Mixed boundary conditions versus coupling with an energy-moisture balance model for a zonally averaged ocean climate model

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Journal of Climate

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1997)010<2412:MBCVCW>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:588612

Bjornsson, H; Mysak, L A; Schmidt, G A ^[1]

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1. McGill Univ., Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

The Wright and Stocker oceanic thermohaline circulation model is coupled to a recently developed zonally averaged energy moisture balance model for the atmosphere. The results obtained with this coupled model are compared with those from an ocean-only model that employs mixed boundary conditions. The ocean model geometry uses either one zonally averaged interhemispheric basin (the {open_quotes}Atlantic{close_quotes}) or two zonally averaged basins (roughly approximating the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans) connected by a parameterized Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The differences in the steady states and their linear stability are examined over a wide range of parameters. The presence of additional feedbacks between the ocean circulation and the atmosphere and hydrological cycle in the coupled model produces significant differences between the latter and the ocean-only model, in both the one-basin and two-basin geometries. The authors conclude that due to the effects produced by the feedbacks in the coupled model, they must have serious reservations about the results concerning long-term climate variability obtained from ocean-only models. Thus, to investigate long-term climatic variability a coupled model is necessary. 31 refs., 15 figs., 7 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 588612
• Journal Information: Journal of Climate, Journal Name: Journal of Climate Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 10; ISSN JLCLEL; ISSN 0894-8755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
BIFURCATION
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
CLIMATE MODELS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
MOISTURE
SURFACE AIR
UPWELLING