysis Ensemble Service (RES) comprising monthly means data from multiple reanalysis data sets, accessible through an enhanced set of extraction, analytic, arithmetic, and intercomparison operations. The operations are made accessible through NASA's climate data analytics Web services and our client-side Climate Data Services Python library, CDSlib; (2) A cloud-based, high-performance Virtual Real-Time Analytics Testbed supporting a select set of climate variables. This near real-time capability enables advanced technologies like Spark and Hadoop-based MapReduce analytics over native NetCDF files; and (3) A WPS-compliant Web service interface to our climate data analytics service that will enable greater interoperability with next-generation systems such as ESGF. The Reanalysis Ensemble Service includes the following: - New API that supports full temporal, spatial, and grid-based resolution services with sample queries - A Docker-ready RES application to deploy across platforms - Extended capabilities that enable single- and multiple reanalysis area average, vertical average, re-gridding, standard deviation, and ensemble averages - Convenient, one-stop shopping for commonly used data products from multiple reanalyses including basic sub-setting and arithmetic operations (e.g., avg, sum, max, min, var, count, anomaly) - Full support for the MERRA-2 reanalysis dataset in addition to, ECMWF ERA-Interim, NCEP CFSR, JMA JRA-55 and NOAA/ESRL 20CR… - A Jupyter notebook-based distribution mechanism designed for client use cases that combines CDSlib documentation with interactive scenarios and personalized project management - Supporting analytic services for NASA GMAO Forward Processing datasets - Basic uncertainty quantification services that combine heterogeneous ensemble products with comparative observational products (e

  19. Guidance on internal dose assessments from monitoring data (Project IDEAS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doerfel, H.; Andrasi, A.; Bailey, M.; Berkovski, V.; Castellani, M.; Hurtgen, C.; Jourdain, R.; Le Guen, B.

    2003-01-01

    Several international intercomparison exercises on intake and internal dose assessments from monitoring data led to the conclusion that the results calculated by different participants varied significantly mainly to the broad variety of methods and assumptions applied in the assessment procedure. Based on these experiences the need of harmonisation of the procedures has been formulated as an EU research project under the 5th Framework Programme, with the aim of developing general guidelines for standardising assessments of intakes and internal doses. In the IDEAS project, eight institutions from seven European countries are participating, also using inputs from internal dosimetry professionals from across Europe to ensure broad consensus in the outcome of the project. To ensure that the guidelines are applicable to a wide range of practical situations, the first step will be to compile a database on well documented cases of internal contamination. In parallel, an improved version of existing software will be developed and distributed to the partners for further use. Many cases from the database will be evaluated independently by more partners using the same software and the results will be discussed and the draft guidelines prepared. The guidelines will then be revised and refined on the basis of the experiences and discussions of two workshops, and an inter-comparison exercise organised in the frame of the project which will be open to all internal dosimetry professionals. (author)

  20. Quality control for radionuclide determinations in the Saxon state laboratories for environmental radioactivity by intercomparison and comparative measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knobus, B.

    2001-01-01

    Quality control for radionuclide analysis is necessary and essential for the quality assurance of the measuring results executing the measuring programmes of surveillance of the radioactivity in the environment and from installations. Acts, ordinances and guidelines require the participation in intercomparisons for authorized institutions detecting the demanded quality of measurements (e.g. trueness, reproducibility) for Federal Authorities. These are mainly those intercomparisons which are prepared, practised and evaluated by the federal laboratories. Comparative measurements are generally organized and executed by the state laboratory itself with a few participants for special measuring tasks. In this paper are described and discussed extend and special results of those intercomparisons and comparative measurements of the Saxon state laboratories for environmental radioactivity from 1992 until 2000. If necessary, there are following improvements for quality assurance. (orig.) [de

  1. Nineteenth nuclear accident dosimetry intercomparison study, August 9-13, 1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greene, R.T.; Sims, C.C.; Swaja, R.E.

    1983-11-01

    The Nineteenth Nuclear Accident Dosimetry Intercomparison Study was held August 9 to 13, 1982, at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the Health Physics Research Reactor operated in the pulse mode to simulate nuclear criticality accidents. Participants from eight organizations measured neutron and gamma doses at air stations and on phantoms for three different shielding conditions. Measured results were compared to nuclear industry guidelines for criticality accident dosimeters which suggest accuracies of +-25% for neutron dose and +-20% for gamma dose. Seventy-two percent of the neutron dose measurements using foil activation, sodium activation, hair sulfur activation, and thermoluminescent methods met the guidelines while less than 40% of the gamma dose measurements were within +-20% of reference values. The softest neutron energy spectrum (also lowest neutron/gamma dose ratio) provided the most difficulty in measuring neutron and gamma doses. Results of this study indicate the need for continued intercomparison and testing of nuclear accident dosimetry systems and for training of evaluating personnel. 14 references, 7 figures, 16 tables

  2. Development, implementation and quality assurance of biokinetic models within CONRAD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nosske, D.; Birchall, A.; Blanchardon, E.; Breustedt, B.; Giussani, A.; Luciani, A.; Oeh, U.; Lopez, M. A.

    2008-01-01

    The work of the Task Group 5.2 'Research Studies on Biokinetic Models' of the CONRAD project is presented. New biokinetic models have been implemented by several European institutions. Quality assurance procedures included intercomparison of the results as well as quality assurance of model formulation. Additionally, the use of the models was examined leading to proposals of tuning parameters. Stable isotope studies were evaluated with respect to their implications to the new models, and new biokinetic models were proposed on the basis of their results. Furthermore, the development of a biokinetic model describing the effects of decorporation of actinides by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid treatment was initiated. (authors)

  3. Intercomparison of natural radionuclide measurements in marine sediment sample SD-N-1/2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-06-01

    This intercomparison exercise was organized with the aim of providing to the participating laboratories a possibility of testing the performance of their analytical methods and to acquire basic data for establishing reference values for a number of natural radionuclides in the sediment material SD-N-1/2 from the North Sea floor. In tables are presented results expressed in mBq.g -1 on potassium, uranium isotopes, thorium-232 with the respective decay products, thorium-230, radium-226 and lead-210. Altogether 98 laboratories from 42 Member States joined this intercomparison. The results show generally good agreement, but more analytical work is needed to improve the present status of the lead-210 certification. Gamma and alpha spectroscopy were the most frequently used as the analytical techniques

  4. In-situ gammaspectrometry intercomparison exercise in Salzburg/Austria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steger, F.; Lovranich, E.; Lettner, H.; Andrasi, A.

    1996-01-01

    In-situ gamma-spectrometry has become a useful method of assessing the nuclide concentrations of man-made and natural gamma-emitters in the soil. For the quality assurance of the measurements, periodically conducted intercomparison exercises are essential. Therefore exercises were organized in different European countries since 1990, the last one was conducted in Salzburg /Austria in September 1994. The participation of 24 measurement-teams from all over Europe emphasizes the importance of the intercomparison. Salzburg was selected because the Province of Salzburg /Austria was among the most heavily contaminated regions outside the former USSR by the Chernobyl fallout. Two different typical sites were selected for the measurements: Site 1 was inside the urban area of Salzburg on intensively used grassland which had not been tilled since the deposition of the fallout. This site is representative for intensively used agricultural regions in the Province of Salzburg. Site 2 was in the mountainous regions of the Hohe Tauern at an elevated altitude of 1600 m, representing the agricultural soil- and contamination conditions of the Alpine regions in the Tauern. The two sites differ significantly in terms of soil characteristics, a crucial parameter for the evaluation of in-situ gamma-spectra. The participants used different approaches for the evaluation of the gamma-spectra in terms of considering the depth distribution. In the paper the results from the 24 European teams are presented. (author)

  5. Laboratory Experiments and Instrument Intercomparison Studies of Carbonaceous Aerosol Particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davidovits, Paul [Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (United States)

    2015-10-20

    Aerosols containing black carbon (and some specific types of organic particulate matter) directly absorb incoming light, heating the atmosphere. In addition, all aerosol particles backscatter solar light, leading to a net-cooling effect. Indirect effects involve hydrophilic aerosols, which serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) that affect cloud cover and cloud stability, impacting both atmospheric radiation balance and precipitation patterns. At night, all clouds produce local warming, but overall clouds exert a net-cooling effect on the Earth. The effect of aerosol radiative forcing on climate may be as large as that of the greenhouse gases, but predominantly opposite in sign and much more uncertain. The uncertainties in the representation of aerosol interactions in climate models makes it problematic to use model projections to guide energy policy. The objective of our program is to reduce the uncertainties in the aerosol radiative forcing in the two areas highlighted in the ASR Science and Program Plan. That is, (1) addressing the direct effect by correlating particle chemistry and morphology with particle optical properties (i.e. absorption, scattering, extinction), and (2) addressing the indirect effect by correlating particle hygroscopicity and CCN activity with particle size, chemistry, and morphology. In this connection we are systematically studying particle formation, oxidation, and the effects of particle coating. The work is specifically focused on carbonaceous particles where the uncertainties in the climate relevant properties are the highest. The ongoing work consists of laboratory experiments and related instrument inter-comparison studies both coordinated with field and modeling studies, with the aim of providing reliable data to represent aerosol processes in climate models. The work is performed in the aerosol laboratory at Boston College. At the center of our laboratory setup are two main sources for the production of aerosol particles: (a

  6. IAEA intercomparison exercises of thyroid measurement: performance of Latin American and Caribbean laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dantas, B.M.; Dantas, A.L.A.; Cruz-Suarez, R.

