Evaluation of ENSO simulations in CMIP5 models: A new perspective based on percolation phase transition in complex networks.

ABSTRACT: In this study, the performance of CMIP5 models in simulating the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is evaluated by using a new metric based on percolation theory. The surface air temperatures (SATs) over the tropical Pacific Ocean are constructed as a SAT network, and the nodes within the network are linked if they are highly connected (e.g., high correlations). It has been confirmed from reanalysis datasets that the SAT network undergoes an abrupt percolation phase transition when the influences of the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) below are strong enough. However, from simulations of the CMIP5 models, most models are found incapable of capturing the observed phase transition at a proper critical point P_c. For the 15 considered models, four even miss the phase tra

SUBMITTER: Lu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175830 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature