Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years
Determining the timing and impact of anthropogenic climate change in data-sparse regions is a considerable challenge. Arguably, nowhere is this more difficult than the Antarctic Peninsula and the subantarctic South Atlantic where observational records are relatively short but where high rates of war...
Published in: | Environmental Research Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
IOP Publishing Ltd
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/1/Turney.pdf https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 |
id |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:514017 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:514017 2023-05-15T13:24:06+02:00 Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years Turney, Chris S M Jones, Richard T Lister, David Jones, Phil Williams, Alan N Hogg, Alan Thomas, Zoë A Compo, Gilbert P Yin, Xungang Fogwill, Christopher J Palmer, Jonathan Colwell, Steve Allan, Rob Visbeck, Martin 2016-06 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/1/Turney.pdf https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 en eng IOP Publishing Ltd https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/1/Turney.pdf Turney, Chris S M; Jones, Richard T; Lister, David; Jones, Phil; Williams, Alan N; Hogg, Alan; Thomas, Zoë A; Compo, Gilbert P; Yin, Xungang; Fogwill, Christopher J; Palmer, Jonathan; Colwell, Steve; Allan, Rob; Visbeck, Martin. 2016 Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years. Environmental Research Letters, 11 (6), 064009. 064009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 <https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009> cc_by CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2016 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 2023-02-04T19:43:18Z Determining the timing and impact of anthropogenic climate change in data-sparse regions is a considerable challenge. Arguably, nowhere is this more difficult than the Antarctic Peninsula and the subantarctic South Atlantic where observational records are relatively short but where high rates of warming have been experienced since records began. Here we interrogate recently developed monthly-resolved observational datasets from the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and extend the records back using climate-sensitive peat growth over the past 6000 years. Investigating the subantarctic climate data with ERA-Interim and Twentieth Century Reanalysis, we find that a stepped increase in precipitation across the 1940s is related to a change in synoptic atmospheric circulation: a westward migration of quasi-permanent positive pressure anomalies in the South Atlantic has brought the subantarctic islands under the increased influence of meridional airflow associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Analysis of three comprehensively multi-dated (using 14C and 137Cs) peat sequences across the two islands demonstrates unprecedented growth rates since the mid-twentieth century relative to the last 6000 years. Comparison to observational and reconstructed sea surface temperatures suggests this change is linked to a warming tropical Pacific Ocean. Our results imply 'modern' South Atlantic atmospheric circulation has not been under this configuration for millennia. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Amundsen Sea Pacific Environmental Research Letters 11 6 064009 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Determining the timing and impact of anthropogenic climate change in data-sparse regions is a considerable challenge. Arguably, nowhere is this more difficult than the Antarctic Peninsula and the subantarctic South Atlantic where observational records are relatively short but where high rates of warming have been experienced since records began. Here we interrogate recently developed monthly-resolved observational datasets from the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, and extend the records back using climate-sensitive peat growth over the past 6000 years. Investigating the subantarctic climate data with ERA-Interim and Twentieth Century Reanalysis, we find that a stepped increase in precipitation across the 1940s is related to a change in synoptic atmospheric circulation: a westward migration of quasi-permanent positive pressure anomalies in the South Atlantic has brought the subantarctic islands under the increased influence of meridional airflow associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Analysis of three comprehensively multi-dated (using 14C and 137Cs) peat sequences across the two islands demonstrates unprecedented growth rates since the mid-twentieth century relative to the last 6000 years. Comparison to observational and reconstructed sea surface temperatures suggests this change is linked to a warming tropical Pacific Ocean. Our results imply 'modern' South Atlantic atmospheric circulation has not been under this configuration for millennia. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Turney, Chris S M Jones, Richard T Lister, David Jones, Phil Williams, Alan N Hogg, Alan Thomas, Zoë A Compo, Gilbert P Yin, Xungang Fogwill, Christopher J Palmer, Jonathan Colwell, Steve Allan, Rob Visbeck, Martin |
spellingShingle |
Turney, Chris S M Jones, Richard T Lister, David Jones, Phil Williams, Alan N Hogg, Alan Thomas, Zoë A Compo, Gilbert P Yin, Xungang Fogwill, Christopher J Palmer, Jonathan Colwell, Steve Allan, Rob Visbeck, Martin Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
author_facet |
Turney, Chris S M Jones, Richard T Lister, David Jones, Phil Williams, Alan N Hogg, Alan Thomas, Zoë A Compo, Gilbert P Yin, Xungang Fogwill, Christopher J Palmer, Jonathan Colwell, Steve Allan, Rob Visbeck, Martin |
author_sort |
Turney, Chris S M |
title |
Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
title_short |
Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
title_full |
Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
title_fullStr |
Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
title_full_unstemmed |
Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
title_sort |
anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the south atlantic compared to the last 6000 years |
publisher |
IOP Publishing Ltd |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/1/Turney.pdf https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Amundsen Sea Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Amundsen Sea Pacific |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514017/1/Turney.pdf Turney, Chris S M; Jones, Richard T; Lister, David; Jones, Phil; Williams, Alan N; Hogg, Alan; Thomas, Zoë A; Compo, Gilbert P; Yin, Xungang; Fogwill, Christopher J; Palmer, Jonathan; Colwell, Steve; Allan, Rob; Visbeck, Martin. 2016 Anomalous mid-twentieth century atmospheric circulation change over the South Atlantic compared to the last 6000 years. Environmental Research Letters, 11 (6), 064009. 064009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 <https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009> |
op_rights |
cc_by |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/6/064009 |
container_title |
Environmental Research Letters |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
064009 |
_version_ |
1766377425513480192 |