A comparison of a GCM simulation of the seasonal cycle of the atmosphere with observations part I: Mean fields and the annual harmonic

Abstract

The seasonal cycle of the GLAS/U of Maryland GCM is analysed in terms of the behaviour of the monthly and seasonal mean fields and the structure of the annual harmonic. (The stationary and transient eddies are treated in a companion paper.)

Both polar regions at upper levels are much too cold in the annual mean, leading to excessive zonal winds above 200 mb. The problem is present in all seasons, but is most severe in local winter. A compensating belt of warm temperatures at lower latitudes is found. It is argued that the inclusion of gravity wave drag is not necessarily the solution to this problem.

The simulated annual harmonics of Northern Hemisphere sea‐level pressure and 200‐mb heights are realistically intense over the eastern continents and weak over the eastern oceans. Problems in the simulation include the anomalously deep Aleutian low and the low values of the height over Europe, both occurring in winter.

The simulation of the annual harmonic in sea‐level pressure and 200‐mb heights in the Southern Hemisphere is realistic. The GCM fails to show the observed amplitude of the annual harmonic in 200‐mb temperature over Antarctica.

The GCM precipitation is too intense over land, particularly in summer. It is suggested that the problem is related to the parametrizations of moist convection and the boundary layer. The seasonal patterns of precipitation over the western tropical Pacific are generally realistic.

There is no evidence that the GCM systematically underestimates momentum flux convergence.     

A comparison of a GCM simulation of the seasonal cycle of the atmosphere with observations part II: Stationary waves and transient fluctuations

Abstract

This paper presents the seasonal dependence of the stationary and transient eddies of the GLAS/UMD GCM from a two‐year annual cycle integration.

The simulated Northern Hemisphere stationary waves are realistic in winter (below 250 mb) and in spring and fall; in winter a large anomalous ridge over the date‐line is noted above 250 mb. The model does not simulate the winter barotropic trough over eastern Canada. In summer the mid‐latitude stationary waves are poorly simulated (possibly owing to anomalous summer rainfall), but the monsoonal structure in the tropics is captured.

The stationary wave field at 500 mb in the Southern Hemisphere is not well simulated, with the range of season‐to‐season variability being much larger than observed. The zonally averaged stationary wave rms is realistic below 200 mb in winter and spring, but is less so in summer and autumn, possibly due to erroneous summertime precipitation.

The geographical distributions of 500‐mb transient and band‐pass height rms, of transient 850‐mb heat flux and of 200‐mb momentum flux in the Northern Hemisphere are well simulated except for summer. The latitude‐height dependence of height rms and low‐level transient heat flux is realistic in both summer and winter, but the transient momentum flux is not well simulated in summer. The mid‐level transient heat flux is too strong.

The overall pattern of transient activity at 500 mb in the Southern Hemisphere is reasonable in the GCM, although there is too much variability in the eastern Pacific, while the observed peak in rms in the New Zealand sector is displaced eastwards in the GCM. The latitude‐height dependence of transient height rms and transient fluxes of heat and momentum looks quite realistic, and is similar in accuracy to the Northern Hemispheric results.     

Simulation and Analysis of China Climate Using Two-Way Interactive Atmosphere-Vegetation Model （RIEMS-AVIM）

In this paper, an Atmosphere-Vegetation Interaction Model （AVIM） is coupled to the Regional Integrated Environment Model System （RIEMS）, and a 10-year integration for China is performed using the RIEMS-AVIM. The analysis of the results of the 10-year integration shows that the characters of the spatial distributions of temperature and precipitation over China are well simulated. The patterns of simulated surface sensible and latent heat fluxes match well with the spatial climatological atlas： the values of winter surface sensible and latent heat fluxes are both lower than climatological values over the whole country. Summer surface sensible heat flux is higher than climatological values in western China and lower in eastern China, while summer surface latent heat flux is higher than climatological values in the eastern and lower in the western. Seasonal variations of simulated temperature and precipitation of RIMES-AVIM agree with those of the observed. Simulated temperature is lower than the observed in the Tibetan Plateau and Northwest China for the whole year, slightly lower in the remaining regions in winter, but consistent with the observed in summer. The simulated temperature of RIEMS-AVIM is higher in winter and lower in summer than that of RIEMS, which shows that the simulated temperature of RIEMS-AVIM is closer to the observed value. Simulated precipitation is excessive in the first half of the year, but consistent with the observed in the second half of the year. The simulated summer precipitation of RIEMS-AVIM has significant improvement compared to that of RIEMS, which is less and closer to the observed value. The interannual variations of temperature and precipitation are also fairly well simulated, with temperature simulation being superior to precipitation simulation. The interannual variation of simulated temperature is significantly correlated with the observed in Northeast China, the Transition Region, South China, and the Tibetan Plateau, but the correlation between precipitation simu     

