Coupled atmosphere-ocean model simulations of El Nino/Southern Oscillation with and without an active Indian Ocean

Abstract

An atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) was coupled with an ocean GCM covering the Pacific. This coupled model (PAC) was integrated over a 30-year period. The PAC model stimulates well the mean seasonally varying atmospheric and ocean fields and reproduced interannual variations corresponding to ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation). The same atmospheric GCM was coupled with an ocean GCM covering the Indian Ocean and the tropical Pacific. This coupled model (IPC) was integrated over a 35-year period. The model climate in IPC is fairly reasonable, and its Pacific part is very similar to the Pacific climate of the PAC model. ENSO is the major interannual variability in the IPC model. The dynamics of ENSO in IPC are essentially the same as that in PAC. -from Authors