Improving Model Processes for African Climate - IMPALA

Lead Research Organisation: University of Oxford
Department Name: Geography - SoGE

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Planned Impact

IMPALA research will have significant impact locally, nationally and regionally in Africa as well as globally via the following beneficiaries and pathways.
FCFA Regional Consortia adaptation and impacts researchers and regional climate information providers will have direct access to new scientific understanding on, and improved simulations of, African climate variability and change via inclusion in the established Africa-focused process evaluation group (PEG). CP4-Africa climate change simulations will be disseminated through the NERC JASMIN data cluster for regional consortia to test multi-model projection robustness in key stakeholder-relevant local processes and extremes often poorly represented in coarser resolution models.
Model development Scientists in Africa: The 5 African model evaluation and development scientists in IMPALA will make extended visits to the Met Office focused on MetUM evaluation, development and training. They and their institutes will be offered the opportunity to install MetUM technical infrastructure and support for its configuration and application, developing local and regional expertise which is currently in very limited supply.
Policymakers: Policy briefings on improved reliability of model predictions relevant to climate resilience and adaptation planning across Africa will be delivered to UK Government through DFID and, via the Met Office Hadley Centre Knowledge Integration team, DECC. Internationally they will be communicated to the Conferences of the Parties and the Nairobi Work Programme of the UNFCCC and IPCC through active engagement in its scientific assessments and special reports. Close contact will be maintained with the African Climate Policy Centre and the African Development Bank.
People and communities in Africa and beyond: The ultimate beneficiaries of the research will be people of sub-Saharan Africa and IMPALA scientists will work with the CCKE Unit to assist in generating cross-programme outputs, e.g. material demonstrating improved capability to assess risks of key agriculture-relevant rainfall events, for their user training workshops and interactions with other DFID programmes and broader capacity development and adaptation activities.
Operational weather, seasonal forecasting and climate service capability in Africa: IMPALA model developments will imply improved representation of processes important for short-range to seasonal forecasting. With the MetUM being used across all timescales these developments will rapidly deliver improved weather and seasonal forecasts relevant to existing severe weather to seasonal forecasting activities the Met Office is already feeding directly into as well as to future programmes such as SHEAR funded by DFID.

Publications

10 25 50

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Watson-Parris D (2019) In situ constraints on the vertical distribution of global aerosol in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

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Spavins-Hicks Z (2021) The Limpopo Low-Level Jet: Mean Climatology and Role in Water Vapor Transport in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

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James R (2018) Evaluating Climate Models with an African Lens in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

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Crowhurst D (2020) Evaluation of Evaporation Climatology for the Congo Basin Wet Seasons in 11 Global Climate Models in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

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Creese A (2016) Using qflux to constrain modeled Congo Basin rainfall in the CMIP5 ensemble in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

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Caton Harrison T (2019) A 14-Year Climatology of Saharan Dust Emission Mechanisms Inferred From Automatically Tracked Plumes in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

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Caton Harrison T (2021) Influence of Orography Upon Summertime Low-Level Jet Dust Emission in the Central and Western Sahara in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

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Caton Harrison T (2021) Satellite-Derived Characteristics of Saharan Cold Pool Outflows During Boreal Summer in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

 
Description Evaluation of Met Office climate model for four key regions in Africa. Discovered some first-order errors in the models and possible reasons for them. Also identified elements of the model that perform well. Have argued that the basic method of involving African partners in evaluation of the climate model over Africa is essential.
Exploitation Route Model developers at the Met Office take forward the detailed assessment by region of the model performance.
Sectors Aerospace

Defence and Marine

Agriculture

Food and Drink

Education

 
Description The system will only let me submit this report if I answer yes to this question. So I have answered yes to this question.
 
Description NERC Capital grant
Amount £200,000 (GBP)
Organisation Natural Environment Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description Broadcast and Media article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact BBC World Service broadcast and coupled BBC website article
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-50726701
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-50726701
 
Description Contrbution to TV documentary on drought 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Advised an ITN documentary on drought in Africa. Was interviewed about African drought and climate as part of the documentary.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017