Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology: HD(CP)² - cloud-resolving simulation over Germany through ICON HighRes

It has been a long-standing question whether climate change can be traced back to human activities. In order to answer it more precisely and to identify possible future developments more reliably, it is necessary to understand the underlying physical processes in even greater detail.

Processes associated with the formation of clouds and precipitation play a major role in the climate system. The global and regional distribution of clouds and precipitation determines which regions are habitable, and which are not, or where agriculture can be successful, and where not. For answering such questions, the overall target of the BMBF project HD(CP)² is improving the general understanding of cloud and precipitation processes and implications for climate projections.

This video shows one of many simulations performed by scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum within the framework of the BMBF-funded project “HD(CP)² - High Definition Clouds and Precipitation for Advancing Climate Prediction”.

A special cloud-resolving version of the atmosphere model ICON, a joint development of Germany´s National Meteorological Service (DWD) and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, was used for this purpose. The calculations were performed on the “Mistral” high-performance computer of the German Climate Computing Center (DKRZ). The visualizations and the video editing were also performed at DKRZ.

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