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[NOAA bullet] What are the equilibrium climate sensitivities associated with the GFDL CM2.0 and CM2.1 climate models?  

The equilibrium climate sensitivity associated with CM2.0 is 2.9K, and for CM2.1 it is 3.4K.

This, and other information about the CM2.0 and CM2.1 models can be found in documentation and manuscripts located on the CM2.x references web page. More specifically, the climate sensitivity values can be found on page 4 of the Delworth et al. manuscript titled GFDL's CM2 global coupled climate models - Part 1: Formulation and simulation characteristics.

To evaluate equilibrium climate sensitivity, the atmosphere, land, and sea ice components of either CM2.0 and CM2.1 were coupled to a slab mixed layer ocean model. First, an equilibrium solution was achieved with atmospheric carbon dioxide levels held constant at "control" (1xCO2) levels. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were then doubled and the model allowed to re-equilibrate. The difference between the global mean surface air temperatures of the two solutions (i.e., 2xC02 minus 1xCO2 global mean surface air temperatures) is termed the equilibrium climate sensitivity.

Questions related to the GFDL CM2.x models may be directed to…


[email GFDL.Climate.Model.Info at noaa dot gov]