    2016-01-01

    131 I is widely used in Latin America and Caribbean Region in the field of nuclear medicine and has been recognised as one of the main sources of potential intake of radionuclides by the staff. The In Vivo Monitoring laboratory of the Institute for Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD-CNEN-Brazil) organised three intercomparison exercises (2005, 2009 and 2013) in the scope of IAEA technical cooperation projects RLA9049 and RLA9066 aimed to disseminate and harmonise the technique for measuring 131 I in the human thyroid. The number of participants in Latin America increased from 9 to 20 institutions from 7 and 13 countries, respectively, over the last 10 y. The participants have improved significantly their ability on the in vivo measurement technique. In the 2013 round all laboratories which reported results presented performances in an acceptable range according to the ISO criteria indicating the benefit of such exercises in the region. (authors)

  7. Projected Heat Wave Characteristics over the Korean Peninsula During the Twenty-First Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Jongsoo; Olson, Roman; An, Soon-Il

    2018-02-01

    Climate change is expected to increase temperatures globally, and consequently more frequent, longer, and hotter heat waves are likely to occur. Ambiguity in defining heat waves appropriately makes it difficult to compare changes in heat wave events over time. This study provides a quantitative definition of a heat wave and makes probabilistic heat wave projections for the Korean Peninsula under two global warming scenarios. Changes to heat waves under global warming are investigated using the representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) and 8.5 (RCP8.5) experiments from 30 coupled models participating in phase five of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project. Probabilistic climate projections from multi-model ensembles have been constructed using both simple and weighted averaging. Results from both methods are similar and show that heat waves will be more intense, frequent, and longer lasting. These trends are more apparent under the RCP8.5 scenario as compared to the RCP4.5 scenario. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, typical heat waves are projected to become stronger than any heat wave experienced in the recent measurement record. Furthermore, under this scenario, it cannot be ruled out that Korea will experience heat wave conditions spanning almost an entire summer before the end of the 21st century.

  8. In-situ-gamma-spectrometry intercomparison exercise in Salzburg, Austria, September 26-30, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steger, F.; Lettner, H.; Andrasi, A.

    1996-06-01

    In-situ gamma spectrometry has become a useful method to assess the nuclide concentration of artificial and natural gamma-emitters in the soil. With such measurements it is possible to calculate the activity concentration in soil and also the nuclide specific exposure rates 1 m above ground. For the quality assurance of the measurements periodically intercomparison exercises are essential. To meet this requirement exercises were organised in different European countries since 1989. The last exercise in September 1994 was organised in Salzburg / Austria. The participation of 24 measurement teams from all over Europe emphasises the importance of the intercomparison. Salzburg was selected because the Province of Salzburg / Austria was among the heaviest contaminated region outside the former USSR by the Chernobyl fallout. Two different typical sites were selected for the measurements: Site 1 was inside the urban area of Salzburg on intensively used agricultural land which had not been disturbed since the fallout. This site is representative for intensively used agricultural regions in the Province of Salzburg. Site 2 was in the mountainous region of the Tauern on elevated altitude of approx. 1700 m. This site represents the soil and contamination conditions of the Alpine region. Both sites differ significantly in terms of different soil distribution and contents of natural and artificial radionuclides. Results of the intercomparison exercise are presented. (author)

  9. DRDC Ottawa Participation in the SILENE Accident Dosimetry Intercomparison Exercise. June 10-21, 2002

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Prud'homme-Lalonde, L

    2002-01-01

    .... The SILENE International Accident Dosimetry Intercomparison Exercise at Valduc, France in June 2002 coincided with DRDC Ottawa work designed to refine its proposed criticality dosimetry system...

  10. Validation of individual and aggregate global flood hazard models for two major floods in Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trigg, M.; Bernhofen, M.; Whyman, C.

    2017-12-01

    A recent intercomparison of global flood hazard models undertaken by the Global Flood Partnership shows that there is an urgent requirement to undertake more validation of the models against flood observations. As part of the intercomparison, the aggregated model dataset resulting from the project was provided as open access data. We compare the individual and aggregated flood extent output from the six global models and test these against two major floods in the African Continent within the last decade, namely severe flooding on the Niger River in Nigeria in 2012, and on the Zambezi River in Mozambique in 2007. We test if aggregating different number and combination of models increases model fit to the observations compared with the individual model outputs. We present results that illustrate some of the challenges of comparing imperfect models with imperfect observations and also that of defining the probability of a real event in order to test standard model output probabilities. Finally, we propose a collective set of open access validation flood events, with associated observational data and descriptions that provide a standard set of tests across different climates and hydraulic conditions.

  11. Low-Level Waste Drum Assay Intercomparison Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greutzmacher, K.; Kuzminski, J.; Myers, S. C.

    2003-01-01

    Nuclear waste assay is an integral element of programs such as safeguards, waste management, and waste disposal. The majority of nuclear waste is packaged in drums and analyzed by various nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques to identify and quantify the radioactive content. Due to various regulations and the public interest in nuclear issues, the analytical results are required to be of high quality and supported by a rigorous Quality Assurance (QA) program. A valuable QA tool is an intercomparison program in which a known sample is analyzed by a number of different facilities. While transuranic waste (TRU) certified NDA teams are evaluated through the Performance Demonstration Program (PDP), low-level waste (LLW) assay specialists have not been afforded a similar opportunity. NDA specialists from throughout the DOE complex were invited to participate in this voluntary drum assay intercomparison study that was organized and facilitated by the Solid Waste Operations and the Safeguards Science and Technology groups at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and by Eberline Services. Each participating NDA team performed six replicate blind measurements of two 55-gallon drums with relatively low-density matrices (a 19.1 kg shredded paper matrix and a 54.4 kg mixed metal, rubber, paper and plastic matrix). This paper presents the results from this study, with an emphasis on discussing the lessons learned as well as desirable follow up programs for the future. The results will discuss the accuracy and precision of the replicate measurements for each NDA team as well as any issues that arose during the effort

  12. International intercalibration and intercomparison programme for radon, thoron and daughters measuring equipment. Part. 1: Radon measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knutson, E.O.; Solomon, S.B.

    1986-01-01

    The International Intercalibration and Intercomparison Programme for Radon, Thoron and Daughters Monitoring Equipment, abbreviated IIIP, is a program organized jointly by Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Radiation Protection Research Programme of the Commission of European Communities. The broad purpose of the IIIP is to determine if the somewhat diverse calibration procedures used in different countries are equivalent. The general approach was to select four regional reference laboratories and entrust them with the details of project definition and execution. The four selected laboratories are: Australian Radiation Laboratory, US DOE Environmental Measurements Laboratory, UK National Radiation Protection Board, US DOI Bureau of Mines. The Organizing Committee that selected the four laboratories remained intact and served an oversight function in all work to date

  13. Uncertainty in Twenty-First-Century CMIP5 Sea Level Projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Christopher M.; Horton, Radley M.; Kopp, Robert E.; Oppenheimer, Michael; Yip, Stan

    2015-01-01

    The representative concentration pathway (RCP) simulations included in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) quantify the response of the climate system to different natural and anthropogenic forcing scenarios. These simulations differ because of 1) forcing, 2) the representation of the climate system in atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs), and 3) the presence of unforced (internal) variability. Global and local sea level rise projections derived from these simulations, and the emergence of distinct responses to the four RCPs depend on the relative magnitude of these sources of uncertainty at different lead times. Here, the uncertainty in CMIP5 projections of sea level is partitioned at global and local scales, using a 164-member ensemble of twenty-first-century simulations. Local projections at New York City (NYSL) are highlighted. The partition between model uncertainty, scenario uncertainty, and internal variability in global mean sea level (GMSL) is qualitatively consistent with that of surface air temperature, with model uncertainty dominant for most of the twenty-first century. Locally, model uncertainty is dominant through 2100, with maxima in the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The model spread is driven largely by 4 of the 16 AOGCMs in the ensemble; these models exhibit outlying behavior in all RCPs and in both GMSL and NYSL. The magnitude of internal variability varies widely by location and across models, leading to differences of several decades in the local emergence of RCPs. The AOGCM spread, and its sensitivity to model exclusion and/or weighting, has important implications for sea level assessments, especially if a local risk management approach is utilized.

  14. On the Correspondence between Mean Forecast Errors and Climate Errors in CMIP5 Models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, H. -Y.; Xie, S.; Klein, S. A.; Williams, K. D.; Boyle, J. S.; Bony, S.; Douville, H.; Fermepin, S.; Medeiros, B.; Tyteca, S.; Watanabe, M.; Williamson, D.

