Analysis of finite-volume transport schemes on cubed-sphere grids and an accurate scheme for divergent winds

Abstract

The cubed-sphere finite-volume dynamical core (FV3), developed by GFDL-NOAA-USA, serves as the dynamical core for many models worldwide. In 2019, it was officially designated as the dynamical core for the new Global Forecast System of the National Weather Service in the USA, replacing the spectral model. The finite-volume approach employed by FV3 to solve horizontal dynamics involves the application of transport finite-volume fluxes for different variables. Hence, the transport scheme plays a key role in the model. Therefore, this work proposes to revisit the details of the transport scheme of FV3 with the aim of adding enhancements. We proposed modifications to the FV3 transport scheme, which notably enhanced accuracy, particularly in the presence of divergent winds, as evidenced by numerical experiments. In contrast to the FV3 scheme's first-order accuracy in the presence of divergent winds, the proposed scheme achieves second-order accuracy. For divergence-free winds, both schemes are second-order, with our scheme being slightly more accurate. Additionally, the proposed scheme exhibits slight computational overhead but is easily implemented in the current code. In summary, the proposed scheme offers significant improvements in accuracy, particularly in the presence of divergent winds, which are present in various atmospheric phenomena, while maintaining computational efficiency.