Climate variability and change in the Euro-Mediterranean Region: results from a global AOGCM coupled with an interactive high-resolution model of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

In this work we present and discuss the results obtained from a set of present and future climate simulations performed with a high-resolution model able to represent the dynamics of the Mediterranean Sea. The ability of the model to reproduce the basic features of the observed climate in the Mediterranean region and the beneficial effects of both atmospheric improved resolution and interactive Mediterranean Sea are assessed. In particular, the major characteristics of the variability in the Mediterranean basin and its connection with the large-scale circulation are investigated. Furthermore, the mechanisms through which global warming might affect the regional features of the climate are explored, focusing especially on the characteristics of the hydrological cycle.