    2014-02-01

    The present study examines the correspondence between short- and long-term systematic errors in five atmospheric models by comparing the 16 five-day hindcast ensembles from the Transpose Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project II (Transpose-AMIP II) for July–August 2009 (short term) to the climate simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and AMIP for the June–August mean conditions of the years of 1979–2008 (long term). Because the short-term hindcasts were conducted with identical climate models used in the CMIP5/AMIP simulations, one can diagnose over what time scale systematic errors in these climate simulations develop, thus yielding insights into their origin through a seamless modeling approach. The analysis suggests that most systematic errors of precipitation, clouds, and radiation processes in the long-term climate runs are present by day 5 in ensemble average hindcasts in all models. Errors typically saturate after few days of hindcasts with amplitudes comparable to the climate errors, and the impacts of initial conditions on the simulated ensemble mean errors are relatively small. This robust bias correspondence suggests that these systematic errors across different models likely are initiated by model parameterizations since the atmospheric large-scale states remain close to observations in the first 2–3 days. However, biases associated with model physics can have impacts on the large-scale states by day 5, such as zonal winds, 2-m temperature, and sea level pressure, and the analysis further indicates a good correspondence between short- and long-term biases for these large-scale states. Therefore, improving individual model parameterizations in the hindcast mode could lead to the improvement of most climate models in simulating their climate mean state and potentially their future projections.

  15. Thematic network on the analysis of thorium and its isotopes in workplace materials. Report on the 2nd intercomparison exercise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howe, A.; White, M.

    2000-12-01

    Work Package 2 (WP 2) of the EC Thematic Network on ''The analysis of thorium and its isotopes in workplace materials'' is concerned with ''Examination and comparison of analytical techniques for the determination of thorium and its progeny in bulk materials and the development of standards, both for the calibration of associated metrological facilities, and for routine quality control purposes''. The primary objective of WP 2 is ''To evaluate appropriate techniques and determine best practice for analysis of 232 Th at workplace levels and environments'', and is to be achieved through a series of intercomparison exercises. Following the results of the 1st intercomparison exercise, a 2nd intercomparison exercise was designed to evaluate the capability of the analytical methods currently being used by European laboratories to determine thorium at very low levels in the presence of a complex inorganic matrix. The intercomparison exercise involved the analysis of three samples of thorium in solution, prepared by the United Kingdom National Physical Laboratory. One sample was the equilibrium solution, analysed in the 1st intercomparison exercise. The other two samples were prepared by dilution of a non-equilibrium thorium solution, one of which was spiked with impurity elements. (i) The results showed a further improvement in the accuracy of measurements in the equilibrium solution, when compared with the results from the 1st intercomparison study. There was an overall drop in u-test values and the number of u-test values above the upper limit of significance fell from 6 to 3. (ii) Overall, participating laboratories also performed well in the analysis of the low level non-equilibrium solutions. However, several laboratories using y-spectrometry had insufficient sensitivity for measurement of low level non-equilibrium sample solutions and did not report results. (iii) There was little evidence that the presence of impurities had a detrimental effect on measurements made

  16. Lessons learnt from an international intercomparison of national network systems used to provide early warning of a nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saez-Vergara, J.C.; Thompson, I.M.G.; Funck, E.; Andersen, C.E.; Neumaier, S.; Botter-Jensen, L.

    2003-01-01

    As part of the European Research Council's Fourth Framework Programme, the EURADOS Action Group on Monitoring of External Exposures held an intercomparison of national network systems. This took place during May/June 1999 at the Riso Natural Environmental Radiation Measurement Station in Denmark and at the Underground Laboratory for Dosimetry and Spectrometry of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany. The network systems are used continuously to monitor radiation levels throughout a country in order to give early warning of nuclear accidents having transboundary implications. The radiation levels measured are used to estimate the radiation risks to people arising from the accident. Seven European countries participated in the intercomparison with detector systems used in their national network systems as well as with detectors being developed for future use. Since different radiation quantities were measured by the systems (namely exposure, air kerma and ambient dose equivalent), the initial analysis of the intercomparison results was made in terms of the quantity air kerma rate. This report completes the analysis of the results and these are given in terms of air kerma rate in order to be consistent with the preliminary report. In addition, in some cases the results are also given in terms of the quantity measured by each national network system. The experience gained from this intercomparison is used to help organise a follow-up intercomparison to be held at the PTB Braunschweig in September 2002 and in which a further seven or eight countries from Europe will participate. (author)

  17. Psacoin level S intercomparison: An International code intercomparison exercise on a hypothetical safety assessment case study for radioactive waste disposal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-06-01

    This report documents the Level S exercise of the Probabilistic System Assessment Group (PSAG). Level S is the fifth in a series of Probabilistic Code Intercomparison (PSACOIN) exercises designed to contribute to the verification of probabilistic codes and methodologies that may be used in assessing the safety of radioactive waste disposal systems and concepts. The focus of the Level S exercise lies on sensitivity analysis. Given a common data set of model output and input values the participants were asked to identify both the underlying model's most important parameters (deterministic sensitivity analysis) and the link between the distributions of the input and output values (distribution sensitivity analysis). Agreement was generally found where it was expected and the exercise has achieved its objectives in acting as a focus for testing and discussing sensitivity analysis issues. Among the outstanding issues that have been identified are: (i) that techniques for distribution sensitivity analysis are needed that avoid the problem of statistical noise; (ii) that further investigations are warranted on the most appropriate way of handling large numbers of effectively zero results generated by Monte Carlo sampling; and (iii) that methods need to be developed for demonstrating that the results of sensitivity analysis are indeed correct

  18. Comparative calculations and validation studies with atmospheric dispersion models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paesler-Sauer, J.

    1986-11-01

    This report presents the results of an intercomparison of different mesoscale dispersion models and measured data of tracer experiments. The types of models taking part in the intercomparison are Gaussian-type, numerical Eulerian, and Lagrangian dispersion models. They are suited for the calculation of the atmospherical transport of radionuclides released from a nuclear installation. For the model intercomparison artificial meteorological situations were defined and corresponding arithmetical problems were formulated. For the purpose of model validation real dispersion situations of tracer experiments were used as input data for model calculations; in these cases calculated and measured time-integrated concentrations close to the ground are compared. Finally a valuation of the models concerning their efficiency in solving the problems is carried out by the aid of objective methods. (orig./HP) [de

  19. Spatial inter-comparison of Top-down emission inventories in European urban areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trombetti, Marco; Thunis, Philippe; Bessagnet, Bertrand; Clappier, Alain; Couvidat, Florian; Guevara, Marc; Kuenen, Jeroen; López-Aparicio, Susana

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents an inter-comparison of the main Top-down emission inventories currently used for air quality modelling studies at the European level. The comparison is developed for eleven European cities and compares the distribution of emissions of NOx, SO2, VOC and PPM2.5 from the road transport, residential combustion and industry sectors. The analysis shows that substantial differences in terms of total emissions, sectorial emission shares and spatial distribution exist between the datasets. The possible reasons in terms of downscaling approaches and choice of spatial proxies are analysed and recommendations are provided for each inventory in order to work towards the harmonisation of spatial downscaling and proxy calibration, in particular for policy purposes. The proposed methodology may be useful for the development of consistent and harmonised European-wide inventories with the aim of reducing the uncertainties in air quality modelling activities.

  20. Global climate model performance over Alaska and Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Walsh, John E.; Chapman, William L.; Romanovsky, Vladimir

    2008-01-01

    The performance of a set of 15 global climate models used in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project is evaluated for Alaska and Greenland, and compared with the performance over broader pan-Arctic and Northern Hemisphere extratropical domains. Root-mean-square errors relative to the 1958...... to narrowing the uncertainty and obtaining more robust estimates of future climate change in regions such as Alaska, Greenland, and the broader Arctic....... of the models are generally much larger than the biases of the composite output, indicating that the systematic errors differ considerably among the models. There is a tendency for the models with smaller errors to simulate a larger greenhouse warming over the Arctic, as well as larger increases of Arctic...

  1. Projections of Future Precipitation Extremes Over Europe: A Multimodel Assessment of Climate Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajczak, Jan; Schär, Christoph

    2017-10-01

    Projections of precipitation and its extremes over the European continent are analyzed in an extensive multimodel ensemble of 12 and 50 km resolution EURO-CORDEX Regional Climate Models (RCMs) forced by RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway) aerosol and greenhouse gas emission scenarios. A systematic intercomparison with ENSEMBLES RCMs is carried out, such that in total information is provided for an unprecedentedly large data set of 100 RCM simulations. An evaluation finds very reasonable skill for the EURO-CORDEX models in simulating temporal and geographical variations of (mean and heavy) precipitation at both horizontal resolutions. Heavy and extreme precipitation events are projected to intensify across most of Europe throughout the whole year. All considered models agree on a distinct intensification of extremes by often more than +20% in winter and fall and over central and northern Europe. A reduction of rainy days and mean precipitation in summer is simulated by a large majority of models in the Mediterranean area, but intermodel spread between the simulations is large. In central Europe and France during summer, models project decreases in precipitation but more intense heavy and extreme rainfalls. Comparison to previous RCM projections from ENSEMBLES reveals consistency but slight differences in summer, where reductions in southern European precipitation are not as pronounced as previously projected. The projected changes of the European hydrological cycle may have substantial impact on environmental and anthropogenic systems. In particular, the simulations indicate a rising probability of summertime drought in southern Europe and more frequent and intense heavy rainfall across all of Europe.

