Subantarctic cyclones identified by 14 tracking methods, and their role for moisture transports into the continent ...

• Main Authors: Grieger, Jens, Leckebusch, Gregor C., Raible, Christoph, Rudeva, Irina, Simmonds, Ian
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Munksgaard 2018
• Subjects: 530 Physics; 550 Earth sciences & geology; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7892/boris.116227; https://boris.unibe.ch/116227/

Extra-tropical cyclones in the subantarctic play a central role in the poleward transport of heat and moisture into Antarctica, with the latter being a key component of the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet. As the climate in this region undergoes substantial changes, it is anticipated that the character of these synoptic features will change. There are a number of different methods used to identify and track cyclones, which can potentially lead to different conclusions as to cyclone variability and trends, and mechanisms which drive these features. Given this, it is timely to assess the level of consensus among 14 state-of-the-art cyclone identification and tracking methods. We undertake this comparison with the ERA-Interim data-set for the period 1979–2008 and find large differences in the number of tracks identified by different methods, but the spatial patterns of the system density broadly agree. Links between large-scale modes of variability, such as the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and ...