Experimental Runs with a Low-Order Model of a Moist General Circulation.
Abstract
We have made some experimental runs with a very-low-order general-circulation model, which includes the thermodynamic and radiative effects of water vapor and liquid water in the atmosphere. We first made several runs lasting 20 years or longer, to determine suitable combinations of values of model parameters for use in subsequent experiments. Using one 'suitable' combination, we made one 450-year run, and found that the globally averaged atmospheric temperature underwent long-period fluctuations with a range of about two degrees, resembling real atmospheric 'climatic' changes. In some final runs we suppressed the influence of cloudiness on the global aldebo, and found that this modification eliminated the high sensitivity of the temperature to the plantary temperature and the very slow approach of the temperature to equilibrium, which characterized the ordinary runs. Keywords: Atmospheric circulation; Atmosphere models; Albedo; Cloud-feedback; and Thermodynamic and radiative effects of water.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 31, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA160359
Entities
People
- E. N. Lorenz
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology