Validation Study of the CAPS Model Land Surface Scheme Using the 1987 Cabauw/PILPS Dataset

Abstract

An updated complete and comprehensive description of the land surface parameterization scheme in the Coupled Atmosphere–Plant–Soil (CAPS) model is presented. The CAPS model has been in development at Oregon State University and Phillips Laboratory since 1981. The CAPS model was originally designed for a global atmospheric model, but it has also been used as a stand-alone model for a variety of applications. The land surface scheme in the CAPS model is one of the two dozen schemes that participated in the Project for Intercomparison of Land Surface Parameterization Schemes (PILPS). Some unique features of the CAPS scheme are given in detail. A comprehensive dataset of one year (1987), including atmospheric forcing data and validation data from Cabauw, has been provided for PILPS by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. Using the Cabauw data, a validation study for the CAPS scheme has been carried out. The scheme’s self-consistencies in terms of surface energy balance and water budget are discussed. Finally, the results of this validation study with emphasis on the performance of surface momentum and heat fluxes are presented.