The Nature of Predictability Enhancement in a Low-Order Ocean-Atmosphere Model

Abstract

A low-order moist general circulation model of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system is reexamined to determine the source of short-term predictability enhancement that occurs when an oceanic circulation is activated. The predictability enhancement is found to originate predominantly in thermodynamic processes involving changes in the mean hydrologic cycle of the model, which arise because the mean sea surface temperature is altered by the oceanic circulation. Thus, time-dependent sea surface temperature anomalies forced by anomalous geostrophic currents in the altered mean conditions do not contribute to the dominant ocean-atmosphere feed-back mechanism that causes the predictability enhancement in the model.