Broccoli, A. J., 1986: Characteristics of seasonal snow cover as simulated by GFDL climate models. In SNOW WATCH '85, Boulder, CO: World Data Center A for Glaciology (Snow and Ice), 241-248.

Abstract: Two climate simulations were performed using an atmospheric general circulation model developed at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The model employed for these simulations uses the spectral method, in which the horizontal distributions of atmospheric variables are represented by a limited number of spherical harmonics. In this study, the seasonally-varying distribution of insolation at the top of the atmosphere was prescribed, along with the climatological distributions of sea surface temperature and sea ice. The snow cover distributions produced in these simulations were compared with satellite observations. Both versions of the model generate snow cover very similar in extent to the observed snow cover.Two climate simulations were performed using an atmospheric general circulation model developed at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The model employed for these simulations uses the spectral method, in which the horizontal distributions of atmospheric variables are represented by a limited number of spherical harmonics. In this study, the seasonally-varying distribution of insolation at the top of the atmosphere was prescribed, along with the climatological distributions of sea surface temperature and sea ice. The snow cover distributions produced in these simulations were compared with satellite observations. Both versions of the model generate snow cover very similar in extent to the observed snow cover.