How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns?
This article evaluates the ability of state-of-the-art climate models to reproduce the low-frequency variability of the mid-tropospheric winter flow of the Northern Hemisphere in terms of atmospheric teleconnection patterns. Therefore, multi-model simulations for present-day conditions, performed fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Stockholm University Press
2012-11-01
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| Series: | Tellus: Series A, Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.tellusa.net/index.php/tellusa/article/view/19777/pdf_1 |
| _version_ | 1828328821840936960 |
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| author | Dörthe Handorf Klaus Dethloff |
| author_facet | Dörthe Handorf Klaus Dethloff |
| author_sort | Dörthe Handorf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article evaluates the ability of state-of-the-art climate models to reproduce the low-frequency variability of the mid-tropospheric winter flow of the Northern Hemisphere in terms of atmospheric teleconnection patterns. Therefore, multi-model simulations for present-day conditions, performed for the 4th assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have been analysed and compared with re-analysis data sets. The spatial patterns of atmospheric teleconnections are reproduced reasonably by most of the models. The comparison of coupled with atmosphere-only runs confirmed that a better representation of the forcing by sea surface temperatures has the potential to slightly improve the representation of only wave train-like patterns. Due to internally generated climate variability, the models are not able to reproduce the observed temporal behaviour. Insights into the dynamical reasons for the limited skill of climate models in reproducing teleconnections have been obtained by studying the relation between major teleconnections and zonal wind variability patterns. About half of the models are able to reproduce the observed relationship. For these cases, the quality of simulated teleconnection patterns is largely determined by the quality of zonal wind variability patterns. Therefore, improvements of simulated eddy-mean flow interaction have the potential to improve the atmospheric teleconnections. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:15:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4956a8d8c33d4e03b9574cd47512df09 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0280-6495 1600-0870 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:15:27Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | Stockholm University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tellus: Series A, Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography |
| spelling | doaj.art-4956a8d8c33d4e03b9574cd47512df092022-12-22T02:31:43ZengStockholm University PressTellus: Series A, Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography0280-64951600-08702012-11-0164012710.3402/tellusa.v64i0.19777How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns?Dörthe HandorfKlaus DethloffThis article evaluates the ability of state-of-the-art climate models to reproduce the low-frequency variability of the mid-tropospheric winter flow of the Northern Hemisphere in terms of atmospheric teleconnection patterns. Therefore, multi-model simulations for present-day conditions, performed for the 4th assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have been analysed and compared with re-analysis data sets. The spatial patterns of atmospheric teleconnections are reproduced reasonably by most of the models. The comparison of coupled with atmosphere-only runs confirmed that a better representation of the forcing by sea surface temperatures has the potential to slightly improve the representation of only wave train-like patterns. Due to internally generated climate variability, the models are not able to reproduce the observed temporal behaviour. Insights into the dynamical reasons for the limited skill of climate models in reproducing teleconnections have been obtained by studying the relation between major teleconnections and zonal wind variability patterns. About half of the models are able to reproduce the observed relationship. For these cases, the quality of simulated teleconnection patterns is largely determined by the quality of zonal wind variability patterns. Therefore, improvements of simulated eddy-mean flow interaction have the potential to improve the atmospheric teleconnections.http://www.tellusa.net/index.php/tellusa/article/view/19777/pdf_1atmospheric teleconnectionszonal wind variabilityCMIP3 |
| spellingShingle | Dörthe Handorf Klaus Dethloff How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns? Tellus: Series A, Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography atmospheric teleconnections zonal wind variability CMIP3 |
| title | How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns? |
| title_full | How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns? |
| title_fullStr | How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns? |
| title_full_unstemmed | How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns? |
| title_short | How well do state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns? |
| title_sort | how well do state of the art atmosphere ocean general circulation models reproduce atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
| topic | atmospheric teleconnections zonal wind variability CMIP3 |
| url | http://www.tellusa.net/index.php/tellusa/article/view/19777/pdf_1 |
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