THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEMPERATURE-CHANGES IN THE FREE ATMOSPHERE MICROWAVE SOUNDING UNIT AND SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURE-CHANGES IN A 10-YEAR ATMOSPHERIC MODEL INTERCOMPARISON PROJECT CLIMATE SIMULATION

A 10-year atmospheric simulation was run using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (cycle 36) model for the decade 1979-1 988. The observed monthly mean sea surface temperatures were specified in the integration. This simulation was part of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project. From the output of the model, simulated mont hly mean microwave sounding unit (MSU) temperatures were computed. The anomalies of these monthly MSU temperatures were then compared to the observations and to previously published works. The results are as fo llows: (1) The model displays similar patterns of MSU/sea surface temp erature (SST) correlations to the data of Trenberth et al. (1992). The se patterns are formed by spatial variations in the SST signal and by the varying response of the atmosphere to SST changes. (2) The model e vidently underestimates the air-sea exchange of heat in the region of the Kuroshio current. (3) The point correlation patterns in the MSU te mperatures for the 10-year period are strongly influenced El Nino-Sout hern Oscillation (ENSO) events in this decade. (4) The dominance of th e signal of the 1982/1983 and 1986/1987 events makes it risky to exten d the relationships seen in this decade to other, less active periods. (5) The model tends to produce MSU anomalies in good accord with the observations only during ENSO western Pacific warm events.