System details: Met Office, UK

Numerical, Empriical or Hybrid
     Numerical
     
Deterministic or Probabilistic
     Probabilistic
     
Model type and resolution          
     Coupled ocean-atmosphere GCM - similar to the HadCM3 climate version of the Met Office Unified Model (UM)
     with a number of enhancements for seasonal forecasting purposes. For details of HadCM3 see Gordon et al, 
     Climate Dynamics (2000) and Pope et al, Climate Dynamics (2000)
     
     Atmospheric component: 19 vertical levels; horizontal resolution of 3.75° east-west and 2.5° north-south.
     Oceanic component: 40 vertical levels; horizontal resolution of 1.25° east-west and 0.3° north-south near the 
     equator, increasing to 1.25° poleward of the mid-latitudes.
     
Ensemble size
     41 members for forecasts
     15 members for hindcasts
     
Parameters assessed
     2m temperature and precipitation
     
Regions
     Global
     
Lead times
     1,2,3-months
     
Period of verification
     3-month rolling seasons corresponding to months 2-4, 3-5, 4-6
     
Number of hindcasts and the dates/years of these hindcasts
     16 years (1987-2002)                              

Verification data sets
     2m temperature: ERA40 Reanalysis data set
     Precipitation : GPCP (NASA) observations dataset.
     
     
Further details can be found at:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/seasonal/glosea.html


References     
Gordon,C., Cooper,C., Senior,C.A., Banks,H., Gregory,J.M., Johns,T.C., Mitchell,J.F.B. and Wood,R.A. (2000). The
simulation of SST, sea ice extents and ocean heat transports in a version of the Hadley Centre coupled model without 
flux adjustments. Climate Dynamics, 16, 147-168.

Pope,V.D., Gallani,M.L., Rowntree,P.R. and Stratton,R.A. (2000). The impact of new physical parametrizations in 
the Hadley Centre climate model:HadAM3. Climate Dynamics, 16, 123-146.