As cities face increasing risks from climate change, the need for high-resolution climate models that accurately simulate urban dynamics has never been greater. In a newly published study in Urban Climate, CMCC researchers, in collaboration with international partners, have achieved a major milestone in urban climate modeling. By integrating the TERRA_URB urban parameterization into the ICON Earth system model, CMCC is setting a new standard for climate simulations in urban environments.

Urban parameterizations that capture interactions between cities and climate are essential for assessing climate change impacts and developing effective mitigation strategies. The study, Investigating Urban Heat Islands Over Rome and Milan During a Summer Period Through the TERRA_URB Parameterization in the ICON Model, evaluates the performance of TERRA_URB within ICON, a state-of-the-art atmospheric model. Focusing on Rome and Milan, researchers assessed its ability to simulate Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects and other key urban climate phenomena.

The results show that ICON, when coupled with TERRA_URB, significantly improves the simulation of UHI and Urban Dry Island effects, both in terms of spatial distribution and hourly dynamics. This enhanced capability offers a more detailed and realistic representation of temperature variations, particularly in densely populated areas.

“This advancement positions ICON with TERRA_URB as a powerful tool for medium-scale climate simulations, enabling better analysis of urban heat dynamics and supporting adaptation strategies,” explains Angelo Campanale, CMCC researcher and lead author of the study.

With this integration, ICON has become an essential tool for assessing the impact of climate change on cities and can now be applied to a range of urban studies, from evaluating future climate scenarios to extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves, storms, and intense precipitation.

The ability to capture fine-scale temperature variations throughout the day and night, as well as identify hotspots and vulnerable populations, makes ICON a key tool for local decision-makers developing adaptation strategies.

“This improvement will allow us to generate more advanced datasets for the international community and especially for Italy,” adds Paola Mercogliano, principal scientist at CMCC and author of the study. “These datasets will enhance impact studies, risk assessments, and adaptation planning at the local scale.”

This important modeling advancement reflects CMCC’s long-standing commitment to cutting-edge climate science, particularly in urban climate research. The work was carried out as part of the COSMO consortium’s community project framework (COnsortium for Small-scale MOdelling) within the CITTA’ priority project (City-Induced Temperature Change Through Advanced Modelling). CMCC played a leading role in software development, data processing, and simulations, as well as in shaping the project’s strategic vision.

By advancing the ICON model’s capabilities, CMCC continues to equip scientists and policymakers with the most advanced tools for understanding and mitigating climate risks in urban areas, reinforcing its position at the forefront of climate research.

More information:

Advancing urban modelling in regional atmospheric models: insights, challenges and applications – CMCC Talks