Stratospheric water vapour and high climate sensitivity in a version of the HadSM3 climate model

Joshi, M. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2948-2811, Webb, M. J., Maycock, A. C. and Collins, M. (2010) Stratospheric water vapour and high climate sensitivity in a version of the HadSM3 climate model. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10 (15). pp. 7161-7167. ISSN 1680-7324

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Abstract

It has been shown previously that one member of the Met Office Hadley Centre single-parameter perturbed physics ensemble – the so-called "low entrainment parameter" member – has a much higher climate sensitivity than other individual parameter perturbations. Here we show that the concentration of stratospheric water vapour in this member is over three times higher than observations, and, more importantly for climate sensitivity, increases significantly when climate warms. The large surface temperature response of this ensemble member is more consistent with stratospheric humidity change, rather than upper tropospheric clouds as has been previously suggested. The direct relationship between the bias in the control state (elevated stratospheric humidity) and the cause of the high climate sensitivity (a further increase in stratospheric humidity) lends further doubt as to the realism of this particular integration. This, together with other evidence, lowers the likelihood that the climate system's physical sensitivity is significantly higher than the likely upper range quoted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment Report.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Climatic Research Unit Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Harvey
Date Deposited:	01 Feb 2012 11:42
Last Modified:	15 Jun 2023 23:46
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/36702
DOI:	10.5194/acp-10-7161-2010

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