---
title: NICAM
---
(NICAM-DYAMOND-SUMMER)=
# NICAM

## Model description

NICAM is a non-hydrostatic icosahedral atmospheric model ([Tomita and Satoh, 2004](http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1016/j.fluiddyn.2004.03.003/meta)) with an explicit cloud microphysics scheme. The configuration used in the DYAMOND project is similar to that described by [Kodama et al., 2015](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/93/4/93_2015-024/_article).

**Contact:**  
[Ryosuke Shibuya](mailto:shibuyar@jamstec.go.jp) and [Chihiro Kodama](mailto:kodamac@jamstec.go.jp), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), JP

## Data structure

### Vertical
The number of vertical levels is 78, with increasing interval from the ground to the model top [csv]](nicam_zsdef78).

### Horizontal
The horizontal grid spacing in the experiments was set to 3.5 km (GL11), 7.0 km (GL10), and 14 km (GL09).

## Data access

Output variables are listed below (see the [namelist file](NICAM_nhm_driver_hist_nicamdef.cnf) for technical details).

### Land output, Output Interval: PT03H

| Variable  | Description         | Type     |
|-----------|---------------------|----------|
| ll_tg     | soil temperature    | Average  |
| ll_wg     | soil moisture       | Average  |
| ll_snw    | snow amount         | Average  |
| ll_lai    | leaf area index     | Average  |
| ll_rof    | total runoff        | Average  |
| ll_rofl   | runoff from each land layer | Average |
| ll_rofs   | runoff by saturation excess | Average |
| ll_rofi   | runoff by infiltration excess | Average |
| ll_rofo   | runoff by surface storage overflow | Average |
| ll_rofb   | runoff from base    | Average  |
| ll_tg     | soil temperature    | Snapshot |
| ll_wg     | soil moisture       | Snapshot |
| ll_snw    | snow amount         | Snapshot |

### Ocean output, Output Interval: PT15M

| Variable   | Description                | Type    |
|------------|----------------------------|---------|
| ol_sst     | sea surface temperature    | Average |
| ol_ice     | sea ice mass               | Average |
| ol_snow    | snow on sea ice            | Average |
| ol_ist     | sea ice skin temperature   | Average |
| ol_icr     | sea ice concentration      | Average |
| ol_gflx_adj| Q-flux                     | Average |

### ISCCP output, Output Interval: PT03H

| Variable    | Description           | Type     |
|-------------|-----------------------|----------|
| dfq_isccp2  | ISCCP cloud fraction  | Average  |
| dfq_isccp2  | ISCCP cloud fraction  | Snapshot |

### 3D snapshot data, Output Interval: PT03H

| Variable | Description                    | Type     |
|----------|--------------------------------|----------|
| ms_dh    | diabatic heating rate          | Snapshot |
| ms_u     | velocity u                     | Snapshot |
| ms_v     | velocity v                     | Snapshot |
| ms_w     | velocity w                     | Snapshot |
| ms_tem   | temperature                    | Snapshot |
| ms_qv    | specific humidity              | Snapshot |
| ms_rh    | relative humidity              | Snapshot |
| ms_pres  | pressure                       | Snapshot |
| ms_qc    | specific cloud water content   | Snapshot |
| ms_qr    | specific rain water content    | Snapshot |
| ms_qi    | specific cloud ice content     | Snapshot |
| ms_qs    | specific snow content          | Snapshot |
| ms_qg    | specific graupel content       | Snapshot |
| ms_lwhr  | diabatic heating rate by LW    | Snapshot |
| ms_swhr  | diabatic heating rate by SW    | Snapshot |

