Implementation and Evaluation of Emission‐Driven Land‐Atmosphere Coupled Simulation in E3SMv2.1.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Implementation and Evaluation of Emission‐Driven Land‐Atmosphere Coupled Simulation in E3SMv2.1.
Authors: Feng, Sha1 (AUTHOR) sfeng@pnnl.gov, Harrop, Bryce E.1 (AUTHOR), Ricciuto, Daniel M.2 (AUTHOR), Burrows, Susannah M.1 (AUTHOR), Zhu, Qing3 (AUTHOR), Lin, Wuyin4 (AUTHOR), Collier, Nathan2 (AUTHOR), Bond‐Lamberty, Ben1 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Chengzhu5 (AUTHOR), Forsyth, Ryan M.5 (AUTHOR), Wolfe, Jonathan D.3,6 (AUTHOR), Shi, Xiaoying2 (AUTHOR), Thornton, Peter E.2 (AUTHOR), Takano, Yohei6,7 (AUTHOR), Maltrud, Mathew E.6 (AUTHOR), Singh, Balwinder1 (AUTHOR), Fang, Yilin1 (AUTHOR), Holm, Jennifer A.3 (AUTHOR), Jeffery, Nicole6 (AUTHOR), Leung, L. Ruby1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems. Dec2025, Vol. 17 Issue 12, p1-36. 36p.
Subject Terms: *Biogeochemistry, *Climate feedbacks, *Atmospheric carbon dioxide, *Greenhouse gases, Land-atmosphere interactions, Comparative studies, Atmospheric models
Abstract: Emissions‐driven (prognostic CO2) simulations are essential for representing two‐way carbon‐climate feedback in Earth System Models. We present an emissions‐driven land–atmosphere coupled biogeochemistry (BGC) configuration (BGCLNDATM_progCO2) in version 2.1 of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SMv2.1). This is the first E3SM configuration that performs land‐atmosphere emission‐hindcasts. Here, we document its implementation, evaluate the model's performance against observations and other models, and propose a structured evaluation protocol for such emissions‐driven simulations. We conducted transient historical simulations (1850–2014) with BGCLNDATM_progCO2 and compare them to reference simulations—a land‐atmosphere coupled simulation without BGC and a standalone land simulation with BGC, both using prescribed CO2 concentrations—and to observations. BGCLNDATM_progCO2 overestimates atmospheric CO2 concentrations by 11–23 ppm yet stays within the 40‐ppm spread CMIP6 emission‐driven models and retains physical climate properties comparable to the reference runs. The CO2 biases are partly attributed to underrepresented oceanic CO2 uptake and inadequate representations of some terrestrial processes. In general, introducing prognostic CO2 did not change physical climate metrics at the global scale but had larger regional effects, particularly over land where spatially heterogeneous CO2 and prognostic leaf area index influenced surface energy balance. Finally, we propose a general evaluation protocol including spin‐up assessment, atmospheric CO2 benchmarking, physical climate evaluation, and land biogeochemical analysis to support scientific rigor and facilitate inter‐model comparisons. The new configuration lays the groundwork for future enhancements, including improved terrestrial biogeochemical processes, integrated marine biogeochemistry, and additional human–Earth system interactions. These developments advance E3SM toward fully coupled emissions‐driven simulations, enabling more accurate carbon–climate feedback projections and informing mitigation policy by providing physically consistent carbon‐budget metrics for mitigation scenarios. Plain Language Summary: Understanding the impact of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on climate is vital for predicting future changes and crafting effective policies. Earth System Models (ESMs) are essential tools for simulating Earth's climate and assessing various influencing factors. In this study, we extended the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM)'s capabilities so that CO2 levels are calculated directly from human and natural emissions instead of being prescribed as a single global value. This extension allows for a more realistic representation of CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and land. We conducted historical simulations from 1850 to 2014 using this new development and compared results with observations and other models. Our model slightly overestimates atmospheric CO2 levels compared to measurements but is comparable to other models in capturing key climate features. To help other researchers build and test similar "emission‐driven" models, we created a step‐by‐step evaluation framework that checks CO2 behavior, climate variables, and land‐atmosphere interactions. Our work advances E3SM modeling by accurately representing how CO2 emissions affect Earth's systems. This enhancement lays the groundwork for modeling interactions between human‐Earth interactions, thereby enabling future studies that can inform mitigation and adaption. Key Points: Implemented emissions‐driven land–atmosphere biogeochemistry in E3SMv2.1 (BGCLNDATM_progCO2), enabling prognostic CO2 simulationsEstablished a structured evaluation protocol ensuring scientific rigor and facilitating inter‐model comparisons of model performanceEmissions‐driven BGCLNDATM_progCO2 simulations maintain a physical climate similar to reference runs with prescribed CO2 concentrations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: GreenFILE
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: 8gh
DbLabel: GreenFILE
An: 190473107
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Implementation and Evaluation of Emission‐Driven Land‐Atmosphere Coupled Simulation in E3SMv2.1.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Feng%2C+Sha%22">Feng, Sha</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> sfeng@pnnl.gov</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Harrop%2C+Bryce+E%2E%22">Harrop, Bryce E.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ricciuto%2C+Daniel+M%2E%22">Ricciuto, Daniel M.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Burrows%2C+Susannah+M%2E%22">Burrows, Susannah M.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhu%2C+Qing%22">Zhu, Qing</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lin%2C+Wuyin%22">Lin, Wuyin</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Collier%2C+Nathan%22">Collier, Nathan</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bond‐Lamberty%2C+Ben%22">Bond‐Lamberty, Ben</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Chengzhu%22">Zhang, Chengzhu</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Forsyth%2C+Ryan+M%2E%22">Forsyth, Ryan M.</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wolfe%2C+Jonathan+D%2E%22">Wolfe, Jonathan D.</searchLink><relatesTo>3,6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shi%2C+Xiaoying%22">Shi, Xiaoying</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thornton%2C+Peter+E%2E%22">Thornton, Peter E.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Takano%2C+Yohei%22">Takano, Yohei</searchLink><relatesTo>6,7</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maltrud%2C+Mathew+E%2E%22">Maltrud, Mathew E.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Singh%2C+Balwinder%22">Singh, Balwinder</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fang%2C+Yilin%22">Fang, Yilin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Holm%2C+Jennifer+A%2E%22">Holm, Jennifer A.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeffery%2C+Nicole%22">Jeffery, Nicole</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leung%2C+L%2E+Ruby%22">Leung, L. Ruby</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Advances+in+Modeling+Earth+Systems%22">Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 17 Issue 12, p1-36. 