The impact of enhanced carbon dioxide concentrations on deep tropical conve
ction (DTC) is explored using the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR) Climate System Model (CSM 1) model. A 134-year simulation in which C
O concentrations increase 1 % year(-l) is analyzed. With approximately pres
ent-day CO2 concentrations (367 ppmv) the CSM1 simulation captures the obse
rved relationship between outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and sea-surface
temperature (SST) in the tropics. The temperature threshold for deep conve
ction in the model is approximately 24.75 degrees C. As CO2 concentrations
increase, the simulated threshold temperature for tropical convection progr
essively increases to similar to 25.55 degrees C and 26.55 degrees C at 2xC
O(2) (year 80) and 3.4xC0(2) (year 133). The fully coupled climate model re
sponse to increased CO2 concentrations implies that the expansion of the 26
degrees C isotherm, the present-day observed threshold, wilt not yield an
expansion of the regions of DTC.