Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect
Abstract The major early 20 th century climatic fluctuation (∼1920–1940) has been the subject of scientific enquiry from the time it was detected in the 1920s. The papers of scientists who studied the event first‐hand have faded into obscurity but their insights are relevant today. We review this ev...
Published in: | International Journal of Climatology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2009
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1973 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1973 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1973 |
id |
crwiley:10.1002/joc.1973 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1002/joc.1973 2024-06-02T08:01:44+00:00 Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect Wood, Kevin R. Overland, James E. NOAA Arctic Research Program Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1973 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1973 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1973 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor International Journal of Climatology volume 30, issue 9, page 1269-1279 ISSN 0899-8418 1097-0088 journal-article 2009 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1973 2024-05-03T11:00:25Z Abstract The major early 20 th century climatic fluctuation (∼1920–1940) has been the subject of scientific enquiry from the time it was detected in the 1920s. The papers of scientists who studied the event first‐hand have faded into obscurity but their insights are relevant today. We review this event through a rediscovery of early research and new assessments of the instrumental record. Much of the inter‐annual to decadal scale variability in surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly patterns and related ecosystem effects in the Arctic and elsewhere can be attributed to the superposition of leading modes of variability in the atmospheric circulation. Meridional circulation patterns were an important factor in the high latitudes of the North Atlantic during the early climatic fluctuation. Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that appeared during this period were congruent with low‐frequency variability in the climate system but were themselves most likely the result of anomalous forcing by the atmosphere. The high‐resolution data necessary to verify this hypothesis are lacking, but the consistency of multiple lines of evidence provides strong support. Our findings indicate that early climatic fluctuation is best interpreted as a large but random climate excursion imposed on top of the steadily rising global mean temperature associated with anthropogenic forcing. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic North Atlantic Wiley Online Library Arctic International Journal of Climatology 30 9 1269 1279 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract The major early 20 th century climatic fluctuation (∼1920–1940) has been the subject of scientific enquiry from the time it was detected in the 1920s. The papers of scientists who studied the event first‐hand have faded into obscurity but their insights are relevant today. We review this event through a rediscovery of early research and new assessments of the instrumental record. Much of the inter‐annual to decadal scale variability in surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly patterns and related ecosystem effects in the Arctic and elsewhere can be attributed to the superposition of leading modes of variability in the atmospheric circulation. Meridional circulation patterns were an important factor in the high latitudes of the North Atlantic during the early climatic fluctuation. Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that appeared during this period were congruent with low‐frequency variability in the climate system but were themselves most likely the result of anomalous forcing by the atmosphere. The high‐resolution data necessary to verify this hypothesis are lacking, but the consistency of multiple lines of evidence provides strong support. Our findings indicate that early climatic fluctuation is best interpreted as a large but random climate excursion imposed on top of the steadily rising global mean temperature associated with anthropogenic forcing. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society |
author2 |
NOAA Arctic Research Program Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wood, Kevin R. Overland, James E. |
spellingShingle |
Wood, Kevin R. Overland, James E. Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect |
author_facet |
Wood, Kevin R. Overland, James E. |
author_sort |
Wood, Kevin R. |
title |
Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect |
title_short |
Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect |
title_full |
Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect |
title_fullStr |
Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect |
title_full_unstemmed |
Early 20 th century Arctic warming in retrospect |
title_sort |
early 20 th century arctic warming in retrospect |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1973 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1973 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1973 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Arctic North Atlantic |
op_source |
International Journal of Climatology volume 30, issue 9, page 1269-1279 ISSN 0899-8418 1097-0088 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1973 |
container_title |
International Journal of Climatology |
container_volume |
30 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1269 |
op_container_end_page |
1279 |
_version_ |
1800746125133611008 |