Articles | Volume 25, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-25-605-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-25-605-2018
Research article
 | 
30 Aug 2018
Research article |  | 30 Aug 2018

Comparison of stochastic parameterizations in the framework of a coupled ocean–atmosphere model

Jonathan Demaeyer and Stéphane Vannitsem

Abstract. A new framework is proposed for the evaluation of stochastic subgrid-scale parameterizations in the context of the Modular Arbitrary-Order Ocean-Atmosphere Model (MAOOAM), a coupled ocean–atmosphere model of intermediate complexity. Two physically based parameterizations are investigated – the first one based on the singular perturbation of Markov operators, also known as homogenization. The second one is a recently proposed parameterization based on Ruelle's response theory. The two parameterizations are implemented in a rigorous way, assuming however that the unresolved-scale relevant statistics are Gaussian. They are extensively tested for a low-order version known to exhibit low-frequency variability (LFV), and some preliminary results are obtained for an intermediate-order version. Several different configurations of the resolved–unresolved-scale separations are then considered. Both parameterizations show remarkable performances in correcting the impact of model errors, being even able to change the modality of the probability distributions. Their respective limitations are also discussed.

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Short summary
We investigate the modeling of the effects of the unresolved scales on the large scales of the coupled ocean–atmosphere model MAOOAM. Two different physically based stochastic methods are considered and compared, in various configurations of the model. Both methods show remarkable performances and are able to model fundamental changes in the model dynamics. Ways to improve the parameterizations' implementation are also proposed.