The role of atmosphere feedbacks during ENSO in the CMIP3 models

Lloyd, J., Guilyardi, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2255-8625, Weller, H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4553-7082 and Slingo, J. M. (2009) The role of atmosphere feedbacks during ENSO in the CMIP3 models. Atmospheric Science Letters, 10 (3). pp. 170-176. ISSN 1530-261X doi: 10.1002/asl.227

Abstract/Summary

Several studies using ocean-atmosphere GCMs suggest that the atmospheric component plays a dominant role in the modelled ENSO. To help elucidate these findings, the two main atmosphere feedbacks relevant to ENSO, the Bjerknes positive feedback (µ) and the heat flux negative feedback (), are analysed here in 12 coupled GCMs. We find that the models generally underestimate both feedbacks, leading to an error compensation. The strength of is inversely related to the ENSO amplitude in the models and the latent heat and shortwave flux components of this feedback dominate. Furthermore, the shortwave component could help explain the model diversity in both overall and ENSO amplitude.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/4321
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > NCAS Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Uncontrolled Keywords	ENSO; Atmosphere feedbacks; CMIP3 GCMs
Publisher	John Wiley & Sons
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