Spatial Correlations in General Circulation Models and Observation Reanalysis

The purpose of this study was to research the geographical structure and time evolution of spatial correlations of general circulation models, energy balance models, observations and reanalysis, as well as provide comparisons amongst them. This study analyzed five GCM pre-industrial control runs of at least 500 years, 132 years of observational data and 65 years of reanalysis data. After the seasons were removed the data were averaged in several different time scales and the correlation structures were calculated at several locations on the planet. Comparisons of the results revealed both similarities and differences between the models, stochastic theory and reanalysis data, with the largest differences occurring over ocean at long time averages. Several models show drastic differences between correlation structures and their evolution.