CDTT2013 - Marine heatwave assessment metrics for the New Zealand Earth System Model

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Title: CDTT2013 - Marine heatwave assessment metrics for the New Zealand Earth System Model

Description: • Global agreement with the UKESM: Much global climate model assessment research is at the 50-100km scale. The nested ocean model in the NZESM however can resolve features such as eddies at a scale of roughly 20km. Considering this, we must confirm that the NZESM gives results which agree with global models when assessed over large regions. Regional results around Aotearoa New Zealand will certainly differ but the global picture over long periods must broadly agree, e.g. with respect to global mean warming. The ongoing ability to work with the world leading (and large) ocean model development team at the Met Office is essential for this work. • Understanding marine heatwaves in a warming climate: The seas around Aotearoa New Zealand are warming fast (e.g. NIWA's sea surface temperature update, January 2019). The NZESM’s ability to examine them in high resolution whilst also assessing their effect on global climate in a coupled model is unique. Therefore, as well as developing regional ocean metrics, I will also work with the global atmosphere model developers at the Met Office to examine global impacts. This fits squarely within our remit to ‘[u]nderstand the future impact of potential climate change, extremes and vulnerability’. (NIWA’s Statement of Corporate Intent 2018-19, page 25).

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