Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Monsoon Regimes in the CCSM3

Gerald A. Meehl National Center for Atmospheric Research,* Boulder, Colorado

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Julie M. Arblaster National Center for Atmospheric Research,* Boulder, Colorado

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David M. Lawrence National Center for Atmospheric Research,* Boulder, Colorado

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Anji Seth International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, Palisades, New York

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Edwin K. Schneider Center for Ocean–Land–Atmosphere Studies, Calverton, Maryland, and George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

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Ben P. Kirtman Center for Ocean–Land–Atmosphere Studies, Calverton, Maryland, and George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

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Dughong Min Center for Ocean–Land–Atmosphere Studies, Calverton, Maryland

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Print Publication:
01 Jun 2006
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3745.1
Page(s):
2482–2495
Restricted access

Abstract

Simulations of regional monsoon regimes, including the Indian, Australian, West African, South American, and North American monsoons, are described for the T85 version of the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3) and compared to observations and Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-type SST-forced simulations with the Community Atmospheric Model version 3 (CAM3) at T42 and T85. There are notable improvements in the regional aspects of the precipitation simulations in going to the higher-resolution T85 compared to T42 where topography is important (e.g., Ethiopian Highlands, South American Andes, and Tibetan Plateau). For the T85 coupled version of CCSM3, systematic SST errors are associated with regional precipitation errors in the monsoon regimes of South America and West Africa, though some aspects of the monsoon simulations, particularly in Asia, improve in the coupled model compared to the SST-forced simulations. There is very little realistic intraseasonal monsoon variability in the CCSM3 consistent with earlier versions of the model. Teleconnections to the tropical Pacific are well simulated for the South Asian monsoon.

* The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation

Corresponding author address: Dr. Gerald A. Meehl, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307. Email: meehl@ncar.ucar.edu

Abstract

Simulations of regional monsoon regimes, including the Indian, Australian, West African, South American, and North American monsoons, are described for the T85 version of the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3) and compared to observations and Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-type SST-forced simulations with the Community Atmospheric Model version 3 (CAM3) at T42 and T85. There are notable improvements in the regional aspects of the precipitation simulations in going to the higher-resolution T85 compared to T42 where topography is important (e.g., Ethiopian Highlands, South American Andes, and Tibetan Plateau). For the T85 coupled version of CCSM3, systematic SST errors are associated with regional precipitation errors in the monsoon regimes of South America and West Africa, though some aspects of the monsoon simulations, particularly in Asia, improve in the coupled model compared to the SST-forced simulations. There is very little realistic intraseasonal monsoon variability in the CCSM3 consistent with earlier versions of the model. Teleconnections to the tropical Pacific are well simulated for the South Asian monsoon.

* The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation

Corresponding author address: Dr. Gerald A. Meehl, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307. Email: meehl@ncar.ucar.edu

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