Predictors and prediction skill for marine cold air outbreaks over the Barents Sea

Marine cold air outbreaks (MCAOs) create conditions for hazardous maritime mesocyclones (polar lows) posing risks to marine infrastructure. For marine management, skilful predictions of MCAOs would be highly beneficial. For this reason, we investigate (i) the ability of a seasonal prediction system...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Main Authors: Polkova, Iuliia, Afargan-Gertsman, Hilla, Domeisen, Daniela, King, Martin Peter, Ruggieri, Paolo, Athanasiadis, Panos J., Dobrynin, Mikhail, Øvin, Aarnes, Kretschmer, Marlene, Baehr, Johanna
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Barents Sea
Nordic Seas
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2987205
https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4038
Description
Summary:Marine cold air outbreaks (MCAOs) create conditions for hazardous maritime mesocyclones (polar lows) posing risks to marine infrastructure. For marine management, skilful predictions of MCAOs would be highly beneficial. For this reason, we investigate (i) the ability of a seasonal prediction system to predict MCAOs and (ii) the possibilities to improve predictions through large‐scale causal drivers. Our results show that the seasonal ensemble predictions have high prediction skill for MCAOs over the Nordic Seas for about 20 days starting from November initial conditions. To study causal drivers of MCAOs, we utilize a causal effect network approach applied to the atmospheric reanalysis ERA‐Interim and identify local sea surface temperature and atmospheric circulation patterns over Scandinavia as valuable predictors. Prediction skill for MCAOs is further improved up to 40 days including MCAO predictors in the analysis. publishedVersion

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