<p>Europe is looking nicer and nicer every year (<a href="http://www.nap.edu/read/13430/chapter/7#64" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/S2oh6.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/S2oh6.jpg" alt="Improvements in climate model resolution and process representation over time."></a></p>

<p>This is a little bit out of date, since AR5 is already out - the dates for the first 4 IPCC reports were:</p>

<ul>
<li>IPCC First Assessment Report, 1990</li>
<li>IPCC Second Assessment Report, 1995</li>
<li>IPCC Third Assessment Report, 2001</li>
<li>IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, 2007</li>
<li>IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, 2014</li>
</ul>

<p>And an updated image for AR5 looks like this (both of these are AR5 model resolutions) (<a href="http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_Chapter01_FINAL.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>, p145):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/TVXkm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TVXkm.jpg" alt="Improvements in modelling resolution in AR5"></a></p>

<p>And that same PDF has another representation of increasing complexity, where cylinder height indicates complexity (<a href="http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_Chapter01_FINAL.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>, p144):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/q697m.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/q697m.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-24T08:49:12.523Z
Superb figures, thank you.  The fact that they show how small scale steeper slopes are also resolved at higher resolutions was also something that I wanted to illustrate.
hertzsprung
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-21T04:30:24.863Z
2016-03-21T04:30:24.863Z
naught101
<p>I'm looking for a graph of improvements in spatial resolution for any atmospheric model (such as the <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/modelling-systems/unified-model" rel="nofollow">UK Met Office Unified Model</a> or <a href="http://www.ecmwf.int/en/research/modelling-and-prediction" rel="nofollow">ECMWF IFS</a>).  Ideally it would include a range of historical model versions and perhaps forecasts for future model resolutions.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T22:37:58.487Z
Do you mean global atmospheric models for numerical weather prediction? Or climate model configurations? Or limited area configurations? Deterministic or ensemble ensemble setups?
BHF
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-24T08:48:30.117Z
Any of those are fine, I just wanted a figure to illustrate the fact that model resolutions have, in general, been increasing over time.
hertzsprung
<models><nwp><reference-request>
Timeline of atmospheric model resolution
hertzsprung
# Timeline of atmospheric model resolution

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-17)

I'm looking for a graph of improvements in spatial resolution for any atmospheric model (such as the [UK Met Office Unified Model](http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/modelling-systems/unified-model) or [ECMWF IFS](http://www.ecmwf.int/en/research/modelling-and-prediction)). Ideally it would include a range of historical model versions and perhaps forecasts for future model resolutions.

**Tags:** models, nwp, reference-request

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you mean global atmospheric models for numerical weather prediction? Or climate model configurations? Or limited area configurations? Deterministic or ensemble ensemble setups?  
> **username_0**: Any of those are fine, I just wanted a figure to illustrate the fact that model resolutions have, in general, been increasing over time.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-03-21. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Europe is looking nicer and nicer every year ([source](http://www.nap.edu/read/13430/chapter/7#64)):

[![Improvements in climate model resolution and process representation over time.](https://i.sstatic.net/S2oh6.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/S2oh6.jpg)

This is a little bit out of date, since AR5 is already out - the dates for the first 4 IPCC reports were:

* IPCC First Assessment Report, 1990
* IPCC Second Assessment Report, 1995
* IPCC Third Assessment Report, 2001
* IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, 2007
* IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, 2014

And an updated image for AR5 looks like this (both of these are AR5 model resolutions) ([source](http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_Chapter01_FINAL.pdf), p145):

[![Improvements in modelling resolution in AR5](https://i.sstatic.net/TVXkm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/TVXkm.jpg)

And that same PDF has another representation of increasing complexity, where cylinder height indicates complexity ([source](http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_Chapter01_FINAL.pdf), p144):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/q697m.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/q697m.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Superb figures, thank you.  The fact that they show how small scale steeper slopes are also resolved at higher resolutions was also something that I wanted to illustrate.  

---