ENERGY BUDGET BIAS IN GLOBAL COUPLED OCEAN-ATMOSPHERE-LAND MODEL*

The energy budget of the two versions of the GOALS model (GOALS-1.1 and GOALS-2) is described and compared to observational estimates.The results illustrate that the simulated surface net shortwave radiation flux is underestimated in the high-latitude regions while the surface net longwave radiation flux is substantially overestimated in that region,which results in the lower surface air temperature (SAT) of the polar region and the stronger negative sensible heat flux in high latitudes.The overestimated sensible heat flux from surface to atmosphere in the continents causes the much warmer SAT centers,which may be the reason for the bias of the model SAT. The bias that the simulated precipitation is less than observation in most regions is closely related to the underestimated latent heat flux over most of the Eurasian Continent and the oceans, especially over the subtropical oceans.It can be seen that the bias in the OLR of the two models lies in low and middle latitudes,where the absorbed solar shortwave radiation flux at the top of the atmosphere is comparable to the NCEP reanalysis,but much less than ERBE data.This indicates that the improvement of cloud-radiation parameterization scheme in low and middle latitudes is of critical importance to the simulation of global energy budget.The simulated cloud cover from the GOALS-2 model with diagnosed cloud scheme is generally less except at equatorial areas, especially in the mid-latitude areas,which causes the large bias of energy budget there.It is suggested that the refinement of cloud parameterization is one of the most important tasks in the model's future development.     

Mean annual poleward energy transports by the oceans in the southern hemisphere

A survey is made of the published estimates of the components of the poleward flux of energy by the atmosphere in the Southern Hemisphere in order to determine the total atmospheric transport. Together with recent measurements by satellite of the Earth's radiation budget this allows a new estimate of the required poleward energy transport by the oceans in the Southern Hemisphere for mean annual conditions. Results show that the ocean and atmosphere each contribute similar amounts for 0–30°S and that the ocean probably also transports about one third of the total at 60°S. The latter is in contrast to similar latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere where the ocean transport is negligible, but consistent with the different distribution of land and sea in the two hemispheres.     

热带太平洋和印度洋热源对大气影响的季节变化特征

本文利用1970—1979年COADS2°×2°格点月平均资料,计算了30°S—30°N热带太平洋和印度洋洋面上的有效长波辐射、感热和潜热通量以及它们的季节变化和年变化。结果指出:在冬季半球热带海洋外侧有大量的长波辐射、感热和潜热向大气输送,输送通量的季节变化大;热带太平洋地区西北部热通量的季节变化最大,赤道洋面地区热通量的年变化最小,潜热是洋面上热量输送的最大项,季节变化也最大;感热的输送量虽不及有效长波辐射,但其季节变化与有效长波辐射的变化相当;赤道地区是有效长波辐射和潜热通量的低值区,暖池地区是有效长波辐射的低值中心,靠近秘鲁海域的东南赤道太平洋是感热通量的负值区;热带太平洋西北部和阿拉伯海、孟加拉湾地区的热通量及年、季变化与亚洲季风有密切的关系,同时对我国和南亚地区的气候有重要的影响。      

海-陆-气全球耦合模式能量收支的误差

通过分析GOALS模式两个版本GOALS 1.1和GOALS 2的能量收支 ,并与观测对比 ,结果表明 :模式模拟的地表净短波辐射通量在高纬地区偏低 ,而净长波辐射通量又偏高 ,导致极地表面温度偏低 ,感热通量在高纬地区为很高的负值。而在陆地上感热加热作用显著偏强 ,使地表有较大的向上净能量给大气 ,引起陆地上有些暖中心也偏强 ,这也解释了模式模拟地表面空气温度场的误差原因。海洋上潜热通量偏低 ,特别是在副热带洋面上偏少更明显。陆地上的欧亚和北美大陆大部分地区潜热通量仍偏低。这也是模式降水在大部分地区偏少的重要原因。两模式大气顶OLR偏低的模拟主要是在中低纬度 ,大气顶净短波辐射通量的模拟在中低纬度虽然与NCEP结果接近 ,但与地球辐射收支试验ERBE资料比较仍偏小较多 ,说明改进中低纬度云 辐射参数化方案对改进全球能量收支的模拟有重要意义。GOALS 2模式中诊断云方案模拟的云量除赤道地区外普遍偏小 ,尤以中纬度为甚 ,造成那里能量收支出现大的误差 ,这表明了更好的云参数化方案的引入是今后模式发展的重要任务之一     

