In this study, we investigate the representation of the global mean energy balance components in 10 atmospheric reanalyses, and compare their magnitudes with recent reference estimates as well as the ones simulated by the latest generation of climate models from the 6th phase of the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP6). Despite the assimilation of comprehensive observational data in reanalyses, the spread amongst the magnitudes of their global energy balance components generally remains substantial, up to more than 20 Wm⁻² in some quantities, and their consistency is typically not higher than amongst the much less observationally constrained CMIP6 models. Relative spreads are particularly large in the reanalysis global mean latent heat fluxes (exceeding 20%) and associated intensity of the global water cycle, as well as in the energy imbalances at the top-of-atmosphere and surface. A comparison of reanalysis runs in full assimilation mode with corresponding runs constrained only by sea surface temperatures reveals marginal differences in their global mean energy balance components. This indicates that discrepancies in the global energy balance components caused by the different model formulations amongst the reanalyses are hardly alleviated by the imposed observational constraints from the assimilation process. Similar to climate models, reanalyses overestimate the global mean surface downward shortwave radiation and underestimate the surface downward longwave radiation by 3–7 Wm⁻². While reanalyses are of tremendous value as references for many atmospheric parameters, they currently may not be suited to serve as references for the magnitudes of the global mean energy balance components.

在这项研究中，我们研究了 10 次大气再分析中全球平均能量平衡成分的表征，并将其幅度与最近的参考估计值以及耦合模型比对第六阶段的最新一代气候模型模拟的幅度进行比较项目（CMIP6）。尽管在重新分析中吸收了全面的观测数据，但它们的全球能量平衡分量的幅度之间的差距通常仍然很大，在某些数量上高达 20 Wm ^-2以上，并且它们的一致性通常不高于观测数据少得多的观测数据。受限 CMIP6 模型。在重新分析全球平均潜热通量（超过 20%）和全球水循环的相关强度以及大气层顶部和地表的能量不平衡方面，相对差距特别大。将完全同化模式下的再分析运行与仅受海面温度限制的相应运行进行比较，揭示了其全球平均能量平衡成分的边际差异。这表明，由再分析中不同模型公式引起的全球能量平衡成分的差异很难通过同化过程施加的观测约束来缓解。与气候模型类似，重新分析高估了全球平均地表向下短波辐射，低估了地表向下长波辐射 3–7 Wm ^-2虽然重新分析作为许多大气参数的参考具有巨大价值，但目前可能不适合用作全球平均能量平衡分量大小的参考。