The first version of the Canadian Global Coupled Model, CGCM1, and its control climate are described by Flato et al. (1999). The atmospheric component of the model is essentially GCMII described by McFarlane et al. (1992). It is a spectral model with triangular truncation at wave number 32 (yielding a surface grid resolution of roughly 3.7ºx3.7º) and 10 vertical levels. The ocean component is based on the GFDL MOM1.1 code and has a resolution of approximately 1.8ºx1.8º and 29 vertical levels. A multi-century control simulation with the coupled model has been performed using the present-day CO2 concentration to evaluate the stability of the coupled model's climate, and to compare the modelled climate and its variability to that observed.
The experiment from which results are used here consists of a climate change simulation in which historical greenhouse gas forcing from 1860 to 1990 is followed by a 1% per annum increase in radiative forcing (CO2 equivalent concentration) from 1990 to 2099 (see Boer et al., 2000; Flato et al., 2000). We acquired the results from this experiment from the IPCC Data Distribution Centre in 1999. The greenhouse gas only change fields used in SCENGEN are calculated as the difference in climate between the 30-year means of years 2071-2100 and 1961-90 in the greenhouse gas only forced simulation. The global warming by 2071-2100, with respect to 1961-90, was 4.9deg C and the increase in global precipitation was 5.54%, yielding a global precipitation sensitivity of 1.1% per degree Celsius warming. The climate sensitivity of the same atmospheric model, coupled to a mixed-layer ocean, was estimated to be 3.5deg C.
Mean monthly precipitation pattern correlation coefficient = 0.61
Boer,G.J., Flato,G.M., Reader,M.C. and Ramsden,D. (2000) Transient climate change simulation with historical and projected greenhouse gas and aerosol forcing Climate Dynamics (in press)
Flato,G.M., Boer,G.J., Lee,W.G., McFarlane,N.A., Ramsden, D., Reader, M.C. and Weaver, A.J. (2000) The Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis Global Coupled Model and its Climate Climate Dynamics (in press)