Winter-spring cyclonic variability in the Mediterranean-Black Sea region associated with global processes in the ocean-atmosphere system

• Published in: Advances in Science and Research
• Main Authors: E. N. Voskresenskaya, V. N. Maslova
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2011
• Subjects: Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Meteorology. Climatology; QC851-999; Pacific; Soi; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/asr-6-237-2011; https://doaj.org/article/c151ff9fc31c4ece94f92b7c447bed88

Using global NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data set on 1000 hPa geopotential height (1948–2006), cyclones in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions were detected and their main characteristics (frequency, depth, integrated area) were calculated. Analysis of their interannual-multidecadal variability in January-March associated with global processes in the ocean-atmosphere system was done. It was shown that North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) manifests in the Black Sea region mainly in the variability of frequency of cyclones while in the Mediterranean – in the interannual anomalies of cyclones' depth and area. Joint NAO and El Nino – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence is responsible for about 20–45% of cyclones' frequency variance in the Black Sea region, and in the Mediterranean region for up to 10–25 and 20–30% of the depth and area variance, accordingly. As a result of using a new approach to study ENSO manifestations based on El Nino classification, correlation coefficients between characteristics of cyclones and Southern Oscillation index (SOI) increase at least twice. The influence of the Pacific Decadal and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillations on variability of cyclonic activity in the Mediterranean-Black Sea region manifests in considerable differences of cyclones' characteristics and their typical location.