LAM-ORCESTRA: a Numerical Campaign over the Atlantic ITCZ

Over the summer of 2024, a wealth of experimental data was collected over the tropical Atlantic. First, the ORCESTRA campaign measured the ITCZ from the ground, sea, and air, offering a rich and detailed description of its complex structure. Coincidentally, the EarthCARE mission started releasing highly-resolved vertical profiles of deep convective systems. In parallel to these experimental studies, a numerical campaign was run almost in real time in the form of a limited-area model of the ITCZ. The model ran at 1.25 km resolution using the storm-resolving ICON-Sapphire configuration, in 48-hour-long bursts overlapping halfway through. This staggered approach was born of a compromise between 1) ensuring enough spinup time (first simulated day) and 2) keeping synoptic conditions close to ground observation for analysis (second simulated day). The resulting dataset allows us to compare the model with the aforementioned experimental missions, and assess its strength and weaknesses. Specifically, the model's capability in resolving the ITCZ structure and organisation of convection is scrutinized.