“Noise” in climatologically driven ocean models with different grid resolution
Shengquan Tang,
Hans von Storch,
Xueen Chen,
Meng Zhang
Affiliations
Shengquan Tang
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Institute of Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht, Germany
Hans von Storch
Institute of Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht, Germany; College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Corresponding author at: Institute of Coastal Research, Helmholtz Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht, 21502, Germany. Tel.: +49 40 4192 4472; fax: +49 (0)41 52 87-1403.
Xueen Chen
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
Meng Zhang
Institute of Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht, Germany
Summary: The internally generated variability in the climate system, which is unrelated to any external factors, can be conceptualized as “noise”. This noise is a constitutive element of high-dimensional nonlinear models of such systems. In a three-layer nested simulation, which is forced by climatological (periodic) atmospheric forcing and includes an (almost) global model, a West-Pacific model, and South China Sea (SCS) model, we demonstrate that such “noise” builds also ocean models. They generate variability by themselves without an external forcing. The “noise” generation intensifies with higher resolution, which favors macroturbulence. Keywords: “Noise”, Internal variability, South China Sea, Eddies, Model resolution
