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Why does the surface temperature in thee Tropics exhibit a maximum around 30°C, what are the mechanisms that control the stability of the tropical climate, and what are the specificities of climate change in that region of the Earth? A simple two-column model is used to confirm the high sensitivity of the tropical climate to a change of relative surfaces covered by moist and dry zones, particularly in the context of a warming related to the increase of greenhouse gas concentration. The influence of surface winds is shown to be significant. Two-column moist/dry systems exhibit a bimodal size distribution in the observations, with a synoptic mode and a large-scale one. This bimodality can be reproduced with a simple model, in which the surface dynamics select the spatial scales. Finally, the limits of idealized modelling of the trade-wind boundary layer are analyzed., Pourquoi la température de surface dans les Tropiques présente-t-elle un maximum autour de 30°C, quels sont les mécanismes qui contrôlent la stabilité du climat tropical, et quelles peuvent être les spécificités de l'impact d'un changement climatique dans cette région du globe? Un modèle bicolonne simple est utilisé pour confirmer la grande sensibilité du climat tropical aux changements des surfaces relatives occupées par les zones sèches et humides, en particulier dans le cadre d?un réchauffement climatique dû à une augmentation des gaz à effet de serre. L?influence des vents de surface se révèle importante. Les systèmes bicolonnes humide/sèche ont une distribution de taille bimodale dans les observations, avec un mode synoptique et un mode de grande échelle. Cette bimodalité peut être reproduite par un modèle simple, où la dynamique de surface opère la sélection d?échelle. Enfin, les limites de la modélisation idéalisée de la couche limite des alizés sont mises en évidence.

The authors argue that interactive feedbacks involving surface moist enthalpy fluxes, both turbulent and radiative, are important to the dynamics of tropical intraseasonal variability. Evidence in favor of this hypothesis includes the observed spatial distribution of intraseasonal variance in precipitation and outgoing longwave radiation, the observed relationship between intraseasonal latent heat flux and precipitation anomalies in regions where intraseasonal variability is strong, and sensitivity experiments performed with a small number of general circulation and idealized models. The authors argue that it would be useful to assess the importance of surface fluxes to intraseasonal variability in a larger number of comprehensive numerical models.

As part of an international intercomparison project, the weak temperature gradient (WTG) and damped gravity wave (DGW) methods are used to parameterize large‐scale dynamics in a set of cloud‐resolving models (CRMs) and single column models (SCMs). The WTG or DGW method is implemented using a configuration that couples a model to a reference state defined with profiles obtained from the same model in radiative‐convective equilibrium. We investigated the sensitivity of each model to changes in SST, given a fixed reference state. We performed a systematic comparison of the WTG and DGW methods in different models, and a systematic comparison of the behavior of those models using the WTG method and the DGW method. The sensitivity to the SST depends on both the large‐scale parameterization method and the choice of the cloud model. In general, SCMs display a wider range of behaviors than CRMs. All CRMs using either the WTG or DGW method show an increase of precipitation with SST, while SCMs show sensitivities which are not always monotonic. CRMs using either the WTG or DGW method show a similar relationship between mean precipitation rate and column‐relative humidity, while SCMs exhibit a much wider range of behaviors. DGW simulations produce large‐scale velocity profiles which are smoother and less top‐heavy compared to those produced by the WTG simulations. These large‐scale parameterization methods provide a useful tool to identify the impact of parameterization differences on model behavior in the presence of two‐way feedback between convection and the large‐scale circulation.