An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most prominent and recurrent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. It dictates climate variability from the eastern seaboard of the United States to Siberia and from the Arctic to the subtropical Atlantic, especially during boreal winter,...
Other Authors: | , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Geophysical Union
2003
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-001-392 https://doi.org/10.1029/134GM01 |
id |
ftncar:oai:drupal-site.org:books_235 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftncar:oai:drupal-site.org:books_235 2023-07-30T04:01:55+02:00 An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation Hurrell, James (author) Hurrell, James (editor) Kushnir, Yochanan (author) Kushnir, Yochanan (editor) Ottersen, Geir (author) Ottersen, G. (editor) Visbeck, Martin (editor) 2003 application/pdf http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-001-392 https://doi.org/10.1029/134GM01 en eng American Geophysical Union The North Atlantic Oscillation: Climatic Significance and Environmental Impact ark:/85065/d7w0979j http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-001-392 doi:10.1029/134GM01 isbn: 0-87590-994-9 Copyright 2003 American Geophysical Union Text chapter 2003 ftncar https://doi.org/10.1029/134GM01 2023-07-17T18:26:45Z The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most prominent and recurrent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. It dictates climate variability from the eastern seaboard of the United States to Siberia and from the Arctic to the subtropical Atlantic, especially during boreal winter, so variations in the NAO are important to society and for the environment. Understanding the processes that govern this variability is, therefore, of high priority, especially in the context of global climate change. This review, aimed at a scientifically diverse audience, pro- vides general background material for the other chapters in the monograph, and it synthesizes some of their central points. It begins with a description of the spatial structure of climate and climate variability, including how the NAO relates to other prominent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. There is no unique way to define the spatial structure of the NAO, or thus its temporal evolution, but several common approaches are illustrated. The relationship between the NAO and variations in surface temperature, storms and precipitation, and thus the econ- omy, as well as the ocean and ecosystem responses to NAO variability, are described. Although the NAO is a mode of variability internal to the atmosphere, indices of it exhibit decadal variability and trends. That not all of its variability can be attributed to intraseasonal stochastic atmospheric processes points to a role for external forcings and, perhaps, a small but useful amount of predictability. The surface, stratospheric and anthropogenic processes that may influence the phase and amplitude of the NAO are reviewed. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Siberia OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) Arctic 1 35 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OpenSky (NCAR/UCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftncar |
language |
English |
description |
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most prominent and recurrent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. It dictates climate variability from the eastern seaboard of the United States to Siberia and from the Arctic to the subtropical Atlantic, especially during boreal winter, so variations in the NAO are important to society and for the environment. Understanding the processes that govern this variability is, therefore, of high priority, especially in the context of global climate change. This review, aimed at a scientifically diverse audience, pro- vides general background material for the other chapters in the monograph, and it synthesizes some of their central points. It begins with a description of the spatial structure of climate and climate variability, including how the NAO relates to other prominent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. There is no unique way to define the spatial structure of the NAO, or thus its temporal evolution, but several common approaches are illustrated. The relationship between the NAO and variations in surface temperature, storms and precipitation, and thus the econ- omy, as well as the ocean and ecosystem responses to NAO variability, are described. Although the NAO is a mode of variability internal to the atmosphere, indices of it exhibit decadal variability and trends. That not all of its variability can be attributed to intraseasonal stochastic atmospheric processes points to a role for external forcings and, perhaps, a small but useful amount of predictability. The surface, stratospheric and anthropogenic processes that may influence the phase and amplitude of the NAO are reviewed. |
author2 |
Hurrell, James (author) Hurrell, James (editor) Kushnir, Yochanan (author) Kushnir, Yochanan (editor) Ottersen, Geir (author) Ottersen, G. (editor) Visbeck, Martin (editor) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
title |
An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation |
spellingShingle |
An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation |
title_short |
An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation |
title_full |
An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation |
title_fullStr |
An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation |
title_full_unstemmed |
An overview of the North Atlantic oscillation |
title_sort |
overview of the north atlantic oscillation |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-001-392 https://doi.org/10.1029/134GM01 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Climate change North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Siberia |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Siberia |
op_relation |
The North Atlantic Oscillation: Climatic Significance and Environmental Impact ark:/85065/d7w0979j http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-001-392 doi:10.1029/134GM01 isbn: 0-87590-994-9 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2003 American Geophysical Union |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/134GM01 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
35 |
_version_ |
1772812652717801472 |