土壤湿度年际异常对中国春、夏季气候模拟的影响

基于NCAR大气模式CAM3.1模式,设计了有、无土壤湿度年际异常两组试验对中国区域近40a(1961-2000年)气候进行了模拟。从气候态和年际变率的角度,通过分析两组试验的差值场来探讨土壤湿度年际异常对气候模拟的影响,并初步探讨了影响的可能机制。结果表明:模式模拟的温度和降水对土壤湿度的年际异常非常敏感,土壤湿度的年际变化对中国春夏季气候及其年际变率均有显著影响。当不考虑土壤湿度年际异常时,模式模拟的春夏季平均温度、最高温度、最低温度在我国大范围内降低,春夏季降水在东部大部分地区明显减少,西部增加。而模式模拟的春夏季温度、降水年际变率在中国大部分地区减弱。但当考虑土壤湿度的年际变化,则能在一定程度上提高模式对气候年际变率的模拟能力。在进一步分析表明土壤湿度年际异常时,主要通过改变地表能量通量和环流场,对温度、降水产生影响。当不考虑土壤湿度年际异常时,地表净辐射通量减少,地表温度降低,感热通量减少。感热通量差值场的空间变化和温度差值场的空间变化一致,感热通量对温度有一定影响。而潜热通量差值场的空间变化和降水的差值场的空间变化一致,可见降水受地表潜热通量的影响。土壤湿度年际异常引起的环流场的变化也是导致气候变化的原因之一,地表能量和环流场年际变率的改变对春夏季气候年际变率存在一定影响。     

七月中、低纬地区定常波动和加热场的模拟特征

本文利用P-σ混合坐标原始分程球带模式的最新版本,对七月中、低纬地区的定常波动及非绝热加热场进行了数值模拟。结果表明,模式成功地模拟出了北半球夏季对流层中波数为2的定常波动。高层波峰出现在大陆,波谷出现在海洋上,低层则相反。南半球的副热带高压带也模拟出来了。降水量的模拟也是成功的,特别是位于ITCZ中的积云对流性降水。加热场的模拟结果指出,七月份的热源区除了主要分布在北半球的几个主要大陆上,还分布在热带海洋上ITCZ所在区;其余的广大洋面则显示出冷源的性质。其中热带海洋的热源以潜热加热为主(主要分布于大气的中高层),大陆上的热源有的以感热为主(主要分布于大气的低层),有的仍以潜热加热贡献较大。海洋的冷源是由长波辐射冷却造成的。      

Coupling of latent heat flux and the greenhouse effect by large-scale tropical/subtropical dynamics diagnosed in a set of observations and model simulations

Coupled variability of the greenhouse effect (GH) and latent heat flux (LHF) over the tropical – subtropical oceans is described, summarized and compared in observations and a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (CGCM). Coupled seasonal and interannual modes account for much of the total variability in both GH and LHF. In both observations and model, seasonal coupled variability is locally 180° out-of-phase throughout the tropics. Moisture is brought into convergent/convective regions from remote source areas located partly in the opposite, non-convective hemisphere. On interannual time scales, the tropical Pacific GH in the ENSO region of largest interannual variance is 180° out of phase with local LHF in observations but in phase in the model. A local source of moisture is thus present in the model on interannual time scales while in observations, moisture is mostly advected from remote source regions. The latent cooling and radiative heating of the surface as manifested in the interplay of LHF and GH is an important determinant of the current climate. Moreover, the hydrodynamic processes involved in the GH–LHF interplay determine in large part the climate response to external perturbations mainly through influencing the water vapor feedback but also through their intimate connection to the hydrological cycle. The diagnostic process proposed here can be performed on other CGCMs. Similarly, it should be repeated using a number of observational latent heat flux datasets to account for the variability in the different satellite retrievals. A realistic CGCM could be used to further study these coupled dynamics in natural and anthropogenically altered climate conditions.     

