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Read Full Article (file size: 213369 bytes) Cited by
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 32,
L23707,
doi:10.1029/2005GL024411,
2005
How accurate did GCMs compute the insolation at TOA for AMIP-2?
Ehrhard Raschke
Institute of Meteorology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Marco A. Giorgetta
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany
Stefan Kinne
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany
Martin Wild
ETH-Zürich, Zürich, Germany
Abstract
Monthly averages of solar radiation reaching the Top of the Atmosphere (TOA) as simulated by 20 General Circulation Models
(GCMs) during the period 1985–1988 are compared. They were part of submissions to AMIP-2 (Atmospheric Model Intercomparison
Project). Monthly averages of ISCCP-FD (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project – Flux Data) are considered as reference.
Considerable discrepancies are found: Most models reproduce the prescribed Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) value within ±0.7
Wm−2. Monthly zonal averages disagree between ±2 to ±7 Wm−2, depending on latitude and season. The largest model diversity occurs near polar regions. Some models display a zonally symmetric
insolation, while others and ISCCP show longitudinal deviations of the order of ±1 Wm−2. With such differences in meridional gradients impacts in multi-annual simulations cannot be excluded. Sensitivity studies
are recommended.
Received 19
August
2005;
accepted 27
October
2005;
published 10
December
2005.
Index Terms: 0321 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Cloud/radiation interaction; 0429 Biogeosciences: Climate dynamics (1620); 1616 Global Change: Climate variability (1635, 3305, 3309, 4215, 4513); 1622 Global Change: Earth system modeling (1225); 1626 Global Change: Global climate models (3337, 4928).
Read Full Article (file size: 213369 bytes) Cited by
Citation: Raschke, E., M. A. Giorgetta, S. Kinne, and M. Wild
(2005),
How accurate did GCMs compute the insolation at TOA for AMIP-2?,
Geophys. Res. Lett.,
32,
L23707,
doi:10.1029/2005GL024411.
Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.
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