Stochastic climate models, part 3. Application to zonally averaged energy models

Abstract

A stochastic Budyko-Sellers model is considered in which, in contrast to the usual statistical dynamical climate models, the nonaveraged weather fluctuations are retained as internal random forcing terms. Consequently, the climate variables are no longer deterministic but are stochastic variables, which can be characterized by their variance spectra. The calculated variance spectra of the yearly and zonally averaged surface temperature of the earth are consistent with observations both in the qualitative structure of the spectrum and the order of magnitude of the energy levels.