  2. Latin-American Biological Dosimetry Network (LBDNET) Intercomparison Exercise. Evaluation through triage and conventional scoring criteria. Development of a new approach for statistical data analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Giorgio, M.; Vallerga, M.B.; Radl, A.

    2011-01-01

    Biological Dosimetry is a necessary support for National Radiation Protection Programs and Emergency Response Schemes. A Latin-American Biological Dosimetry Network (LBDNET) has been constituted by the biological dosimetry laboratories from: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay (IAEA Regional Project RLA9/054, 2007). The biological dosimetry laboratory of Argentina organized an international biological dosimetry intercomparison for the analysis of some relevant parameters involved in dose assessment, to reinforce the response capability in accidental situations requiring the activation of mutual assistance mechanisms and thus, constituting the bases of the LBDNET organization. (authors)

  3. GODAE Inter-Comparisons in the Tasman and Coral Seas

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-01

    and salinity. All have their strengths and weaknesses, and each system out-performs all others in one aspect or another. With few exceptions, all... Auckland and Fiji (Fig 1), was occupied during the inter- comparison period. The observed T section from this line is shown in Fig 6a. Comparisons of T...has certain strengths and weaknesses. Inter-comparisons are regarded as valuable exer- cises that provide important insights into the ocean forecast

  4. Downscale cascades in tracer transport test cases: an intercomparison of the dynamical cores in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Kent

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The accurate modeling of cascades to unresolved scales is an important part of the tracer transport component of dynamical cores of weather and climate models. This paper aims to investigate the ability of the advection schemes in the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5 to model this cascade. In order to quantify the effects of the different advection schemes in CAM5, four two-dimensional tracer transport test cases are presented. Three of the tests stretch the tracer below the scale of coarse resolution grids to ensure the downscale cascade of tracer variance. These results are compared with a high resolution reference solution, which is simulated on a resolution fine enough to resolve the tracer during the test. The fourth test has two separate flow cells, and is designed so that any tracer in the western hemisphere should not pass into the eastern hemisphere. This is to test whether the diffusion in transport schemes, often in the form of explicit hyper-diffusion terms or implicit through monotonic limiters, contains unphysical mixing.

    An intercomparison of three of the dynamical cores of the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Atmosphere Model version 5 is performed. The results show that the finite-volume (CAM-FV and spectral element (CAM-SE dynamical cores model the downscale cascade of tracer variance better than the semi-Lagrangian transport scheme of the Eulerian spectral transform core (CAM-EUL. Each scheme tested produces unphysical mass in the eastern hemisphere of the separate cells test.

  5. World energy projection system: Model documentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-06-01

    The World Energy Project System (WEPS) is an accounting framework that incorporates projects from independently documented models and assumptions about the future energy intensity of economic activity (ratios of total energy consumption divided by gross domestic product) and about the rate of incremental energy requirements met by hydropower, geothermal, coal, and natural gas to produce projections of world energy consumption published annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the International Energy Outlook (IEO). Two independently documented models presented in Figure 1, the Oil Market Simulation (OMS) model and the World Integrated Nuclear Evaluation System (WINES), provide projections of oil and nuclear power consumption published in the IEO. Output from a third independently documented model, and the International Coal Trade Model (ICTM), is not published in the IEO but is used in WEPS as a supply check on projections of world coal consumption produced by WEPS and published in the IEO. A WEPS model of natural gas production documented in this report provides the same type of implicit supply check on the WEPS projections of world natural gas consumption published in the IEO. Two additional models are included in Figure 1, the OPEC Capacity model and the Non-OPEC Oil Production model. These WEPS models provide inputs to the OMS model and are documented in this report.

  6. World energy projection system: Model documentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-06-01

    The World Energy Project System (WEPS) is an accounting framework that incorporates projects from independently documented models and assumptions about the future energy intensity of economic activity (ratios of total energy consumption divided by gross domestic product) and about the rate of incremental energy requirements met by hydropower, geothermal, coal, and natural gas to produce projections of world energy consumption published annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the International Energy Outlook (IEO) (Figure 1). Two independently documented models presented in Figure 1, the Oil Market Simulation (OMS) model and the World Integrated Nuclear Evaluation System (WINES) provide projections of oil and nuclear power consumption published in the IEO. Output from a third independently documented model, and the International Coal Trade Model (ICTM), is not published in the IEO but is used in WEPS as a supply check on projections of world coal consumption produced by WEPS and published in the IEO. A WEPS model of natural gas production documented in this report provides the same type of implicit supply check on the WEPS projections of world natural gas consumption published in the IEO. Two additional models are included in Figure 1, the OPEC Capacity model and the Non-OPEC Oil Production model. These WEPS models provide inputs to the OMS model and are documented in this report

  7. Inter-comparison of different models for estimating clear sky solar global radiation for the Negev region of Israel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ianetz, Amiran; Lyubansky, Vera; Setter, Ilan; Kriheli, Boris; Evseev, Efim G.; Kudish, Avraham I.

    2007-01-01

    Solar global radiation is a function of solar altitude, site altitude, albedo, atmospheric transparency and cloudiness, whereas solar global radiation on a clear day is defined such that it is a function of all the abovementioned parameters except cloudiness. Consequently, analysis of the relative magnitudes of solar global radiation and solar global radiation on a clear day provides a platform for studying the influence of cloudiness on solar global radiation. The Iqbal filter for determining the day type has been utilized to calculate the monthly average clear day solar global radiation at three sites in the Negev region of Israel. An inter-comparison between four models for estimating clear sky solar global radiation at the three sites was made. The relative accuracy of the four models was determined by comparing the monthly average daily clear sky solar global radiation to that determined using the Iqbal filter. The analysis was performed on databases consisting of measurements made during the time interval of January 1991 to December 2004. The monthly average daily clear sky solar global radiation determined by the Berlynd model was found to give the best agreement with that determined using the Iqbal filter. The Berlynd model was then utilized to calculate a daily clear day index, K c , which is defined as the ratio of the daily solar global radiation to the daily clear day solar global radiation. It is suggested that this index be used as an indication of the degree of cloudiness. Linear regression analysis was performed on the individual monthly databases for each site to determine the correlation between the daily clear day index and the daily clearness index, K T

  8. Projected sea level rise, gyre circulation and water mass formation in the western North Pacific: CMIP5 inter-model analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terada, Mio; Minobe, Shoshiro

    2018-06-01

    Future changes in the dynamic sea level (DSL), which is defined as sea-level deviation from the global mean sea level, is investigated over the North Pacific, by analyzing data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5. The analysis provides more comprehensive descriptions of DSL responses to the global warming in this region than available from previous studies, by using surface and subsurface data until the year 2300 under middle and high greenhouse-gas emission scenarios. The DSL changes in the North Pacific are characterized by a DSL rise in the western North Pacific around the Kuroshio Extension (KE), as also reported by previous studies. Subsurface density analysis indicates that DSL rise around the KE is associated with decrease in density of subtropical mode water (STMW) and with northward KE migration, the former (latter) of which is relatively strong between 2000 and 2100 for both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 (between 2100 and 2300 for RCP8.5). The STMW density decrease is related to large heat uptake to the south and southeast of Japan, while the northward KE migration is associated with the poleward shift of the wind stress field. These features are commonly found in multi-model ensemble means and the relations among representative quantities produced by different climate models.

  9. TransCom 3 CO2 inversion intercomparison: 2. Sensitivity of annual mean results to data choices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Law, Rachel M.; Yu-Han Chen

    2003-01-01

    TransCom 3 is an intercomparison project for CO 2 source inversions. Annual mean CO 2 concentration data are used to estimate CO 2 sources using 16 different atmospheric transport models. Here we test the sensitivity of the inversion to the concentration data. We examine data network choice, time period of data, baseline data selection and the choice of data uncertainty used. We find that in most cases regional source estimates lie within the source uncertainty range of the control inversion. This indicates that the estimated sources are relatively insensitive to the changes in data that were tested. In the data network tests, only the Australian region source estimates varied over a much larger range than that given by the control case uncertainty estimate. For the other regions, the sensitivity to data network was within or close to the uncertainty range. Most of the sensitivity was found to be associated with a small number of sites (e.g. Darwin, Easter Island). These sites are often identified by the inability of the inversion to fit the data at these locations. The model-mean inversion values are mostly insensitive to the time period of data used, with the exception of temperate North America and the tropical Indian ocean. Data selection has a small impact on source estimates for the mean across models, but individual model sensitivity can be large. The magnitude of data uncertainties controls the relative magnitude of the estimated source uncertainty and the spread in model source estimates. Smaller data uncertainties lead to larger differences in source estimates between models. Overall, the data sensitivity tests performed here support the robustness of the control inversion source estimates presented in Gurney et al. (2003. Tellus 55B, this issue). The test results also provide guidance in setting up and interpreting other inversions

