1. What controls the total heat transport in CMIP3 models Aaron Donohoe AGU 2010 – 12/12/2010

2. Heat Transport Spread In Climate Models Observations Peak Heat Transport Histograms

3. Understanding heat transport 5.7 PW Heat Transport = - 8.1 PW 2.4 PW ASR*OLR*

4. Model heat transport spread in terms of OLR* and ASR*

5. Understanding ASR*

6. Heat transport and planetary albedo

7. What determines the amount of solar radiation reflected at the top of the atmosphere? Earth’s Surface Atmosphere Solar Incident Reflected by Atmosphere Reflected by Surface

8. Zonal Mean Planetary albedo partition (observations are dark models dotted and light).

9. Heat transport and cloud reflection

10. Conclusions The model spread in heat transport is due to gradients in net solar radiation (ASR*) Gradients in net solar radiation are due to gradients in Planetary Albedo Gradients in Planetary Albedo are due to the simulated cloud distribution Cloud’s determine Heat Transport We explained a dynamic quantity without invoking dynamics- do dynamics play an active or passive role in determining the radiative fields?