Predicting the severity of spurious “double ITCZ” problem in CMIP5 coupled models from AMIP simulations [Tropical versus extratropical origins of the spurious 'double ITCZ' in coupled climate models]
Abstract
Abstract The severity of the double Intertropical Convergence Zone (DI) problem in climate models can be measured by a tropical precipitation asymmetry index (PAI), indicating whether tropical precipitation favors the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere. Examination of 19 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 models reveals that the PAI is tightly linked to the tropical sea surface temperature (SST) bias. As one of the factors determining the SST bias, the asymmetry of tropical net surface heat flux in Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations is identified as a skillful predictor of the PAI change from an AMIP to a coupled simulation, with an intermodel correlation of 0.90. Using tropical top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) fluxes, the correlations are lower but still strong. However, the extratropical asymmetries of surface and TOA fluxes in AMIP simulations cannot serve as useful predictors of the PAI change. This study suggests that the largest source of the DI bias is from the tropics and from atmospheric models.
- Authors:
-
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab., Princeton, NJ (United States); Univ. Corp. for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab., Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1345316
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1402207
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-680530
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 44; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Citation Formats
Xiang, Baoqiang, Zhao, Ming, Held, Isaac M., and Golaz, Jean -Christophe. Predicting the severity of spurious “double ITCZ” problem in CMIP5 coupled models from AMIP simulations [Tropical versus extratropical origins of the spurious 'double ITCZ' in coupled climate models]. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/2016GL071992.
Xiang, Baoqiang, Zhao, Ming, Held, Isaac M., & Golaz, Jean -Christophe. Predicting the severity of spurious “double ITCZ” problem in CMIP5 coupled models from AMIP simulations [Tropical versus extratropical origins of the spurious 'double ITCZ' in coupled climate models]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071992
Xiang, Baoqiang, Zhao, Ming, Held, Isaac M., and Golaz, Jean -Christophe. 2017.
"Predicting the severity of spurious “double ITCZ” problem in CMIP5 coupled models from AMIP simulations [Tropical versus extratropical origins of the spurious 'double ITCZ' in coupled climate models]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071992. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1345316.
@article{osti_1345316,
title = {Predicting the severity of spurious “double ITCZ” problem in CMIP5 coupled models from AMIP simulations [Tropical versus extratropical origins of the spurious 'double ITCZ' in coupled climate models]},
author = {Xiang, Baoqiang and Zhao, Ming and Held, Isaac M. and Golaz, Jean -Christophe},
abstractNote = {Abstract The severity of the double Intertropical Convergence Zone (DI) problem in climate models can be measured by a tropical precipitation asymmetry index (PAI), indicating whether tropical precipitation favors the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere. Examination of 19 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 models reveals that the PAI is tightly linked to the tropical sea surface temperature (SST) bias. As one of the factors determining the SST bias, the asymmetry of tropical net surface heat flux in Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulations is identified as a skillful predictor of the PAI change from an AMIP to a coupled simulation, with an intermodel correlation of 0.90. Using tropical top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) fluxes, the correlations are lower but still strong. However, the extratropical asymmetries of surface and TOA fluxes in AMIP simulations cannot serve as useful predictors of the PAI change. This study suggests that the largest source of the DI bias is from the tropics and from atmospheric models.},
doi = {10.1002/2016GL071992},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1345316},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
issn = {0094-8276},
number = 3,
volume = 44,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Mon Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
Web of Science
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