  10. A multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (TransCom-VSLS: linking oceanic emissions and tropospheric transport for a reconciled estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection of bromine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Hossaini

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The first concerted multi-model intercomparison of halogenated very short-lived substances (VSLS has been performed, within the framework of the ongoing Atmospheric Tracer Transport Model Intercomparison Project (TransCom. Eleven global models or model variants participated (nine chemical transport models and two chemistry–climate models by simulating the major natural bromine VSLS, bromoform (CHBr3 and dibromomethane (CH2Br2, over a 20-year period (1993–2012. Except for three model simulations, all others were driven offline by (or nudged to reanalysed meteorology. The overarching goal of TransCom-VSLS was to provide a reconciled model estimate of the stratospheric source gas injection (SGI of bromine from these gases, to constrain the current measurement-derived range, and to investigate inter-model differences due to emissions and transport processes. Models ran with standardised idealised chemistry, to isolate differences due to transport, and we investigated the sensitivity of results to a range of VSLS emission inventories. Models were tested in their ability to reproduce the observed seasonal and spatial distribution of VSLS at the surface, using measurements from NOAA's long-term global monitoring network, and in the tropical troposphere, using recent aircraft measurements – including high-altitude observations from the NASA Global Hawk platform. The models generally capture the observed seasonal cycle of surface CHBr3 and CH2Br2 well, with a strong model–measurement correlation (r  ≥  0.7 at most sites. In a given model, the absolute model–measurement agreement at the surface is highly sensitive to the choice of emissions. Large inter-model differences are apparent when using the same emission inventory, highlighting the challenges faced in evaluating such inventories at the global scale. Across the ensemble, most consistency is found within the tropics where most of the models (8 out of 11 achieve best agreement to

  11. Intercomparison Of Activity Measurements Of Co-58, Y-88, Ho-166m, Tc-99m, dan I-131 Between P3KRBiN and Laboratory Within BATAN And Hospitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazaroh; Ermi-Juita; Hermawan-Candra

    2003-01-01

    One way to maintain traceability and to keep consistency of the measurement result of radioactivity was intercomparison program. According with Surat Keputusan Kepala BATAN No.73/KA/IV/99, one of tasks and functions of standardization laboratory is to coordinate an intercomparison program of radioactivity measurement. In the year of 2000, intercomparison program of activity measurements between P3KRBiN and 10 laboratories within BATAN and 12 hospitals were carried out. For intercomparison of Co-58, Y-88, and Ho-166m, there were 3 laboratories within BATAN which have more than 50% difference compared with P3KRBiN measurements and for intercomparison of Tc-99m, dan I-131, there were 2 Dose-Calibrators belongs to hospitals which have more than 30% difference compared with P3KRBiN measurements. From that result it can be concluded that intercomparison of activity measurements are very important and needs continuously to maintain traceability and to keep consistency of measurement result. (author)

  12. Pitfalls and modelling inconsistencies in computational radiation dosimetry: Lessons learnt from the QUADOS intercomparison. Part I: Neutrons and uncertainties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siebert, B. R. L.; Tanner, R. J.; Chartier, J. L.; Agosteo, S.; Grosswendt, B.; Gualdrini, G.; Menard, S.; Kodeli, I.; Leuthold, G. P.; Price, R. A.; Tagziria, H.; Terrissol, M.; Zankl, M.

    2006-01-01

    The QUADOS EU cost shared action conducted an intercomparison on the usage of numerical methods in radiation protection and dosimetry. The eight problems proposed were intended to test the usage of Monte Carlo and deterministic methods by assessing the accuracy with which the codes are applied and also the methods used to evaluate uncertainty in the answer gained through these methods. The overall objective was to spread good practice through the community and give users information on how to assess the uncertainties associated with their calculated results. (authors)

  13. Dose intercomparison study involving Fricke, ethanol chlorobenzene, PMMA and alanine dosimeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lanuza, L.G.; Cabalfin, E.G.; Kojima, T.; Tachibana, H.

    1999-01-01

    A dose intercomparison study was carried out between the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) to determine reliability of the dosimetry systems being used by PNRI employing ethanol chlorobenzene (ECB), Fricke and alanine dosimeters. The Fricke and ECB dosimeters were prepared at PNRI while the alanine-polystyrene dosimeter was provided by JAERI. Fricke or ECB dosimeters were irradiated together with alanine at PNRI gamma irradiation facilities. Analyses of the Fricke and ECB dosimeters were performed at PNRI while alanine dosimeters were analyzed at JAERI. A comparison study between alanine and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, Radix RN15) dosimeters was also undertaken at JAERI. The dosimeters were irradiated together under different irradiation conditions using the gamma irradiation facilities of JAERI and Radia Industry Co. Ltd. (Japan). Evaluations of PMMA and alanine dosimeters were both performed at JAERI. Result of the dose intercomparison of PNRI with the International Atomic Energy Agency through the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) is also presented. (author)

  14. Dose intercomparison study involving Fricke, ethanol chlorobenzene, PMMA and alanine dosimeters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lanuza, L G; Cabalfin, E G [Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Quezon City (Philippines); Kojima, T; Tachibana, H [Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research institute, Takasaki (Japan)

    1999-03-01

    A dose intercomparison study was carried out between the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) to determine reliability of the dosimetry systems being used by PNRI employing ethanol chlorobenzene (ECB), Fricke and alanine dosimeters. The Fricke and ECB dosimeters were prepared at PNRI while the alanine-polystyrene dosimeter was provided by JAERI. Fricke or ECB dosimeters were irradiated together with alanine at PNRI gamma irradiation facilities. Analyses of the Fricke and ECB dosimeters were performed at PNRI while alanine dosimeters were analyzed at JAERI. A comparison study between alanine and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, Radix RN15) dosimeters was also undertaken at JAERI. The dosimeters were irradiated together under different irradiation conditions using the gamma irradiation facilities of JAERI and Radia Industry Co. Ltd. (Japan). Evaluations of PMMA and alanine dosimeters were both performed at JAERI. Result of the dose intercomparison of PNRI with the International Atomic Energy Agency through the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) is also presented. (author) 8 refs, 3 figs, 4 tabs

  15. Accounting for adaptation and intensity in projecting heat wave-related mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yan; Nordio, Francesco; Nairn, John; Zanobetti, Antonella; Schwartz, Joel D

    2018-02-01

    How adaptation and intensity of heat waves affect heat wave-related mortality is unclear, making health projections difficult. We estimated the effect of heat waves, the effect of the intensity of heat waves, and adaptation on mortality in 209 U.S. cities with 168 million people during 1962-2006. We improved the standard time-series models by incorporating the intensity of heat waves using excess heat factor (EHF) and estimating adaptation empirically using interactions with yearly mean summer temperature (MST). We combined the epidemiological estimates for heat wave, intensity, and adaptation with the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) multi-model dataset to project heat wave-related mortality by 2050. The effect of heat waves increased with its intensity. Adaptation to heat waves occurred, which was shown by the decreasing effect of heat waves with MST. However, adaptation was lessened as MST increased. Ignoring adaptation in projections would result in a substantial overestimate of the projected heat wave-related mortality (by 277-747% in 2050). Incorporating the empirically estimated adaptation into projections would result in little change in the projected heat wave-related mortality between 2006 and 2050. This differs regionally, however, with increasing mortality over time for cities in the southern and western U.S. but decreasing mortality over time for the north. Accounting for adaptation is important to reduce bias in the projections of heat wave-related mortality. The finding that the southern and western U.S. are the areas that face increasing heat-related deaths is novel, and indicates that more regional adaptation strategies are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. IAEA/IDEAS intercomparison exercise on internal dose assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doerfel, H.; Andrasi, A.; Cruz-Suarez, R.; Castellani, C. M.; Hurtgen, C.; Marsh, J.; Zeger, J.

    2007-01-01

    An Internet based intercomparison exercise on assessment of occupational exposure due to intakes of radionuclides has been performed to check the applicability of the 'General Guidelines for the Assessment of Internal Dose from Monitoring Data' developed by the IDEAS group. There were six intake cases presented on the Internet and 81 participants worldwide reported solutions to these cases. Results of the exercise indicate that the guidelines have a positive influence on the methodologies applied for dose assessments and, if correctly applied, improve the harmonisation of assessed doses. (authors)

  17. Competency model for the project managers of technical projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, William R.

    1992-05-01

    Traditional job description techniques were developed to support compensation decisions for hourly wage earners in a manufacturing environment. Their resultant focus on activities performed on the job works well in this environment where the ability to perform the activity adequately is objectively verifiable by testing and observation. Although many organizations have adapted these techniques for salaried employees and service environments, the focus on activities performed has never been satisfactory. For example, stating that a project manager `prepares regular project status reports' tells us little about what to look for in a potential project manager or how to determine if a practicing project manager is ready for additional responsibilities. The concept of a `competency model' has been developed within the last decade to address this shortcoming. Competency models focus on what skills are needed to perform the tasks defined by the job description. For example, a project manager must be able to communicate well both orally and in writing in order to `prepare regular project status reports.'

