Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An examination of internally generated variability in long climate simulations

  • Published:
Climate Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

General circulation model experiments designed to estimate the magnitude and structure of internally generated variability and to help understand the mechanisms underlying this variability are described. The experiments consist of three multi-century integrations of a rhomboidal 15, 9 level, version of the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies atmospheric general circulation model: a run with fixed sea surface temperatures and equinox solar radiation, a run with seasonally varying climatological sea surface temperatures and seasonally varying solar forcing, and a run with seasonally varying solar forcing in which the state of the ocean is predicted by a 3° by 3°, 16 vertical level, nearly global domain version of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Modular Ocean Model. No flux correction is used in the coupled model integration. Selected surface fields of the three runs are compared to each other as well as to the observed climate. Statistical properties of variability on interannual time scales are compared between the runs. Evidence is presented that climate time scale variability in the simulations is produced by random weather time scale forcing due to the integrating effect of elements of the system with long memories. The importance of ocean variability for land climate variability is demonstrated and attributed to both the memory effect and coupled atmosphere-ocean instability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anthes RA (1977) A cumulus parameterization scheme utilizing a one dimensional cloud model. Mon Weather Rev 105:270–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryan K, Lewis L (1979) A water mass model of the world ocean. J Geophys Res 84:2503–2517

    Google Scholar 

  • Cane MA, Zebiak SE (1985) A theory for El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. Science 228:1085–1087

    Google Scholar 

  • Charney JG (1947) The dynamics of long waves in a baroclinic westerly current. J Meteorol 4:135–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Charney JG (1975) Dynamics of deserts and drought in the Sahel. Q J R Meteorol Soc 101:193–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charney JG, Straus DM (1980) Form-drag instability, multiple equilibria and propagating planetary waves in baroclinic, orographically forced, planetary wave systems. J Atmos Sci 37:1157–1176

    Google Scholar 

  • Eady ET (1949) Long waves and cyclone waves. Tellus 1:33–52

    Google Scholar 

  • ECMWF Research Department (1988) Research Manual 3. ECMWF forecast model physical parameterization. European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, Shinfield Park, Reading, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon CT, Stern WF (1982) A description of the GFDL global spectral model. Mon Weather Rev 110:625–644

    Google Scholar 

  • Harshvardhan, Davies R, Randall DA, Corsetti TG (1987) A fast radiation parameterization for atmospheric circulation models. J Geophys Res 92 (131):1009–1016

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasselmann K (1976) Stochastic climate models. Part 1. Theory. Tellus 28:473–485

    Google Scholar 

  • Hou Y-T (1990) Cloud-radiation-dynamics interactions. PhD Dissertation, University of Maryland

  • Hunt BG (1988) Nonlinear influences — a key to short term climatic perturbations. J Atmos Sci 45:387–395

    Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1991) Climate Change. The IPCC Scientific Assessment. Houghton JT, Jenkins GJ, Ephraums JJ (eds) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones PD, Raper SCB, Cherry BSG, Goodness CM, Wigley TML, Santer B, Kelly PM, Bradley RS, Diaz HF (1991) An updated global grid point surface air temperature anomaly data set: 1851–1990. Environmental Sciences Division Publication No. 3520. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn., USA (ORNL/CDIAC-37, NDP-0201R1)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinter JL III, Shukla J, Marx L, Schneider EK (1988) A simulation of the winter and summer circulation with the NMC global spectral model. J Atmos Sci 45:2486–2522

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo HL (1965) On the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones through latent heat release by cumulus convection. J Atmos Sci 22:40–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacis AA, Hansen JE (1974) A parameterization for the absorption of solar radiation in the earth's atmosphere. J Atmos Sci 32:118–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau N-C, Philander SGH, Nath MJ (1992) Simulation of ENSO-like phenomena with a low-resolution coupled GCM of the global ocean and atmosphere. J Clim 5:284–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitus S (1982) Climatological atlas of the world ocean. NOAA Prof Pap 13. US Dep Commerce

  • Lindzen RS, Nigam S (1987) On the role of sea surface temperature gradients in forcing low-level winds and convergence in the tropics. J Atmos Sci 44:2418–2436

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz EN (1967) The nature and theory of the general circulation of the atmosphere. WMO Publ No. 218: TP 115. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz EN (1976) Nondeterministic theories of climate change. Quat Res 6:495–506

    Google Scholar 

  • Manabe S, Stouffer RJ (1988) Two stable equilibria of a coupled ocean-atmosphere model. J Clim 1:841–866

    Google Scholar 

  • Mellor GL, Yamada T (1982) Development of a turbulence closure model for geophysical fluid processes. Rev Geophys Space Phys 20:851–875

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyakoda K, Sirutis J (1977) Comparative integrations of global spectral models with various parameterized processes of subgrid scale vertical transports. Beitr Phys Atmos 50:445–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Pacanowski R, Philander SGH (1981) Parameterization of vertical mixing in numerical models of tropical oceans. J Phys Oceanogr 11: 1443–1451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Philander SGH (1990) El Niño, La Nina and the Southern Oscillation. Academic Press

  • Philander SGH, Pacanowski RC, Lau N-C, Nath MJ (1992) Simulation of ENSO with a global atmospheric GCM coupled to a high-resolution, tropical Pacific Ocean GCM. J Clim 5:308–329

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips NA (1957) A coordinate system having some special advantages for numerical forecasting. J Meteorol 14:184–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato N, Sellers PJ, Randall DA, Schneider EK, Shukla J, Kinter JL III, Hou Y-T, Albertazzi E (1989) Effects of implementing the simple biosphere model (SiB) in a general circulation model. J Atmos Sci 46:2752–2782

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider EK, Lindzen RS (1977) Axially symmetric steady-state models of the basic state for instability and climate studies. Part I. Linearized calculations. J Atmos Sci 34:263–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Sela JG (1980) Spectral modeling at the National Meteorological Center. Mon Weather Rev 108:1279–1292

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers PJ, Mintz Y, Sud YC, Dalcher A (1986) A simple biosphere model (SiB) for use within general circulation models. J Atmos Sci 43:505–531

    Google Scholar 

  • Slingo JM (1987) The development and verification of a cloud prediction scheme for the ECMWF model. Q J R Meteorol Soc 113:899–927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slutz RJ, Lubker SJ, Hiscox JD, Woodruff SD, Jenne RL, Joseph DH, Steurer PM, Elms JD (1985) Comprehensive ocean-atmosphere data set; release 1. NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories, Climate Research Program, Boulder, Colo. (NTIS PB86–105723)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiedtke M (1984) The effect of penetrative cumulus convection on the large-scale flow in a general circulation model. Beitr Phys Atmos 57:216–239

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace JM, Gutzler DS (1981) Teleconnections in the geopotential height field during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Mon Weather Rev 109:784–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue Y, Sellers PJ, Kinter JL III, Shukla J (1991) A simplified model for global climate studies. J Clim 4:345–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zebiak SE, Cane MA (1987) A model of El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Mon Weather Rev 115:2262–2273

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies, Institute of Global Environment and Society, 20705, Calverton, Maryland, USA

    E K Schneider & J L Kinter III

Authors
  1. E K Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J L Kinter III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schneider, E.K., Kinter, J.L. An examination of internally generated variability in long climate simulations. Climate Dynamics 10, 181–204 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208987

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208987

Keywords

Search

Navigation