The aim of this research is to increase the understanding of the processes that control the distribution of evaporation and precipitation and their difference in the Atlantic region and in particular that the atmosphere gives a net export of water vapour from that basin. This export is vital to the existence and stability of the oceanic thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic. Contrast will be made with the Pacific Ocean region in which the atmosphere imports water. The research will be pursued through detailed analysis of the new ERA-40 data set, fundamental experimentation with an atmospheric GCM and analysis of data sets from climate change experiments.
Project Duration: 1 Nov 2003 - 31 Oct 2006
This project is funded by NERC - Grant Ref. NER/T/S/2002/00441 - through the RAPID Climate Change NERC directed mode programme.
The HadAM3 model will be used in two modes
It is unlikely that there will be much interest in the highly idealised aqua planet output for the rest of the RAPID community. However, some of the palaeo projects may be interested in storm tracks and moisture pattern effects and access to the output from the full climate model runs would be useful.
It is possible that a standard set of atmospheric diagnostics will be applied to other models such as HadCM3, HadGEM and HiGEM
Data and software supplied from this project to the BADC will be stored in the BADC RAPID archive.
Access to the archive is currently restricted to participants to this particular project. If you are a programme participant and would like to access this RAPID project data, then please apply for access* to the RAPID data.
You will be requested to abide by the
RAPID Climate Change Data Policy.
Data management, availability and use are ruled by the
RAPID Climate Change Programme Data Management Plan
(PDF document).
Access to Hadley Centre model data held at the BADC is subject to the signature of the NERC-Met Office agreement.
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