  18. Intercomparison measurements with albedo neutron dosimeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alberts, W.G.; Kluge, H.

    1994-01-01

    Since the introduction of the albedo dosimeter as the official personal neutron dosimeter the dosimetry services concerned have participated in intercomparison measurements at the PTB. Their albedo dosimeters were irradiated in reference fields produced by unmoderated and D 2 O-moderated 252 Cf neutron sources in the standard irradiation facility of the PTB. Six fields with fluences different in energy and angle distribution could be realised in order to determine the response of the albedo dosimeter. The dose equivalent values evaluated by the services were compared with the reference values of the PTB for the directional dose equivalent H'(10). The results turned out to be essentially dependent on the evaluation method and the choice of the calibration factors. (orig.) [de

  19. Research and calibration projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The NAC (National Accelerator Centre), South Africa, has been involved in neutron dosimetry intercomparison studies at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium (UCL), and at the MRC Cyclotron Unit, Clatterbridge Hospital, U.K. A reciprocal visit was paid to the NAC by UCL personnel in order to undertake both dosimetry and radiobiological intercomparison studies. Only the physical dosimetry intercomparison measurements undertaken with tissue equivalent ionization chambers have been analysed. Measurements were also made with Geiger-Mueller counters in order to derive the gamma dose component in the neutron beam, but analyses are not yet complete. 6 figs., 19 refs., 5 tabs

  20. Ice nucleating particles measured during the laboratory and field intercomparisons FIN-2 and FIN-3 by the diffusion chamber FRIDGE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Daniel; Schrod, Jann; Curtius, Joachim; Haunold, Werner; Thomson, Erik; Bingemer, Heinz

    2016-04-01

    The measurement of atmospheric ice nucleating particles (INP) is still challenging. In the absence of easily applicable INP standards the intercomparison of different methods during collaborative laboratory and field workshops is a valuable tool that can shine light on the performance of individual methods for the measurement of INP [1]. FIN-2 was conducted in March 2015 at the AIDA facility in Karlsruhe as an intercomparison of mobile instruments for measuring INP [2]. FIN-3 was a field campaign at the Desert Research Institutes Storm Peak Laboratory in Colorado in September 2015 [3]. The FRankfurt Ice nucleation Deposition freezinG Experiment (FRIDGE) participated in both experiments. FRIDGE measures ice nucleating particles by electrostatic precipitation of aerosol particles onto Si-wafers in a collection unit, followed by activation, growth, and optical detection of ice crystals on the substrate in an isostatic diffusion chamber [4,5]. We will present and discuss results of our measurements of deposition/condensation INP and of immersion INP with FRIDGE during FIN-2 and FIN-3. Acknowledgements: The valuable contributions of the FIN organizers and their institutions, and of the FIN Workshop Science team are gratefully acknowledged. Our work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under the Research Unit FOR 1525 (INUIT) and the EU FP7-ENV- 2013 BACCHUS project under Grant Agreement 603445.

  1. MVL spatiotemporal analysis for model intercomparison in EPS: application to the DEMETER multi-model ensemble

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, J.; Primo, C.; Cofiño, A. S.; Gutiérrez, J. M.; Rodríguez, M. A.

    2009-08-01

    In a recent paper, Gutiérrez et al. (Nonlinear Process Geophys 15(1):109-114, 2008) introduced a new characterization of spatiotemporal error growth—the so called mean-variance logarithmic (MVL) diagram—and applied it to study ensemble prediction systems (EPS); in particular, they analyzed single-model ensembles obtained by perturbing the initial conditions. In the present work, the MVL diagram is applied to multi-model ensembles analyzing also the effect of model formulation differences. To this aim, the MVL diagram is systematically applied to the multi-model ensemble produced in the EU-funded DEMETER project. It is shown that the shared building blocks (atmospheric and ocean components) impose similar dynamics among different models and, thus, contribute to poorly sampling the model formulation uncertainty. This dynamical similarity should be taken into account, at least as a pre-screening process, before applying any objective weighting method.

  2. An intercomparison on radionuclides in environmental samples, Baltic-Danish co-operation project on radiation protection 2001-2003

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, S.P.

    2004-07-01

    Sixteen laboratories participated in an intercomparison exercise carried out in 2003 on laboratory analyses of radionuclides in environmental samples. The sample types included seawater, lake water, soil, dry milk and seaweed and the exercise involved the radionuclides 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 60 Co, 239,240 Pu, 241 Am, 226 Ra, 2 40 K. The evaluation of analytical performance was based on comparison with median values, a 10% target standard deviation and statistical tests at the 99% level. For 137Cs the results from 10 out of 16 laboratories passed the evaluation tests. For 90 Sr the results from 5 out of 12 laboratories passed the evaluation tests. For 60 Co, 239,240 Pu and 241 Am two laboratories submitted results and both passed the tests. For the natural radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K, only a few laboratories did not pass the tests. For all radionuclides combined, the results from 6 out of 16 laboratories passed the evaluation tests. The results indicate that for several of the laboratories there is room to improve the analytical quality on radionuclides in environmental samples to match an uncertainty corresponding to a relative standard deviation of 10%. (au)

  3. Evaluation and intercomparison of three-dimensional global marine carbon cycle models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caldeira, K., LLNL

    1998-07-01

    The addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning and deforestation has profound implications for the future of the earth`s climate and hence for humankind itself. Society is looking toward the community of environmental scientists to predict the consequences of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide so that sound input can be provided to economists, environmental engineers, and, ultimately, policy makers. Environmental scientists have responded to this challenge through the creation of several ambitious, highly-coordinated programs, each focused on a different aspect of the climate system. Recognizing that numerical models, be they relatively simple statistical-empirical models or highly complex process-oriented models, are the only means for predicting the future of the climate system, all of these programs include the development of accurate, predictive models as a central goal. The Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) is one such program, and was built on the well-founded premise that biological, chemical and physical oceanographic processes have a profound influence on the C0{sub 2} content of the atmosphere. The, cap-stone, phase of JGOFS, the Synthesis and Modeling Project (SMP), is charged with the development of models that can be used in the prediction of future air-sea partitioning of C0{sub 2}. JGOFS, particularly the SMP phase, has a number of interim goals as well, including the determination of fluxes and inventories of carbon in the modern ocean that air germane to the air-sea partitioning of C0{sub 2}. Models have a role to play here too, because many of these fluxes and inventories, such as the distributions of anthropogenic dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), new primary production and aphotic zone remineralization, while not amenable to direct observation on the large scale, can be determined using a variety of modeling approaches (Siegenthaler and Oeschger, 1987; Maier-Reimer and Hasselman, 1987, Bacastow and Maier

  4. Evaluating the performance and utility of regional climate models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jens H.; Carter, Timothy R.; Rummukainen, Markku

    2007-01-01

    This special issue of Climatic Change contains a series of research articles documenting co-ordinated work carried out within a 3-year European Union project 'Prediction of Regional scenarios and Uncertainties for Defining European Climate change risks and Effects' (PRUDENCE). The main objective...... of the PRUDENCE project was to provide high resolution climate change scenarios for Europe at the end of the twenty-first century by means of dynamical downscaling (regional climate modelling) of global climate simulations. The first part of the issue comprises seven overarching PRUDENCE papers on: (1) the design...... of the model simulations and analyses of climate model performance, (2 and 3) evaluation and intercomparison of simulated climate changes, (4 and 5) specialised analyses of impacts on water resources and on other sectors including agriculture, ecosystems, energy, and transport, (6) investigation of extreme...

  5. Beyond theory : Towards a probabilistic causation model to support project governance in infrastructure projects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chivatá Cárdenas, Ibsen; Voordijk, Johannes T.; Dewulf, Geert

    2017-01-01

    A new project governance model for infrastructure projects is described in this paper. This model contains causal mechanisms that relate a number of project governance variables to project performance. Our proposed model includes relevant variables for measuring project governance in construction

  6. "Intelligent Ensemble" Projections of Precipitation and Surface Radiation in Support of Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Patrick C.; Baker, Noel C.

    2015-01-01

    Earth's climate is changing and will continue to change into the foreseeable future. Expected changes in the climatological distribution of precipitation, surface temperature, and surface solar radiation will significantly impact agriculture. Adaptation strategies are, therefore, required to reduce the agricultural impacts of climate change. Climate change projections of precipitation, surface temperature, and surface solar radiation distributions are necessary input for adaption planning studies. These projections are conventionally constructed from an ensemble of climate model simulations (e.g., the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5)) as an equal weighted average, one model one vote. Each climate model, however, represents the array of climate-relevant physical processes with varying degrees of fidelity influencing the projection of individual climate variables differently. Presented here is a new approach, termed the "Intelligent Ensemble, that constructs climate variable projections by weighting each model according to its ability to represent key physical processes, e.g., precipitation probability distribution. This approach provides added value over the equal weighted average method. Physical process metrics applied in the "Intelligent Ensemble" method are created using a combination of NASA and NOAA satellite and surface-based cloud, radiation, temperature, and precipitation data sets. The "Intelligent Ensemble" method is applied to the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 anthropogenic climate forcing simulations within the CMIP5 archive to develop a set of climate change scenarios for precipitation, temperature, and surface solar radiation in each USDA Farm Resource Region for use in climate change adaptation studies.

