Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net 1023-5809 1607-7946 16 5 2009 10.5194/npg-16-607-2009 http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/16/607/2009/ http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/16/607/2009/npg-16-607-2009.html http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/16/607/2009/npg-16-607-2009.pdf 607 621 2009-10-26 The stochastic multiplicative cascade structure of deterministic numerical models of the atmosphere J. Stolle stollej@physics.mcgill.ca S. Lovejoy D. Schertzer Physics, McGill University, 3600 University St., Montreal, Que. H3A 2T8, Canada CEREVE, Université Paris Est, Marne-la-Vallée, France Météo France, 1 Quai Branly, Paris 75005, France By direct statistical analysis we show that over almost all their range of scales and to within typically better than ±1%, atmospheric fields obtained from analyses and numerical integrations of atmospheric models have the multifractal structure predicted by multiplicative cascade models. 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