Abstract Volume 16 Issue 2/3 (2000) pp 201-211
National Climate Centre, Bureau of Meteorology, GPO Box
1289K, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052 Australia E-mail: d.walland@bom.gou.au
(2) Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre
(3) Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation
Division of Atmospheric Research
Received: 29 August 1998 / Accepted: 31 July 1999
Abstract A 1000 year integration of the CSIRO coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model is used to study low frequency (decadal to centennial) climate variability in precipitation and temperature. The model is shown to exhibit sizeable decadal variability for these fields, generally accounting for approximately 20 to 40% of the variability (greater than one year) in precipitation and up to 80% for temperature. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is applied to the model output to show some of the major statistical modes of low frequency variability. The first EOF spatial pattern looks very much like that of the interannual ENSO pattern. It bears considerable resemblance to observational estimates and is centred in the Pacific extending into both hemispheres. It modulates both precipitation and temperature globally. The EOF has a time evolution that appears to be more than just red noise. Finally, the link between SST in the Pacific with Australian rainfall variability seen in observations is also evident in the model.
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Online publication: January 27, 2000
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2000