The Tropical Cyclone Climate Model Intercomparison Project

Climate models are known to generate tropical lows that have many of the characteristics of observed tropical cyclones. This intercomparison project aims to make recommendations regarding the best formulation of such models so that they produce the most realistic simulation of tropical lows. Climate model output is analyzed with consistent metrics that are known to be related to the characteristics of observed tropical cyclones. Preliminary results suggest that the dynamical formulation of climate models appears to be at least as important for the generation of tropical lows as the specification of cumulus parameterization. There are systematic biases that appear in most models: for instance, most models simulate less than observed tropical low generation in the Atlantic. As expected, the ability of models to generate realistic lows improves with resolution.