Evaluation of multi-RCM high-resolution hindcast over the CORDEX East Asia Phase II region: Mean, annual cycle and interannual variations

Based on the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment-East Asia second phase (CORDEX-EA-II) with higher resolution, model results driven by ERA-Interim reanalysis using WRF, RegCM4 and CCLM are evaluated against the observational datasets including CN05.1, CRU and GPCP during the period of 1989-2009. The results show that the RCMs have the capability to simulate the annual and seasonal mean surface air temperature and precipitation, however, some biases are produced. The biases are highly dependent on the geophysical locations and the RCMs applied, and CCLM agrees better with the observed precipitation over ocean. CCLM also outperforms the other two RCMs in simulating the interannual variations of temperature and precipitation in most sub-regions, which can be attributed to its better presentation of the interannual variation of large scale circulation. Generally, all the three RCMs can well reproduce the seasonal cycles of the surface air temperature in most sub-regions, however, only in the northern regions of China can the RCMs well reproduce the seasonal cycles of precipitation.