Midlatitude Static Stability in Simple and Comprehensive General Circulation Models

Abstract The static stability of the extratropical troposphere is examined in two atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs) over idealized boundary conditions, with emphasis on the role of moisture in determining the midlatitude stability. The determination of the static stability is compared within two models: an idealized moist model with simplified representations of radiative transfer and other physical processes, and a comprehensive GCM with full physics. The GCMs are run over a zonally symmetric, fixed sea surface temperature (SST) aquaplanet surface, with a multitude of SST distributions to study the response of the extratropical static stability over a wide parameter range. In both models, the dry static stability averaged over the midlatitudes increases both with increases in the meridional temperature gradients, and with increases in the mean SST. These changes in static stability are compared with both moist theories and dry theories. Dry baroclinic eddy theories are invalid for the entire ...

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