The effects of temporal and spatial variations in the plasma resistivity on the evolution of the magnetosphere during substorms are examined with numerical solutions of the two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. The global MHD simulations self-consistently consider the interaction of the solar wind with the dayside magnetosphere as well as the evolution of the tail region. These solutions are used to study how various solar wind states generate conditions in the tail, such as pressure gradients and cross-tail currents, that have the potential of leading to a substorm. Although the MHD formalism does provide information on the large-scale evolution, the essential mechanism for substorm development may involve microscopic or particle processes not present in an MHD approach. As a result, this MHD study is carried out in association with particle simulations (Winglee and Steinolfson, this issue). Since one connection between the MHD and particle approaches is through the resistivity, the effects of various resistivity distributions on the global MHD configuration are examined. The resistivity distributions considered here are (1) a temporally constant and spatially uniform resistivity, (2) a resistivity proportional to the square of the local current density, and (3) a resistivity proportional to the square of the local magnetic field strength. The latter distribution is suggested by the above particle simulations and represents effects produced by the increased magnetization of particles and the differential motion between electrons and ions. For all three cases a plasmoid is formed and ejected tailward. However, when the resistivity depends on the field strength, considerably more energy is stored in the tail prior to plasmoid formation, and plasmoid formation is delayed relative to the results for the other two resistivity distributions. Furthermore, when the plasmoid is eventually ejected, it moves down the tail with a higher speed. The MHD results are consistent with those from the particle simulations. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1993