Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns
We use a new method based on point correlation maps and self-organising maps (SOMs) to identify teleconnection patterns in 60 yr of National Centres for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) sea level pressure (SLP) re-analysis data. The most prevalent pattern...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:63c339aa0c8f429dbc50cec74743d810 2023-05-15T15:12:12+02:00 Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns Freja K. Hunt Joël J.-M. Hirschi Bablu Sinha Kevin Oliver Neil Wells 2013-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.20822 https://doaj.org/article/63c339aa0c8f429dbc50cec74743d810 EN eng Stockholm University Press www.tellusa.net/index.php/tellusa/article/download/20822/pdf_2 https://doaj.org/toc/0280-6495 https://doaj.org/toc/1600-0870 doi:10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.20822 0280-6495 1600-0870 https://doaj.org/article/63c339aa0c8f429dbc50cec74743d810 Tellus: Series A, Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography, Vol 65, Iss 0, Pp 1-25 (2013) teleconnections self-organising map climate model North Atlantic Oscillation El Nino Southern Oscillation empirical orthogonal function Oceanography GC1-1581 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.20822 2022-12-30T23:53:33Z We use a new method based on point correlation maps and self-organising maps (SOMs) to identify teleconnection patterns in 60 yr of National Centres for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) sea level pressure (SLP) re-analysis data. The most prevalent patterns are the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Asymmetries are found between base points in opposite centres of action of the NAO and the Pacific North America pattern (PNA). The SOM-based method is a powerful tool that allows us to efficiently assess how realistically teleconnections are reproduced in any climate model. The degree of agreement between modelled and re-analysis-based teleconnections (or between different models) can be summarised in a single plot. Here, we illustrate this by assessing the skill of the medium complexity climate model FORTE (Fast Ocean Rapid Troposphere Experiment). FORTE reproduces some realistic teleconnections, such as the Arctic Oscillation (AO), the NAO, the PNA, the SAM, the African Monsoon and ENSO, along with several other teleconnections, which resemble to varying degrees the corresponding NCEP patterns. However, FORTE tends to underestimate the strength of the correlation patterns and the patterns tend to be slightly too zonal. The accuracy of frequency of occurrence is variable between patterns. The Indian Ocean is a region where FORTE performs poorly, as it does not reproduce the teleconnection patterns linked to the Indian Monsoon. In contrast, the North and equatorial Pacific and North Atlantic are reasonably well reproduced. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Pacific Indian Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography 65 1 20822 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
teleconnections self-organising map climate model North Atlantic Oscillation El Nino Southern Oscillation empirical orthogonal function Oceanography GC1-1581 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
spellingShingle |
teleconnections self-organising map climate model North Atlantic Oscillation El Nino Southern Oscillation empirical orthogonal function Oceanography GC1-1581 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Freja K. Hunt Joël J.-M. Hirschi Bablu Sinha Kevin Oliver Neil Wells Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
topic_facet |
teleconnections self-organising map climate model North Atlantic Oscillation El Nino Southern Oscillation empirical orthogonal function Oceanography GC1-1581 Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
description |
We use a new method based on point correlation maps and self-organising maps (SOMs) to identify teleconnection patterns in 60 yr of National Centres for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) sea level pressure (SLP) re-analysis data. The most prevalent patterns are the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Asymmetries are found between base points in opposite centres of action of the NAO and the Pacific North America pattern (PNA). The SOM-based method is a powerful tool that allows us to efficiently assess how realistically teleconnections are reproduced in any climate model. The degree of agreement between modelled and re-analysis-based teleconnections (or between different models) can be summarised in a single plot. Here, we illustrate this by assessing the skill of the medium complexity climate model FORTE (Fast Ocean Rapid Troposphere Experiment). FORTE reproduces some realistic teleconnections, such as the Arctic Oscillation (AO), the NAO, the PNA, the SAM, the African Monsoon and ENSO, along with several other teleconnections, which resemble to varying degrees the corresponding NCEP patterns. However, FORTE tends to underestimate the strength of the correlation patterns and the patterns tend to be slightly too zonal. The accuracy of frequency of occurrence is variable between patterns. The Indian Ocean is a region where FORTE performs poorly, as it does not reproduce the teleconnection patterns linked to the Indian Monsoon. In contrast, the North and equatorial Pacific and North Atlantic are reasonably well reproduced. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Freja K. Hunt Joël J.-M. Hirschi Bablu Sinha Kevin Oliver Neil Wells |
author_facet |
Freja K. Hunt Joël J.-M. Hirschi Bablu Sinha Kevin Oliver Neil Wells |
author_sort |
Freja K. Hunt |
title |
Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
title_short |
Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
title_full |
Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
title_fullStr |
Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
title_full_unstemmed |
Combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
title_sort |
combining point correlation maps with self-organising maps to compare observed and simulated atmospheric teleconnection patterns |
publisher |
Stockholm University Press |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.20822 https://doaj.org/article/63c339aa0c8f429dbc50cec74743d810 |
geographic |
Arctic Pacific Indian |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Pacific Indian |
genre |
Arctic North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
Arctic North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
Tellus: Series A, Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography, Vol 65, Iss 0, Pp 1-25 (2013) |
op_relation |
www.tellusa.net/index.php/tellusa/article/download/20822/pdf_2 https://doaj.org/toc/0280-6495 https://doaj.org/toc/1600-0870 doi:10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.20822 0280-6495 1600-0870 https://doaj.org/article/63c339aa0c8f429dbc50cec74743d810 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.20822 |
container_title |
Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography |
container_volume |
65 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
20822 |
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1766342923947868160 |