Nonlinear response of mid-latitude weather to the changing Arctic

Are continuing changes in the Arctic influencing wind patterns and the occurrence of extreme weather events in northern midlatitudes? The chaotic nature of atmospheric circulation precludes easy answers. The topic is a major science challenge, as continued Arctic temperature increases are an inevita...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature Climate Change
Main Authors: Overland, James, Dethloff, Klaus, Francis, Jennifer, Hall, Richard, Hanna, Edward, Kim, Seong-Joong, Screen, James, Shepherd, Theodore G., Vihma, Timo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/41790/
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/41790/1/OVERLAND_nclimate3121.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49255
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49255.d001
Description
Summary:Are continuing changes in the Arctic influencing wind patterns and the occurrence of extreme weather events in northern midlatitudes? The chaotic nature of atmospheric circulation precludes easy answers. The topic is a major science challenge, as continued Arctic temperature increases are an inevitable aspect of anthropogenic climate change. We propose a perspective that rejects simple cause-and-effect pathways and notes diagnostic challenges in interpreting atmospheric dynamics. We present a way forward based on understanding multiple processes that lead to uncertainties in Arctic and mid-latitude weather and climate linkages. We emphasize community coordination for both scientific progress and communication to a broader public.