The African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis land surface model inter-comparison project (ALMIP): Applications in coupled model studies

There is evidence that the land surface influences the variability of the West African Monsoon (WAM) over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. A high priority goal of the AMMA project is to better understand and model the influence of the variability of surface processes on the atmospheric circulation patterns and the regional water cycle related to the West African Monsoon. This issue is being addressed under the auspices of the AMMA Land surface Model Inter-comparison Project (ALMIP). An ensemble of state-of-the-art land surface models have been forced at the regional scale with the best quality and highest (space and time) resolution data available in order to better understand the key processes and their corresponding scales.

ALMIP is an ongoing project, and in this talk a summary of the first phase of ALMIP is given. First, a brief overview of the experimental design and different forcing datasets is presented, along with highlights from several regional scale model evaluation efforts. Next, a summary of various coupled land-atmosphere model initiation and evaluation efforts using ALMIP outputs are presented from the mesoscale to the regional scale. In particular, evaluations of fully coupled global and regional climate model land surface simulations from the West African Monsoon Modeling and Evaluation (WAMME) project are presented. Finally, perspectives for ALMIP Phase 2 will be given, which will examine the ability of the land surface models to capture key processes related to near surface hydrology, sub-surface transfers of energy and water, surface atmosphere transfers and vegetation on the mesoscale to local scales.