36p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biogeochemistry%22">Biogeochemistry</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+feedbacks%22">Climate feedbacks</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Atmospheric+carbon+dioxide%22">Atmospheric carbon dioxide</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Greenhouse+gases%22">Greenhouse gases</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Land-atmosphere+interactions%22">Land-atmosphere interactions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+studies%22">Comparative studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Atmospheric+models%22">Atmospheric models</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Emissions‐driven (prognostic CO2) simulations are essential for representing two‐way carbon‐climate feedback in Earth System Models. We present an emissions‐driven land–atmosphere coupled biogeochemistry (BGC) configuration (BGCLNDATM_progCO2) in version 2.1 of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SMv2.1). This is the first E3SM configuration that performs land‐atmosphere emission‐hindcasts. Here, we document its implementation, evaluate the model's performance against observations and other models, and propose a structured evaluation protocol for such emissions‐driven simulations. We conducted transient historical simulations (1850–2014) with BGCLNDATM_progCO2 and compare them to reference simulations—a land‐atmosphere coupled simulation without BGC and a standalone land simulation with BGC, both using prescribed CO2 concentrations—and to observations. BGCLNDATM_progCO2 overestimates atmospheric CO2 concentrations by 11–23 ppm yet stays within the 40‐ppm spread CMIP6 emission‐driven models and retains physical climate properties comparable to the reference runs. The CO2 biases are partly attributed to underrepresented oceanic CO2 uptake and inadequate representations of some terrestrial processes. In general, introducing prognostic CO2 did not change physical climate metrics at the global scale but had larger regional effects, particularly over land where spatially heterogeneous CO2 and prognostic leaf area index influenced surface energy balance. Finally, we propose a general evaluation protocol including spin‐up assessment, atmospheric CO2 benchmarking, physical climate evaluation, and land biogeochemical analysis to support scientific rigor and facilitate inter‐model comparisons. The new configuration lays the groundwork for future enhancements, including improved terrestrial biogeochemical processes, integrated marine biogeochemistry, and additional human–Earth system interactions. These developments advance E3SM toward fully coupled emissions‐driven simulations, enabling more accurate carbon–climate feedback projections and informing mitigation policy by providing physically consistent carbon‐budget metrics for mitigation scenarios. Plain Language Summary: Understanding the impact of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on climate is vital for predicting future changes and crafting effective policies. Earth System Models (ESMs) are essential tools for simulating Earth's climate and assessing various influencing factors. In this study, we extended the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM)'s capabilities so that CO2 levels are calculated directly from human and natural emissions instead of being prescribed as a single global value. This extension allows for a more realistic representation of CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and land. We conducted historical simulations from 1850 to 2014 using this new development and compared results with observations and other models. Our model slightly overestimates atmospheric CO2 levels compared to measurements but is comparable to other models in capturing key climate features. To help other researchers build and test similar "emission‐driven" models, we created a step‐by‐step evaluation framework that checks CO2 behavior, climate variables, and land‐atmosphere interactions. Our work advances E3SM modeling by accurately representing how CO2 emissions affect Earth's systems. This enhancement lays the groundwork for modeling interactions between human‐Earth interactions, thereby enabling future studies that can inform mitigation and adaption. Key Points: Implemented emissions‐driven land–atmosphere biogeochemistry in E3SMv2.1 (BGCLNDATM_progCO2), enabling prognostic CO2 simulationsEstablished a structured evaluation protocol ensuring scientific rigor and facilitating inter‐model comparisons of model performanceEmissions‐driven BGCLNDATM_progCO2 simulations maintain a physical climate similar to reference runs with prescribed CO2 concentrations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=8gh&AN=190473107
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1029/2025MS005099
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 36
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Biogeochemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate feedbacks
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Atmospheric carbon dioxide
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Greenhouse gases
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Land-atmosphere interactions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Atmospheric models
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Implementation and Evaluation of Emission‐Driven Land‐Atmosphere Coupled Simulation in E3SMv2.1.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Feng, Sha
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Harrop, Bryce E.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ricciuto, Daniel M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Burrows, Susannah M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Zhu, Qing
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lin, Wuyin
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Collier, Nathan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bond‐Lamberty, Ben
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Zhang, Chengzhu
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Forsyth, Ryan M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Wolfe, Jonathan D.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Shi, Xiaoying
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Thornton, Peter E.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Takano, Yohei
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Maltrud, Mathew E.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Singh, Balwinder
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Fang, Yilin
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Holm, Jennifer A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jeffery, Nicole
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Leung, L. Ruby
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Text: Dec2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 19422466
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 17
            – Type: issue
              Value: 12
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
              Type: main
ResultId 1