Simulation of the Diurnal Cycle of Outgoing Longwave Radiation with an Atmospheric GCM

Abstract

Results are presented from an integration of the U.K. Meteorological Office 11-Layer Atmospheric General Circulation Model, with emphasis on the simulation of the diurnal cycle of the outgoing longwave radiation. The model reproduces many of the feature which have been noted from observational studies with satellite data. It is argued that such comparisons between models and observations have considerable potential not only for validating the cloud and other parameterization schemes used in models but also for understanding the origin of the observed variations.