Climate Sensitivity and Long-Period Temperature Fluctuations.
Abstract
A special low-order moist general-circulation model is found to produce long-period fluctuations in the globally averaged atmospheric temperature, resembling the variations that have occurred in the real atmosphere. We propose that the fluctuations in the model, and possibly some of those in the atmosphere, occur because the sensitivity of the diabatic heating to temperature is highly variable. We construct a much simpler model, in which the diabatic heating is given by a simple function of temperature and local planetary temperature that approximates the diabatic heating in the original model, while the advective temperature changes are represented by random numbers. The new model produces similar long-period temperature fluctuations, thereby tending to support our hypothesis. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA183540
Entities
People
- Edward N. Lorenz
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology