Beusekom et al. (2026) Improving the Numerical Solution of the Energy Equation in Land Models

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-01
• Authors: Ashley E. Van Beusekom, Raymond J. Spiteri, Martyn Clark
• DOI: 10.1029/2025ms005353

Research Groups

• Department of Earth System Science
• Department of Computer Science

Short Summary

This study aims to improve simulations of the energy equation in land models by highlighting shortcomings and presenting improved solutions, ultimately evaluating tradeoffs between numerical errors and strict energy conservation.

Objective

• Investigate and address the limitations of current approaches for solving the energy equation in land models.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: North America
• Temporal Scale: Simulations were conducted over a period representative of seasonal variability

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA) land model
• Data sources: Not specified in the abstract, but likely based on observations and reanalysis data

Main Results

• Numerical solutions of the energy equation produce large violations in energy conservation, especially in cold regions.
• Alternative approaches demonstrate a tradeoff between strict energy conservation and reduced numerical errors.
• The mixed form of the energy equation can be solved to conserve energy within machine precision.
• Direct solution of the energy equation yields the smallest numerical errors.

Contributions

• This study provides original insights into the limitations of current energy equation solutions in land models, highlighting the need for improved numerical methods.

Funding

• Not specified in the abstract.

Citation

@article{Beusekom2026Improving,
  author = {Beusekom, Ashley E. Van and Spiteri, Raymond J. and Clark, Martyn},
  title = {Improving the Numerical Solution of the Energy Equation in Land Models},
  journal = {Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025ms005353},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025ms005353}
}