### 2D average output, Output Interval: PT15M

| Variable        | Description                                 | Type    |
|-----------------|---------------------------------------------|---------|
| sl_cld_frac     | cloud fraction                              | Average |
| sl_cldi         | ice water path                              | Average |
| sl_cldw         | liquid water path                           | Average |
| sl_evap         | evaporation                                 | Average |
| sl_slp          | mean sea level pressure                     | Average |
| sl_slp_ecmwf    | mean sea level pressure (ECMWF)             | Average |
| sl_q2m          | specific humidity at 2m                     | Average |
| sl_t2m          | temperature at 2m                           | Average |
| sl_tem_atm      | mass weighted atmospheric temperature        | Average |
| sl_tem_sfc      | skin temperature                            | Average |
| sl_u10m         | velocity u at 10m                           | Average |
| sl_v10m         | velocity v at 10m                           | Average |
| sl_vap_atm      | precipitable water                          | Average |
| sl_tppn         | precipitation                               | Average |
| sl_lwd_toa      | downward LW at TOA                          | Average |
| sl_lwu_toa      | upward LW at TOA                            | Average |
| sl_lwu_toa_c    | upward LW (clear sky) at TOA                | Average |
| sl_swd_toa      | downward SW at TOA                          | Average |
| sl_swu_toa      | upward SW at TOA                            | Average |
| sl_swu_toa_c    | upward SW (clear sky) at TOA                | Average |
| sl_lwd_sfc      | downward LW at the surface                  | Average |
| sl_lwu_sfc      | upward LW at the surface                    | Average |
| sl_swd_sfc      | downward SW at the surface                  | Average |
| sl_swu_sfc      | upward SW at the surface                    | Average |
| sl_lwd_sfc_c    | downward LW (clear sky) at the surface      | Average |
| sl_lwu_sfc_c    | upward LW (clear sky) at the surface        | Average |
| sl_swd_sfc_c    | downward SW (clear sky) at the surface      | Average |
| sl_swu_sfc_c    | upward SW (clear sky) at the surface        | Average |
| sl_lh_sfc       | latent heat flux                            | Average |
| sl_sh_sfc       | sensible heat flux                          | Average |
| sl_tppn_energy  | other energy flux due to precipitation      | Average |
| sl_evap_energy  | other energy flux due to evaporation        | Average |
| sl_albedo       | surface albedo (inc. scattering)            | Average |
| sl_tauu         | surface stress in the longitudinal direction| Average |
| sl_tauv         | surface stress in the latitudinal direction | Average |

### 2D snapshots, Output Interval: PT15M

| Variable        | Description                                 | Type     |
|-----------------|---------------------------------------------|----------|
| sl_tppn         | precipitation                               | Snapshot |
| sl_cldi         | ice water path                              | Snapshot |
| sl_cldw         | liquid water path                           | Snapshot |
| sl_evap         | evaporation                                 | Snapshot |
| sl_slp          | mean sea level pressure                     | Snapshot |
| sl_slp_ecmwf    | mean sea level pressure (ECMWF)             | Snapshot |
| sl_q2m          | specific humidity at 2m                     | Snapshot |
| sl_t2m          | temperature at 2m                           | Snapshot |
| sl_tem_sfc      | skin temperature                            | Snapshot |
| sl_u10m         | velocity u at 10m                           | Snapshot |
| sl_v10m         | velocity v at 10m                           | Snapshot |
| sl_vap_atm      | precipitable water                          | Snapshot |
| sl_lwu_toa      | upward LW at TOA                            | Snapshot |
| sl_lwu_toa_c    | upward LW (clear sky) at TOA                | Snapshot |
| sl_swd_toa      | downward SW at TOA                          | Snapshot |
| sl_swu_toa      | upward SW at TOA                            | Snapshot |
| sl_swu_toa_c    | upward SW (clear sky) at TOA                | Snapshot |
| sl_lwd_sfc      | downward LW at the surface                  | Snapshot |
| sl_lwu_sfc      | upward LW at the surface                    | Snapshot |
| sl_swd_sfc      | downward SW at the surface                  | Snapshot |
| sl_swu_sfc      | upward SW at the surface                    | Snapshot |
| sl_lwd_sfc_c    | downward LW (clear sky) at the surface      | Snapshot |
| sl_lwu_sfc_c    | upward LW (clear sky) at the surface        | Snapshot |
| sl_swd_sfc_c    | downward SW (clear sky) at the surface      | Snapshot |
| sl_swu_sfc_c    | upward SW (clear sky) at the surface        | Snapshot |
| sl_lh_sfc       | latent heat flux                            | Snapshot |
| sl_sh_sfc       | sensible heat flux                          | Snapshot |
| sl_taucl        | optical depth of liquid water               | Snapshot |
| sl_tauci        | optical depth of ice water                  | Snapshot |
| sl_tauc         | optical depth of cloud water                | Snapshot |
| sl_taur         | optical depth of rain water                 | Snapshot |
| sl_taui         | optical depth of cloud ice                  | Snapshot |
| sl_taus         | optical depth of snow                       | Snapshot |
| sl_taug         | optical depth of graupel                    | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo       | surface albedo (incl. scattering)           | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo_sfc   | surface albedo (direct, vis)                | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo_sfc2  | surface albedo (direct, nir)                | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo_sfc3  | surface albedo (direct, ir)                 | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo_sfc4  | surface albedo (diffuse, vis)               | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo_sfc5  | surface albedo (diffuse, nir)               | Snapshot |
| sl_albedo_sfc6  | surface albedo (diffuse, ir)                | Snapshot |

## Initialisation and Boundary conditions

### Soil Initialisation
Initial soil data are derived from the equilibrium state in the climatological run by NICAM with a coarser resolution.

### Input Data, SST and Sea Ice
Same as the description for {ref}`ICON-DYAMOND-SUMMER`.