The Interannual Variability and Predictability in a Global Climate Model

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Fluxes of latent heat over the oceans: climatological studies and application of satellite observations

A short review is given of the different methods by which latent heat fluxes (or evaporation) over oceans are determined. In more detail, the applicability of the bulk aerodynamical formula is discussed. This formula is mainly used for climatological studies of heat fluxes and for the application of satellite data. As an example, for climatological studies we selected the work of Isemer and Hasse, who did a re-processing of the so-called Bunker data set to determine heat fluxes over the North Atlantic Ocean. In order to check their results, Isemer and Hasse calculated the annual mean heat budget for each latitudinal delt and derived from it the required ocean heat transport. With the aid of inverse modelling, the derived ocean transport was compared with the observed ocean transport and some of the used coefficients (e.g. bulk coefficients for latent and sensible heat flux) were altered. Though the ocean heat transport is changed by a large amount (at the equator 0.3 PW, original Bunker data; 0 PW, Isemer and Hasse; 0.76 PW, after inverse modelling (all northwards)) the overall patterns of the fields of the energy fluxes remain almost unchanged. The bulk coefficient for latent heat flux for example is altered by 5.6%.The geophysical parameters necessary for the bulk aerodynamic method can be determined from satellite observations: SST, q₀, u₀. Studies are described which used data from a microwave radiometer on SEASAT and NIMBUS7 to determine latent heat flux. An error calculation shows that the obtained accuracy is between 26 and 35 W m⁻². This accuracy is adequate enough to allow reasonable estimates to be made of these fluxes. More satellites are planned for launch with microwave radiometers and scatterometers which will increase the possibility of determining geophysical parameters more accurately for use in the bulk aerodynamic formula. They will provide the database from which large-scale fieldsof latent heat flux (for time scales shorter than a month or even for actual situations) can be derived.     

The surface heat flux feedback. Part II: direct and indirect estimates in the ECHAM4/OPA8 coupled GCM

The surface heat flux feedback in the Atlantic Ocean is estimated in the ECHAM4/OPA8 coupled model. The net heat flux feedback is negative everywhere, mostly ranging between 15 and 35 W m^-2 K^-1, but reaching up to 50 W m^-2 K^-1 in the tropics, so that it damps existing sea surface temperature anomalies. The bulk of it is due to the turbulent flux, although in the tropics the radiation feedback also strongly contributes. The turbulent heat flux feedback is strongest in fall and winter at extra-tropical latitudes, and in spring and summer near the equator. At mid-latitudes, the radiation feedback remains small in each season, but it can be strongly negative in parts of the tropics. At extra-tropical latitudes the model feedback compares rather well with estimates derived in Part I from the COADS observations and the NCEP reanalysis, but in the tropical Atlantic the negative heat flux feedback is much too strong. An indirect estimation of the model heat flux feedback is also attempted in regions of small mean surface current, based on the difference in decay time of sea surface temperature and salinity anomalies. The inferred negative heat flux feedback is qualitatively correct, but the seasonal changes in the mixed-layer depth are too large for the method to be accurate at high latitudes.     

Global and regional variability in a coupled AOGCM

 The variability of near surface temperature on global and regional spatial scales and interannual time scales from a 1000 year control integration of the Hadley Centre coupled model (HADCM2-CTL) are compared with the observational record of surface temperature. The model succeeds in reproducing the observed patterns of natural variability, with high variability over the northern continents and low variability over much of the tropics. The model global mean variability has similar strength to observed global mean variability on time scales less than 20 years. The warming seen in the historical record is outside the range of natural variability as simulated in HADCM2-CTL. The model has El-Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like behaviour with a central Pacific, peak to peak, strength of approximately 3 K. Changes in near surface temperature in the central Pacific are strongly correlated with changes in near surface temperature over most of the tropics, large regions of the extra-tropics and changes in tropical ocean upper 250 m heat content. Tropospheric temperature changes and tropical surface pressure changes are also strongly correlated with changes in the central Pacific surface temperature. Oceanic regions show significant departures from an AR1 or first order Markov behaviour in the Northwest Atlantic, Northwest Pacific and Arctic oceans. The Northwest Atlantic region has large amounts of variability over periods greater than 50 years. This variability is associated with a jump in the strength of North Atlantic meridional stream function. The spectra of the Western European and Continental US land regions are not significantly different from an AR1 process. The flow through the Drake Passage has an interannual standard deviation of approximately 2.5 Sv with significant departures from an AR1 process at time scales greater than 40 years. Winter northern hemispheric 500 hPa geopotential height shows some evidence of multiple regimes but no year to year persistence of these regimes. Received: 31 January 1996/Accepted: 22 July 1996     

