MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA, NATURAL VARIABILITY, AND CLIMATE TRANSITIONS IN AN IDEALIZED OCEAN-ATMOSPHERE MODEL Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • An idealized coupled ocean-atmosphere is constructed to study climatic equilibria and variability. Coupled integrations are carried out over periods of several centuries to identify the equilibrium states of the ocean-atmosphere system. It is shown that there exist at least three types of equilibria, which are distinguished by whether they have upwelling or downwelling in the polar regions. The oceanic circulation in the coupled model exhibits natural variability on interdecadal and longer timescales. The dominant interdecadal mode of variability is associated with the advection of oceanic temperature anomalies in the sinking regions. The sensitivity of the coupled model to climatic perturbations is studied. -from Authors

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF CLIMATE

author list (cited authors)

  • SARAVANAN, R., & MCWILLIAMS, J. C.

citation count

  • 54

complete list of authors

  • SARAVANAN, R||MCWILLIAMS, JC

publication date

  • October 1995