Defining metrics of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in global climate models

• Published in: Geoscientific Model Development Vol. 10; no. 6; pp. 2157 - 2168
• Main Authors: Schenzinger, Verena, Osprey, Scott, Gray, Lesley, Butchart, Neal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 08.06.2017; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Behavior; Chemical activity; Climate; Climate change; Climate models; Computer simulation; Datasets; Global climate; Global climate models; Gravitational waves; Intercomparison; Laboratories; Morphology; Quasi-biennial oscillation; Radiosondes; Simulation; Stratosphere; Stratospheric circulation; Temperature; Time series; Tropical climate
• ISSN: 1991-9603; 1991-959X; 1991-962X; 1991-9603; 1991-962X
• DOI: 10.5194/gmd-10-2157-2017

As the dominant mode of variability in the tropical stratosphere, the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) has been subject to extensive research. Though there is a well-developed theory of this phenomenon being forced by wave–mean flow interaction, simulating the QBO adequately in global climate models still remains difficult. This paper presents a set of metrics to characterize the morphology of the QBO using a number of different reanalysis datasets and the FU Berlin radiosonde observation dataset. The same metrics are then calculated from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 and Chemistry-Climate Model Validation Activity 2 simulations which included a representation of QBO-like behaviour to evaluate which aspects of the QBO are well captured by the models and which ones remain a challenge for future model development.