Open AccessPercolation Phase Transition of Surface Air Temperature Networks: A new test bed for El Niño/La Niña simulations
Author(s) -
Lijuan Hua,
Zhenwu Lu,
Naiming Yuan,
Lin Chen,
Yongqiang Yu,
Lu Wang
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/s41598-017-08767-4
Subject(s) - percolation (cognitive psychology) , atmosphere (unit) , phase transition , giant component , sea surface temperature , meteorology , environmental science , phase (matter) , transition point , network model , percolation theory , computer science , topology (electrical circuits) , geography , physics , mechanics , thermodynamics , mathematics , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , graph , theoretical computer science , quantum mechanics , combinatorics , random graph , biology
In this work, we studied the air-sea interaction over the tropical central eastern Pacific from a new perspective, climate network. The surface air temperatures over the tropical Pacific were constructed as a network, and the nodes within this network were linked if they have a similar temporal varying pattern. Using three different reanalysis datasets, we verified the percolation phase transition. That is, when the influences of El Niño/La Niña are strong enough to isolate more than 48% of the nodes, the network may abruptly be divided into many small pieces, indicating a change of the network state. This phenomenon was reproduced successfully by a coupled general circulation model, Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System Model Spectral Version 2, but another model, Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System Model Grid-point Version 2, failed. As both models have the same oceanic component, but are with different atmospheric components, the improperly used atmospheric component should be responsible for the missing of the percolation phase transition. Considering that this new phenomenon is only recently noticed, current state-of-the-art models may ignore this process and induce unrealistic simulations. Accordingly, percolation phase transition is proposed as a new test bed, which deserves more attention in the future.