Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models

Abstract Climate models suffer from longstanding precipitation biases, much of which has been attributed to their atmospheric component owing to unrealistic parameterizations. Here we investigate precipitation biases in 37 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (AMIP6) models, focusing on...

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Main Authors: Honghai Zhang, Shang‐Ping Xie, Richard Seager, Siyu Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107181
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author Honghai Zhang
Shang‐Ping Xie
Richard Seager
Siyu Zhao
author_facet Honghai Zhang
Shang‐Ping Xie
Richard Seager
Siyu Zhao
author_sort Honghai Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Climate models suffer from longstanding precipitation biases, much of which has been attributed to their atmospheric component owing to unrealistic parameterizations. Here we investigate precipitation biases in 37 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (AMIP6) models, focusing on the Indo‐Pacific region during boreal summer. These models remain plagued by considerable precipitation biases, especially over regions of strong precipitation. In particular, 22 models overestimate the Asian‐Pacific monsoon precipitation, while 28 models underestimate the southern Indian Ocean Intertropical Convergence Zone precipitation. The inter‐model spread in summer precipitation is decomposed into Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs). The leading EOF mode features an anomalous anticyclone circulation spanning the Indo‐northwest Pacific oceans, which we show is energized by barotropic conversion from the confluence of the background monsoonal westerlies and trade‐wind easterlies. Our results suggest precipitation biases in atmospheric models, though caused by unrealistic parameterizations, are organized by dynamical feedbacks of the mean flow.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0094-8276
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publishDate 2024-03-01
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spelling doaj-art-2b7e54782f3b47bf9c4cdf172ddbfb5e2025-08-20T03:49:37ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-03-01516n/an/a10.1029/2023GL107181Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 ModelsHonghai Zhang0Shang‐Ping Xie1Richard Seager2Siyu Zhao3Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Houston Houston TX USAScripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA USALamont Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University Palisades NY USADepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Houston Houston TX USAAbstract Climate models suffer from longstanding precipitation biases, much of which has been attributed to their atmospheric component owing to unrealistic parameterizations. Here we investigate precipitation biases in 37 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (AMIP6) models, focusing on the Indo‐Pacific region during boreal summer. These models remain plagued by considerable precipitation biases, especially over regions of strong precipitation. In particular, 22 models overestimate the Asian‐Pacific monsoon precipitation, while 28 models underestimate the southern Indian Ocean Intertropical Convergence Zone precipitation. The inter‐model spread in summer precipitation is decomposed into Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs). The leading EOF mode features an anomalous anticyclone circulation spanning the Indo‐northwest Pacific oceans, which we show is energized by barotropic conversion from the confluence of the background monsoonal westerlies and trade‐wind easterlies. Our results suggest precipitation biases in atmospheric models, though caused by unrealistic parameterizations, are organized by dynamical feedbacks of the mean flow.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107181precipitation biasAMIP6atmospheric circulationIndo‐PacificITCZmonsoon
spellingShingle Honghai Zhang
Shang‐Ping Xie
Richard Seager
Siyu Zhao
Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models
Geophysical Research Letters
precipitation bias
AMIP6
atmospheric circulation
Indo‐Pacific
ITCZ
monsoon
title Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models
title_full Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models
title_fullStr Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models
title_full_unstemmed Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models
title_short Dynamical Constraint on Precipitation Biases Over the Indo‐Pacific Region During Boreal Summer in AMIP6 Models
title_sort dynamical constraint on precipitation biases over the indo pacific region during boreal summer in amip6 models
topic precipitation bias
AMIP6
atmospheric circulation
Indo‐Pacific
ITCZ
monsoon
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107181
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AT shangpingxie dynamicalconstraintonprecipitationbiasesovertheindopacificregionduringborealsummerinamip6models
AT richardseager dynamicalconstraintonprecipitationbiasesovertheindopacificregionduringborealsummerinamip6models
AT siyuzhao dynamicalconstraintonprecipitationbiasesovertheindopacificregionduringborealsummerinamip6models