  7. A possible explanation for the divergent projection of ENSO amplitude change under global warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lin; Li, Tim; Yu, Yongqiang; Behera, Swadhin K.

    2017-12-01

    The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the greatest climate variability on interannual time scale, yet what controls ENSO amplitude changes under global warming (GW) is uncertain. Here we show that the fundamental factor that controls the divergent projections of ENSO amplitude change within 20 coupled general circulation models that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-5 is the change of climatologic mean Pacific subtropical cell (STC), whose strength determines the meridional structure of ENSO perturbations and thus the anomalous thermocline response to the wind forcing. The change of the thermocline response is a key factor regulating the strength of Bjerknes thermocline and zonal advective feedbacks, which ultimately lead to the divergent changes in ENSO amplitude. Furthermore, by forcing an ocean general circulation mode with the change of zonal mean zonal wind stress estimated by a simple theoretical model, a weakening of the STC in future is obtained. Such a change implies that ENSO variability might strengthen under GW, which could have a profound socio-economic consequence.

  8. Field intercomparison of prevailing sonic anemometers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauder, Matthias; Zeeman, Matthias J.

    2018-01-01

    Three-dimensional sonic anemometers are the core component of eddy covariance systems, which are widely used for micrometeorological and ecological research. In order to characterize the measurement uncertainty of these instruments we present and analyse the results from a field intercomparison experiment of six commonly used sonic anemometer models from four major manufacturers. These models include Campbell CSAT3, Gill HS-50 and R3, METEK uSonic-3 Omni, R. M. Young 81000 and 81000RE. The experiment was conducted over a meadow at the TERENO/ICOS site DE-Fen in southern Germany over a period of 16 days in June of 2016 as part of the ScaleX campaign. The measurement height was 3 m for all sensors, which were separated by 9 m from each other, each on its own tripod, in order to limit contamination of the turbulence measurements by adjacent structures as much as possible. Moreover, the high-frequency data from all instruments were treated with the same post-processing algorithm. In this study, we compare the results for various turbulence statistics, which include mean horizontal wind speed, standard deviations of vertical wind velocity and sonic temperature, friction velocity, and the buoyancy flux. Quantitative measures of uncertainty, such as bias and comparability, are derived from these results. We find that biases are generally very small for all sensors and all computed variables, except for the sonic temperature measurements of the two Gill sonic anemometers (HS and R3), confirming a known transducer-temperature dependence of the sonic temperature measurement. The best overall agreement between the different instruments was found for the mean wind speed and the buoyancy flux.

  9. Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance: evaluating simulations and making projections with regional climate models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. G. L. Rae

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Four high-resolution regional climate models (RCMs have been set up for the area of Greenland, with the aim of providing future projections of Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance (SMB, and its contribution to sea level rise, with greater accuracy than is possible from coarser-resolution general circulation models (GCMs. This is the first time an intercomparison has been carried out of RCM results for Greenland climate and SMB. Output from RCM simulations for the recent past with the four RCMs is evaluated against available observations. The evaluation highlights the importance of using a detailed snow physics scheme, especially regarding the representations of albedo and meltwater refreezing. Simulations with three of the RCMs for the 21st century using SRES scenario A1B from two GCMs produce trends of between −5.5 and −1.1 Gt yr−2 in SMB (equivalent to +0.015 and +0.003 mm sea level equivalent yr−2, with trends of smaller magnitude for scenario E1, in which emissions are mitigated. Results from one of the RCMs whose present-day simulation is most realistic indicate that an annual mean near-surface air temperature increase over Greenland of ~ 2°C would be required for the mass loss to increase such that it exceeds accumulation, thereby causing the SMB to become negative, which has been suggested as a threshold beyond which the ice sheet would eventually be eliminated.

  10. An international marine-atmospheric 222Rn measurement intercomparison in Bermuda. Part 2: Results for the participating laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colle, R.; Unterweger, M.P.; Hutchinson, J.M.R.

    1996-01-01

    As part of an international measurement intercomparison of instruments used to measure atmospheric 222 Rn, four participating laboratories made nearly simultaneous measurements of 222 Rn activity concentration in commonly sampled, ambient air over approximately a 2 week period, and three of these four laboratories participated in the measurement comparison of 14 introduced samples with known, but undisclosed (blind) 222 Rn activity concentration. The exercise was conducted in Bermuda in October 1991. The 222 Rn activity concentrations in ambient Bermudian air over the course of the intercomparison ranged from a few hundredths of a Bq · m -3 to about 2 Bq · m -3 , while the standardized sample additions covered a range from approximately 2.5 Bq · m -3 to 35 Bq · m -3 . The overall uncertainty in the latter concentrations was in the general range of 10%, approximating a 3 standard deviation uncertainty interval. The results of the intercomparison indicated that two of the laboratories were within very good agreement with the standard additions, and almost within expected statistical variations. These same two laboratories, however, at lower ambient concentrations, exhibited a systematic difference with an averaged offset of roughly 0.3 Bq · m -3 . The third laboratory participating in the measurement of standardized sample additions was systematically low by about 65% to 70%, with respect to the standard addition which was also confirmed in their ambient air concentration measurements. The fourth laboratory, participating in only the ambient measurement part of the intercomparison, was also systematically low by at least 40% with respect to the first two laboratories

  11. SOIL moisture data intercomparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, Yann; Rodriguez-Frenandez, Nemesio; Al-Yaari, Amen; Parens, Marie; Molero, Beatriz; Mahmoodi, Ali; Mialon, Arnaud; Richaume, Philippe; Bindlish, Rajat; Mecklenburg, Susanne; Wigneron, Jean-Pierre

    2016-04-01

    The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite (SMOS) was launched in November 2009 and started delivering data in January 2010. Subsequently, the satellite has been in operation for over 6 years while the retrieval algorithms from Level 1 to Level 2 underwent significant evolutions as knowledge improved. Other approaches for retrieval at Level 2 over land were also investigated while Level 3 and 4 were initiated. In this présentation these improvements are assessed by inter-comparisons of the current Level 2 (V620) against the previous version (V551) and new products either using neural networks or Level 3. In addition a global evaluation of different SMOS soil moisture (SM) products is performed comparing products with those of model simulations and other satellites (AMSR E/ AMSR2 and ASCAT). Finally, all products were evaluated against in situ measurements of soil moisture (SM). The study demonstrated that the V620 shows a significant improvement (including those at level1 improving level2)) with respect to the earlier version V551. Results also show that neural network based approaches can yield excellent results over areas where other products are poor. Finally, global comparison indicates that SMOS behaves very well when compared to other sensors/approaches and gives consistent results over all surfaces from very dry (African Sahel, Arizona), to wet (tropical rain forests). RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) is still an issue even though detection has been greatly improved while RFI sources in several areas of the world are significantly reduced. When compared to other satellite products, the analysis shows that SMOS achieves its expected goals and is globally consistent over different eco climate regions from low to high latitudes and throughout the seasons.

  12. Multi-model Projection of July-August Climate Extreme Changes over China under CO2 Doubling. Part Ⅰ:Precipitation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LI Hongmei; FENG Lei; ZHOU Tianjun

    2011-01-01

    Potential changes in precipitation extremes in July-August over China in response to CO2 doubling are analyzed based on the output of 24 coupled climate models from the Twentieth-Century Climate in Coupled Models (20C3M) experiment and the 1% per year CO2 increase experiment (to doubling) (lpctto2x) of phase 3 of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP3). Evaluation of the models' performance in simulating the mean state shows that the majority of models fairly reproduce the broad spatial pattern of observed precipitation. However, all the models underestimate extreme precipitation by ~50%. The spread among the models over the Tibetan Plateau is ~2-3 times larger than that over the other areas.Models with higher resolution generally perform better than those with lower resolutions in terms of spatial pattern and precipitation amount. Under the lpctto2x scenario, the ratio between the absolute value of MME extreme precipitation change and model spread is larger than that of total precipitation, indicating a relatively robust change of extremes. The change of extreme precipitation is more homogeneous than the total precipitation. Analysis on the output of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory coupled climate model version 2.1 (GFDL-CM2.1) indicates that the spatially consistent increase of surface temperature and water vapor content contribute to the large increase of extreme precipitation over contiguous China,which follows the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship. Whereas, the meridionally tri-polar pattern of mean precipitation change over eastern China is dominated by the change of water vapor convergence, which is determined by the response of monsoon circulation to global warming.

  13. A community-wide intercomparison exercise for the determination of dissolved iron in seawater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bowie, A.R.; Achterberg, E.P.; Croot, P.l.; de Baar, H.J.W.; Laan, P.; Moffett, J.W; Ussher, S.; Worsfold, P.J.

