Global circulation and precipitation changes induced by sea surface temperature anomalies to the North of Australia in a general circulation model

✍ Scribed by Ian Simmonds; Glenn Trigg

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 434 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-4754
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-4754(88)90111-5

✦ Synopsis

We have used a general circulation model of the atmosphere to model the effect on July climate of anomalously warm sea surface temperatures to the northwest and northeast of Australia.

The effect on sea level pressure is on the large scale. Significant reductions occur over the area of the temperature anomaly and increases in the North Pacific and in the Atlantic.

The changes in precipitation occur on a smaller scale. Significantly more precipitation is simulated over the warmed ocean surface, while there is a reduction north of the equator and into the North Pacific.

In the simulation most of the troposphere above the anomaly was warmed significantly. The low level longitudinal component of the anomalous wind was westerly above and to the west of the forcing region, but no significant changes were simulated in the tropical Pacific except at the upper 1 evels . However, the temperature anomaly induces a clear thermally direct anomalous circulation in the meridional plane.

The relation between the circulation and precipitation anomalies is explored.