Fast responses of Northern Hemisphere winter daily circulation to anthropogenic aerosols

Anthropogenic aerosols (AA) have significantly caused anomalous winter mean atmospheric circulation over the Northern Hemisphere, but the main daily patterns of winter large-scale circulation change are not well understood. Here a self-organizing map analysis is applied to identify the leading patterns in AA-induced winter daily geopotential height (Z) anomaly fields simulated by three atmospheric general circulation models, with a focus on fast adjustments. Two winter daily circulation response patterns with a synoptic time scale are found: one pattern shows concurring Z anomalies over North America and North Asia with the same sign and the Bering Sea seeing the opposite, resembling the Asia–Bering–North American teleconnection; while the other is the Arctic Oscillation-like pattern with similar Z anomalies over North Pacific and North Atlantic and the opposite over the Arctic region. The AA-induced anomalous precipitation over the tropics and anomalous synoptic eddy activities over the extratropical oceans concur to support and maintain these circulation anomaly patterns. The winter-mean climate responses to AA can be understood as a result of these daily anomaly patterns, especially over the higher latitudes. Specifically, the associated changes in surface air temperature (SAT) over the mid-high latitudes are caused by the AA-driven meridional movements of polar (cold and dry) airmass and midlatitude (warm and moist) airmass in the regions, mainly through the relevant surface downward longwave radiation. This study highlights the role of AA in altering daily weather patterns, which is not sufficiently captured by seasonal mean responses.     

Changes in mid-latitude variability due to increasing greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols

 Intra-seasonal variability in the Northern Hemisphere winter is investigated in ensembles of experiments using the Hadley Centre coupled ocean-atmosphere model. Synoptic techniques which identify low centres and blocking anticyclones have been used in preference to time-filtered variances of geopotential height as these may not uniquely identify true synoptic systems. Changes in mid-latitude variability are qualitatively similar in experiments that include changes in greenhouse gases only and those that also include the direct effects of sulphate aerosols. The presence of aerosols reduces the warming of the northern continents but the relatively larger warming of the land compared to the oceans remains in both experiments and at higher latitudes this leads to a reduced poleward transient flux of energy. There is an increase in the transient flux of energy at most latitudes, due to a greater transport of latent heat arising from the greater moisture availability. The total number of Northern Hemisphere storms decreases but there is a tendency towards deeper low centres. There are fewer storms in the North Pacific and North Atlantic source regions where the local baroclinicity is reduced. The climatological tracks from these regions are shorter with decreases at the northeastern ends of the tracks and increases in the regions with maximum counts towards the centre of the ocean basins. These changes are not generally statistically significant. The greatest changes in blocking anticyclones occur in the North Pacific where there is a downstream shift in the region of maximum activity. Changes in stationary waves show a strong increase in the PNA oscillation which may be influencing the changes in blocking as has been found by other authors. Possible mechanisms for forcing this response are speculated but it will need further experiments to unravel them. Received: 10 September 1997/Accepted: 2 December 1997     

An assessment of the surface climate in the NCEP climate forecast system reanalysis

This paper analyzes surface climate variability in the climate forecast system reanalysis (CFSR) recently completed at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The CFSR represents a new generation of reanalysis effort with first guess from a coupled atmosphere?Cocean?Csea ice?Cland forecast system. This study focuses on the analysis of climate variability for a set of surface variables including precipitation, surface air 2-m temperature (T2m), and surface heat fluxes. None of these quantities are assimilated directly and thus an assessment of their variability provides an independent measure of the accuracy. The CFSR is compared with observational estimates and three previous reanalyses (the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis or R1, the NCEP/DOE reanalysis or R2, and the ERA40 produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). The CFSR has improved time-mean precipitation distribution over various regions compared to the three previous reanalyses, leading to a better representation of freshwater flux (evaporation minus precipitation). For interannual variability, the CFSR shows improved precipitation correlation with observations over the Indian Ocean, Maritime Continent, and western Pacific. The T2m of the CFSR is superior to R1 and R2 with more realistic interannual variability and long-term trend. On the other hand, the CFSR overestimates downward solar radiation flux over the tropical Western Hemisphere warm pool, consistent with a negative cloudiness bias and a positive sea surface temperature bias. Meanwhile, the evaporative latent heat flux in CFSR appears to be larger than other observational estimates over most of the globe. A few deficiencies in the long-term variations are identified in the CFSR. Firstly, dramatic changes are found around 1998?C2001 in the global average of a number of variables, possibly related to the changes in the assimilated satellite observations. Secondly, the use of multiple streams for the CFSR induces spurious jumps in soil moisture between adjacent streams. Thirdly, there is an inconsistency in long-term sea ice extent variations over the Arctic regions between the CFSR and other observations with the CFSR showing smaller sea ice extent before 1997 and larger extent starting in 1997. These deficiencies may have impacts on the application of the CFSR for climate diagnoses and predictions. Relationships between surface heat fluxes and SST tendency and between SST and precipitation are analyzed and compared with observational estimates and other reanalyses. Global mean fields of surface heat and water fluxes together with radiation fluxes at the top of the atmosphere are documented and presented over the entire globe, and for the ocean and land separately.     

