General circulation model sensitivity to 1982-83 equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies.

Abstract

These control and anomaly simulation pairs run with the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences (GLAS) climate model have been analyzed in order to investigate the atmospheric response to the 1982-83 tropical sea surface temperature anomalies. The observed 1982-83 SST anomalies obtained from the Climate Analysis Center were applied to two separate 75-day control simulations, starting on 16 December 1982 and 16 December 1979, respectively, and a third 60- day control simulation starting on 1 January 1975. In agreement with earlier simulations with composite SST anomalies, the tropical precipitation anomalies for 1982-83 were also closely related to the extent of very warm (equal to or greater than 29oC) sea surface waters. -from Authors