F. D'Andrea et R. Vautard, Extratropical low-frequency variability as a low-dimensional problem I: A simplified model, Q J R METEO, 127(574), 2001, pp. 1357-1374
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Earth Sciences
Journal title
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
It is shown that the low-frequency and large-scale variability of an interm
ediate complexity reference model can be reproduced faithfully by a simplif
ied model of 10 independent variables and 10 equations. The reference model
is quasi-geostrophic and baroclinic. The low-order model is based on the t
runcated projection of the reference-model equations on the empirical ortho
gonal functions of its output. A closure term is shown to be essential for
good performance of the low-order model. This closure term is meant to repr
oduce all the neglected scales and all the scale interactions, mainly baroc
linic eddy forcing, that drive the large-scale flow. The closure is built a
s an empirically defined function of the large-scale flow of the model, rel
ying on an extensive previously computed library of tendency differences be
tween the full and truncated model. Two other parametrization schemes, a ti
me-mean and a stochastic one, are tested; comparisons of these two with the
former underline the importance of the how dependence of the formulation.
The low-order and reference models exhibit the same climate, as well as the
same low-frequency variability and weather regimes.