A new coupled general circulation climate model developed at the Met Office's Hadley Centre is presented, and aspects of its performance in climate simulations run for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC AR4) documented with reference to previous models. The Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model version 1 (HadGEM1) is built around a new atmospheric dynamical core; uses higher resolution than the previous Hadley Centre model, HadCM3; and contains several improvements in its formulation including interactive atmospheric aerosols (sulphate, black carbon, biomass burning, and sea salt) plus their direct and indirect effects. The ocean component also has higher resolution and incorporates a sea ice component more advanced than HadCM3 in terms of both dynamics and thermodynamics. HadGEM1 thus permits experiments including some interactive processes not feasible with HadCM3. The simulation of present-day mean climate in HadGEM1 is significantly better overall in comparison to HadCM3, although some deficiencies exist in the simulation of tropical climate and El Niño variability. We quantify the overall improvement using a quasi-objective climate index encompassing a range of atmospheric, oceanic, and sea ice variables. It arises partly from higher resolution but also from greater fidelity in modeling dynamical and physical processes, for example, in the representation of clouds and sea ice. HadGEM1 has a similar effective climate sensitivity (2.8 K) to a CO2 doubling as HadCM3 (3.1 K), although there are significant regional differences in their response patterns, especially in the Tropics. HadGEM1 is anticipated to be used as the basis both for higher-resolution and higher-complexity Earth System studies in the near future.

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We use a numerical nonlinear multigrid magnetic relaxation technique to investigate the generation of current sheets in three-dimensional magnetic flux braiding experiments. We are able to catalogue the relaxed nonlinear force-free equilibria resulting from the application of deformations to an initially undisturbed region of plasma containing a uniform, vertical magnetic field. The deformations are manifested by imposing motions on the bounding planes to which the magnetic field is anchored. Once imposed the new distribution of magnetic footpoints are then taken to be fixed, so that the rest of the plasma must then relax to a new equilibrium configuration. For the class of footpoint motions we have examined, we find that singular and nonsingular equilibria can be generated. By singular we mean that within the limits imposed by numerical resolution we find that there is no convergence to a well-defined equilibrium as the number of grid points in the numerical domain is increased. These singular equilibria contain current "sheets" of ever-increasing current intensity and decreasing width; they occur when the footpoint motions exceed a certain threshold, and must include both twist and shear to be effective. On the basis of these results we contend that flux braiding will indeed result in significant current generation. We discuss the implications of our results for coronal heating.

The development of an adaptive (in space and time) ocean model from an existing adaptive finite-volume Navier-Stokes model is described. A flexible and efficient quadtree spatial discretisation is used which requires collocation of all variables (i.e. an A-grid discretisation). We demonstrate that the use of an approximate projection method allows for implicit damping of instabilities generally associated with the A-grid, at the expense of a relatively small amount of numerical energy dissipation, while accurately preserving dispersive properties and geostrophic balance. The finite-volume formulation also maintains second-order spatial accuracy at all solid boundaries. Test cases demonstrate the efficacy of the adaptive ocean model, and the advantages it has in terms of efficient representation of multi-scale behaviour within a single model. The model is freely available as open-source code. * (s.popinet|g.rickard)@niwa.co.nz

The cold, linear, resistive, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations are used to study the dynamics of current accumulation at a three-dimensional magnetic null. The particular null under study is axisymmetric about its so-called spine axis, allowing a decomposition into azimuthal modes labeled by mode number m. Analysis shows that the axisymmetric perturbations (m\0) can lead to a current parallel to the spine axis at the null, while the m\1 mode produces currents orthogonal to the spine axis at the null (in the so-called fan plane). For all the modes with m[1, there is no current accumulation at the null. The dynamic processes involved in producing these currents are revealed using numerical simulations. In particular, it is found that the m\1 mode leads to motions across both the fan plane and the spine axis regardless of whether the initially imposed disturbances are restricted to be across either the fan plane or the spine axis. The m\1 mode efficiently focuses the excess magnetic energy in toward the null, and therefore we consider it to be the prime reconnective mode in three dimensions. In attempting to understand magnetic reconnection at a three-dimensional null, it is clearly important to detail the currents that can be produced. This we have done within the framework of the linear theory. We discuss the implications of these results for reconnection in the solar corona in the presence of Ðnite-amplitude Ðelds and Ñows.

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An assessment is made of the ability of CMIP5 models to represent the seasonal biogeochemical cycles over the late twentieth century in the southwest Pacific Ocean. In particular, sea surface temperature (SST), surface chlorophyll a, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and the depth of the seasonal thermocline, are examined to quantify the physical‐biogeochemical capabilities of each model; the result is a “ranking” estimate enabling model ensemble generation. The better/less ranked ensembles we refer to as inner/outer, respectively. The ensembles then allow less well‐observed variables such as iron and vertically integrated primary production to be assessed. The assessment establishes model output confidence limits for setting bounds on future model scenario ecosystem change projections. By the end of the twenty first century under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) RCP4.5 and/or RCP8.5, our best estimates suggest that there will be average domain wide increases in SST and surface iron, but average decreases in surface chlorophyll a, nitrate, and phosphate, accompanied by relatively large decreases in the depth of the seasonal thermocline (all changes realized by both ensembles). On the other hand, for surface silicate the inner ensemble suggests general declines, and vice versa for the outer ensemble. For integrated primary production, the ensembles predict declines in subtropical water, but elsewhere generally less significant changes.

We investigate the individual and joint decadal variability of Southern Ocean state quantities, such as the strength of the Ross and Weddell Gyres, Drake Passage transport, and sea ice area, using the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research UK Chemistry and Aerosols (NIWA‐UKCA) model and CMIP5 models. Variability in these quantities is stimulated by strong deep reaching convective events in the Southern Ocean, which produce an Antarctic Bottom Water‐like water mass and affect the large‐scale meridional density structure in the Southern Ocean. An increase in the (near) surface stratification, due to freshwater forcing, can be a precondition for subsequent strong convection activity. The combination of enhanced‐gyre driven sea ice and freshwater export, as well as ongoing subsurface heat accumulation, lead to a time lag between changes in oceanic freshwater and heat content. This causes an ongoing weakening of the stratification until sudden strong mixing events emerge and the heat is released to the atmosphere. We find that strong convection reduces sea ice cover, weakens the subpolar gyres, increases the meridional density gradient and subsequently results in a positive Drake Passage transport anomaly. Results of available CMIP5 models confirm that variability in sea ice, Drake Passage transport, and the Weddell Gyre strength is enhanced if models show strong open ocean convective events. Consistent relationships between convection, sea ice, Drake Passage transport, and Ross Gyre strength variability are evident in most models, whether or not they host open ocean convection.