Simulation of the westerly jet axis in boreal winter by the climate system model FGOALS-g2

Abstract

The major features of the westerly jets in boreal winter, consisting of the Middle East jet stream (MEJS), East Asian jet stream (EAJS) and North Atlantic jet stream (NAJS), simulated by a newly developed climate system model, were evaluated with an emphasis on the meridional location of the westerly jet axis (WJA). The model was found to exhibit fairly good performance in simulating the EAJS and NAJS, whereas the MEJS was much weaker and indistinguishable in the model. Compared with the intensity bias, the southward shift of the WJA seems to be a more remarkable deficiency. From the perspective of Ertel potential vorticity, the profiles along different westerly jet cores in the model were similar with those in the reanalysis but all shifted southward, indicating an equatorward displacement of the dynamic tropopause and associated climatology. Diagnosis of the thermodynamic equation revealed that the model produced an overall stronger heating source and the streamfunction quantifying the convection and overturning Hadley circulation shifted southward significantly in the middle and upper troposphere. The two maximum centers of eddy kinetic energy, corresponding to the EAJS and NAJS, were reproduced, whereas they all shifted southwards with a much reduced intensity. A lack of transient eddy activity will reduce the efficiency of poleward heat transport, which may partially contribute to the meridionally non-uniform cooling in the middle and upper troposphere. As the WJA is closely related to the location of the Hadley cell, tropopause and transient eddy activity, the accurate simulation of westerly jets will greatly improve the atmospheric general circulation and associated climatology in the model.