lmd_all1990_abstracts.html

1990 .

C. Genthon, H. Le Treut, R. Sadourny, and J. Jouzel. Parameterization of eddy sensible heat transports in a zonally averaged dynamic model of the atmosphere. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 47:2475--2487, November 1990. [ bib | DOI | ADS link ]

A Charney-Branscome based parameterization has been tested as a way of representing the eddy sensible heat transports missing in a zonally averaged dynamic model (ZADM) of the atmosphere. The ZADM used is a zonally averaged version of a General Circulation Model (GCM). The parameterized transports in the ZADM are gaged against the corresponding fluxes explicitly simulated in the GCM, using the same zonally averaged boundary conditions in both models. The Charney-Branscome approach neglects stationary eddies and transient barotropic disturbances and relies on a set of simplifying assumptions, including the linear approximation, to describe growing transient baroclinic eddies. Nevertheless, fairly satisfactory results are obtained when the parameterization is performed interactively with the model. Compared with noninteractive tests, a very efficient restoring feedback effect between the modeled zonal-mean climate and the parameterized meridional eddy transport is identified.

R. D. Cess, G. L. Potter, J. P. Blanchet, G. J. Boer, A. D. Del Genio, M. DéQué, V. Dymnikov, V. Galin, W. L. Gates, S. J. Ghan, J. T. Kiehl, A. A. Lacis, H. Le Treut, Z.-X. Li, X.-Z. Liang, B. J. McAvaney, V. P. Meleshko, J. F. B. Mitchell, J.-J. Morcrette, D. A. Randall, L. Rikus, E. Roeckner, J. F. Royer, U. Schlese, D. A. Sheinin, A. Slingo, A. P. Sokolov, K. E. Taylor, W. M. Washington, R. T. Wetherald, I. Yagai, and M.-H. Zhang. Intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models. Journal of Geophysical Research, 95:16601, September 1990. [ bib | DOI | ADS link ]

The need to understand differences among general circulation model projections of CO₂-induced climatic change has motivated the present study, which provides an intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models. This intercomparison uses sea surface temperature change as a surrogate for climate change. The interpretation of cloud-climate interactions is given special attention. A roughly threefold variation in one measure of global climate sensitivity is found among the 19 models. The important conclusion is that most of this variation is attributable to differences in the models' depiction of cloud feedback, a result that emphasizes the need for improvements in the treatment of clouds in these models if they are ultimately to be used as reliable climate predictors. It is further emphasized that cloud feedback is the consequence of all interacting physical and dynamical processes in a general circulation model. The result of these processes is to produce changes in temperature, moisture distribution, and clouds which are integrated into the radiative response termed cloud feedback.

L. Picon and M. Desbois. Relation between METEOSAT Water Vapor Radiance Fields and Large Scale Tropical Circulation Features. Journal of Climate, 3:865--876, August 1990. [ bib | DOI | ADS link ]

Mean monthly images from the water vapor channel of METEOSAT characteristically contain large-scale spatial structures, especially in tropical regions. The aim of this paper is to establish connections between these structures and large-scale circulation features. For this purpose, statistical relationships between radiances and some meteorological parameters provided by ECMWF analyses are studied.Temporal correlations are computed for two sizes of regions, in order to compare temporal changes associated with both large-scale circulations and smaller scale systems. The correlations obtained are poor, suggesting that the chosen parameters are not well related at short time scales.Temporal averages appear more suitable for these comparisons. As expected, the mean relative humidity yields the best correlation with the mean water vapor radiances. A (weaker) relationship exists also with mean dynamic fields: large water vapor radiances are almost always related to subsidence in the middle troposphere, divergence near the surface, and convergence in the upper troposphere. However, there is regional variability in the results., one explanation may be different contributions from horizontal advecion and vertical motions to the humidity of the middle troposphere.

A. Babiano, C. Basdevant, P. Le Roy, and R. Sadourny. Relative dispersion in two-dimensional turbulence. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 214:535--557, May 1990. [ bib | DOI | ADS link ]

The statistical laws governing relative dispersion of particle pairs advected in a two-dimensional turbulent, incompressible, homogeneous, and stationary velocity field are examined theoretically and numerically. A rigorous differential equation governing relative dispersion is obtained which is based on simple kinematic relations between relative position, relative velocity, and relative acceleration of particle views and is valid for both two- and three-dimensional dynamics. Particular attention is given to the classical Kraichnan-Lin and Richardson-Obukhov laws in the incompressible two-dimensional case.