Atmospheric simulations of the 1982-83 ENSO episode

Atmospheric simulations with the NCAR Community Climate Model of the 1982 to 1983 El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episode are summarized. Five simulations of the response to the tropical sea surface temperature anomaly pattern evolving through the 20-month period beginning in September, 1981 were completed. Each simulation began from a different year in a 5 yr control run. Ensemble-averaged fields were formed by taking at each grid point the average of the variable over all five realizations. For selected fields, maps of the difference between the ensemble averages for the experiment and the control were generated. Evolution of the seasonal (3 month) average of the precipitation anomaly, vector wind anomaly, and 200 mb height anomaly for winter is shown.