    2006-01-01

    The first large-scale international intercomparison of analytical methods for the determination of dissolved iron in seawater was carried out between October 2000 and December 2002. The exercise was conducted as a rigorously "blind" comparison of 7 analytical techniques by 24 international

  14. Results obtained in the intercomparison of dosimetry systems Total body organized by In 2012, the European Group for radiation dosimetry (EURADOS) has organized an intercomparison of systems; Resultados obtenidos en la intercomparacion de sistemas dosimetricos de cuerpo entero organizada pro Eurados (IC2012)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casal Zamorano, E.; Soriano Cruz, A.; Alabau Albors, J.; Palma Copete, J. D.

    2013-07-01

    dosimetric full-length for photons, within the action on {sup h}armonization of the monitoring Individual of the radiation External{sup e}stablished by the group. 88 dosimetric systems, 75 30 institutions have participated in the intercomparison countries. Each participant has sent a group of 26 dosimeters which have been irradiated with various doses and radiation qualities. The overall results of the intercomparison were presented recently (1). This communication presents the results obtained by our Center. EURADOS (IC2012). (Author)

  15. Canadian snow and sea ice: historical trends and projections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudryk, Lawrence R.; Derksen, Chris; Howell, Stephen; Laliberté, Fred; Thackeray, Chad; Sospedra-Alfonso, Reinel; Vionnet, Vincent; Kushner, Paul J.; Brown, Ross

    2018-04-01

    The Canadian Sea Ice and Snow Evolution (CanSISE) Network is a climate research network focused on developing and applying state of the art observational data to advance dynamical prediction, projections, and understanding of seasonal snow cover and sea ice in Canada and the circumpolar Arctic. Here, we present an assessment from the CanSISE Network on trends in the historical record of snow cover (fraction, water equivalent) and sea ice (area, concentration, type, and thickness) across Canada. We also assess projected changes in snow cover and sea ice likely to occur by mid-century, as simulated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) suite of Earth system models. The historical datasets show that the fraction of Canadian land and marine areas covered by snow and ice is decreasing over time, with seasonal and regional variability in the trends consistent with regional differences in surface temperature trends. In particular, summer sea ice cover has decreased significantly across nearly all Canadian marine regions, and the rate of multi-year ice loss in the Beaufort Sea and Canadian Arctic Archipelago has nearly doubled over the last 8 years. The multi-model consensus over the 2020-2050 period shows reductions in fall and spring snow cover fraction and sea ice concentration of 5-10 % per decade (or 15-30 % in total), with similar reductions in winter sea ice concentration in both Hudson Bay and eastern Canadian waters. Peak pre-melt terrestrial snow water equivalent reductions of up to 10 % per decade (30 % in total) are projected across southern Canada.

  16. Development of a transfer instrument for neutron dosimetry intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greene, D.; Miles, J.

    1974-01-01

    Comparisons are reported for fast neutron dosemeters which were designed to be transportable so as to enable intercomparisons between institutions using neutrons for radiotherapy or radiobiology. The systems considered are : 1) the ferrous sulphate dosemeter, 2) the lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosemeter, 3) ionization chambers with various walls and gases. Work on photographic film dosimetry indicated that the system was not suitable and was not pursued. The sources used were 60 Co, the cyclotron at Hammersmith Hospital in London and 252 Cf

  17. Constrained bayesian inference of project performance models

    OpenAIRE

    Sunmola, Funlade

    2013-01-01

    Project performance models play an important role in the management of project success. When used for monitoring projects, they can offer predictive ability such as indications of possible delivery problems. Approaches for monitoring project performance relies on available project information including restrictions imposed on the project, particularly the constraints of cost, quality, scope and time. We study in this paper a Bayesian inference methodology for project performance modelling in ...

  18. Intercomparison of model simulations of mixed-phase clouds observed during the ARM Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment. Part I: Single layer cloud

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, Stephen A.; McCoy, Renata B.; Morrison, Hugh; Ackerman, Andrew S.; Avramov, Alexander; de Boer, Gijs; Chen, Mingxuan; Cole, Jason N.S.; Del Genio, Anthony D.; Falk, Michael; Foster, Michael J.; Fridlind, Ann; Golaz, Jean-Christophe; Hashino, Tempei; Harrington, Jerry Y.; Hoose, Corinna; Khairoutdinov, Marat F.; Larson, Vincent E.; Liu, Xiaohong; Luo, Yali; McFarquhar, Greg M.; Menon, Surabi; Neggers, Roel A. J.; Park, Sungsu; Poellot, Michael R.; Schmidt, Jerome M.; Sednev, Igor; Shipway, Ben J.; Shupe, Matthew D.; Spangenberg, Douglas A.; Sud, Yogesh C.; Turner, David D.; Veron, Dana E.; von Salzen, Knut; Walker, Gregory K.; Wang, Zhien; Wolf, Audrey B.; Xie, Shaocheng; Xu, Kuan-Man; Yang, Fanglin; Zhang, Gong

    2009-02-02

    Results are presented from an intercomparison of single-column and cloud-resolving model simulations of a cold-air outbreak mixed-phase stratocumulus cloud observed during the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment. The observed cloud occurred in a well-mixed boundary layer with a cloud top temperature of -15 C. The observed average liquid water path of around 160 g m{sup -2} was about two-thirds of the adiabatic value and much greater than the average mass of ice crystal precipitation which when integrated from the surface to cloud top was around 15 g m{sup -2}. The simulations were performed by seventeen single-column models (SCMs) and nine cloud-resolving models (CRMs). While the simulated ice water path is generally consistent with the observed values, the median SCM and CRM liquid water path is a factor of three smaller than observed. Results from a sensitivity study in which models removed ice microphysics suggest that in many models the interaction between liquid and ice-phase microphysics is responsible for the large model underestimate of liquid water path. Despite this general underestimate, the simulated liquid and ice water paths of several models are consistent with the observed values. Furthermore, there is evidence that models with more sophisticated microphysics simulate liquid and ice water paths that are in better agreement with the observed values, although considerable scatter is also present. Although no single factor guarantees a good simulation, these results emphasize the need for improvement in the model representation of mixed-phase microphysics.

  19. Intercomparison of radiation protection devices in a high-energy stray neutron field. Part III: Instrument response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silari, M.; Agosteo, S.; Beck, P.; Bedogni, R.; Cale, E.; Caresana, M.; Domingo, C.; Donadille, L.; Dubourg, N.; Esposito, A.; Fehrenbacher, G.; Fernandez, F.; Ferrarini, M.; Fiechtner, A.; Fuchs, A.; Garcia, M.J.; Golnik, N.; Gutermuth, F.; Khurana, S.; Klages, Th.

    2009-01-01

    The European Commission has funded within its 6th Framework Programme a three-year project (2005-2007) called CONRAD, COordinated Network for RAdiation Dosimetry. The organizational framework for this project was provided by the European radiation Dosimetry Group EURADOS. Work Package 6 of CONRAD dealt with 'complex mixed radiation fields at workplaces' and in this context it organised a benchmark exercise, which included both measurements and calculations, in a stray radiation field at a high-energy particle accelerator at GSI, Germany. The aim was to intercompare the response of several types of active detectors and passive dosemeters in a well-characterised workplace field. The Monte Carlo simulations of the radiation field and the experimental determination of the neutron spectra with various Bonner Sphere Spectrometers are discussed in Rollet et al. (2008) and in Wiegel et al. (2008). This paper focuses on the intercomparison of the response of the dosemeters in terms of ambient dose equivalent. The paper describes in detail the detectors employed in the experiment, followed by a discussion of the results. A comparison is also made with the H*(10) values predicted by the Monte Carlo simulations and those measured by the BSS systems.

  20. TransCom 3 CO{sub 2} inversion intercomparison: 2. Sensitivity of annual mean results to data choices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Law, Rachel M. [CSIRO Atmospheric Research, Aspendale, VIC (Australia); Yu-Han Chen [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science; Gurney, Kevin R. [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric Science; Baker, D. (TRANSCOM-3 Modelers) (and others)

    2003-04-01

    TransCom 3 is an intercomparison project for CO{sub 2} source inversions. Annual mean CO{sub 2} concentration data are used to estimate CO{sub 2} sources using 16 different atmospheric transport models. Here we test the sensitivity of the inversion to the concentration data. We examine data network choice, time period of data, baseline data selection and the choice of data uncertainty used. We find that in most cases regional source estimates lie within the source uncertainty range of the control inversion. This indicates that the estimated sources are relatively insensitive to the changes in data that were tested. In the data network tests, only the Australian region source estimates varied over a much larger range than that given by the control case uncertainty estimate. For the other regions, the sensitivity to data network was within or close to the uncertainty range. Most of the sensitivity was found to be associated with a small number of sites (e.g. Darwin, Easter Island). These sites are often identified by the inability of the inversion to fit the data at these locations. The model-mean inversion values are mostly insensitive to the time period of data used, with the exception of temperate North America and the tropical Indian ocean. Data selection has a small impact on source estimates for the mean across models, but individual model sensitivity can be large. The magnitude of data uncertainties controls the relative magnitude of the estimated source uncertainty and the spread in model source estimates. Smaller data uncertainties lead to larger differences in source estimates between models. Overall, the data sensitivity tests performed here support the robustness of the control inversion source estimates presented in Gurney et al. (2003. Tellus 55B, this issue). The test results also provide guidance in setting up and interpreting other inversions.