Comparison of sea ice simulations with interactive and monthly averaged forcing models

Abstract

A dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model is developed and coupled with the "21 wave 9 level" Melbourne University general circulation model to simulate the seasonal cycle of the global sea ice distribution. We have run the coupled system and obtained a creditable seasonal simulation of global sea ice. When monthly averaged atmospheric data (taken from the mean of the coupled run) are used to force the sea ice model, the seasonal cycle of sea ice extent (to the outer ice edge) is quite similar to that simulated in the interactive run. However, the actual sea ice covered area (i.e., excluding leads) differs considerably between the two simulations. Sea ice is more compact in the monthly averaged ..