Climate variability in the southern Indian Ocean as revealed by self-organizing maps

Using a non-linear statistical analysis called “self-organizing maps”, the interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the southern Indian Ocean are investigated. The SST anomalies during austral summer from 1951 to 2006 are classified into nine types with differences in the position of positive and negative SST anomaly poles. To investigate the evolution of these SST anomaly poles, heat budget analysis of mixed-layer using outputs from an ocean general circulation model is conducted. The warming of the mixed-layer by the climatological shortwave radiation is enhanced (suppressed) as a result of negative (positive) mixed-layer thickness anomaly over the positive (negative) SST anomaly pole. This contribution from shortwave radiation is most dominant in the growth of SST anomalies. In contrast to the results reported so far, the contribution from latent heat flux anomaly is not so important. The discrepancy in the analysis is explained by the modulation in the contribution from the climatological heat flux by the interannual mixed-layer depth anomaly that was neglected in the past studies.     

Simulated global-scale response of the climate system to Dansgaard/Oeschger and Heinrich events

By using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity we have studied the global-scale response of the glacial climate system during marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 to perturbations at high northern latitudes and the tropics. These perturbations include changes in inland-ice volume over North America, in freshwater flux into the northern North Atlantic and in surface temperatures of the tropical Pacific. The global pattern of temperature series resulting from an experiment in which perturbations of inland ice and freshwater budget are imposed at high northern latitudes only, agree with paleoclimatic reconstructions. In particular, a positive correlation of temperature variations near Greenland and variations in all regions of the Northern Hemisphere and some parts of the southern tropics is found. Over the southern oceans a weak negative correlation appears which is strongest at a time lag of approximately 500 years. Further experimentation with prescribed temperature anomalies applied to the tropical Pacific suggests that perturbation of tropical sea-surface temperatures and hence, the tropical water cycle, is unlikely to have triggered Dansgaard/Oeschger (D/O) events. However, together with random freshwater anomalies prescribed at high northern latitudes, tropical perturbations would be able to synchronize the occurrence of D/O events via the mechanism of stochastic resonance.     

Atmospheric contribution to hydrologic variations in the Arctic

Abstract

High‐latitude rawinsonde data for 18 years (1973–1990) are used to compute the atmospheric moisture flux convergence over two regions: the Arctic Ocean and the Mackenzie River drainage basin. The primary objectives are to assess the interannual variability and to compare the macroscale hydrologie regimes of the two regions. The moisture flux convergence is positive in all months over the Arctic Ocean, but is occasionally negative during summer over the Mackenzie Basin. The climatological seasonal cycle of the moisture convergence contains a late‐summer (August‐September) maximum over the Arctic Ocean but a late‐summer minimum over the Mackenzie Basin. Evaporation, deduced from the moisture inflow and independent data on precipitation, makes a much greater contribution to the atmospheric moisture budget of the Mackenzie domain, especially during summer. The respective equivalent area averages of the 18‐year annual mean moisture flux convergence, precipitation and derived evaporation are 17.3, 19.5 and 2.2 cm a^‐1 for the Arctic Ocean and 24.9, 33.6 and 8.7 cm a^‐1 for the Mackenzie domain. However, the range of interannual variations of the flux convergence is about ±50% of the annual means and more than twice the monthly means. The annual totals of the flux convergence are correlated with station‐derived precipitation over the Mackenzie domain and with yearly variations of the Mackenzie discharge. The moisture flux convergence over the Mackenzie domain suggests that station reports underestimate precipitation during the winter months by amounts equivalent to several centimetres per annum.