Pan-Atlantic decadal climate oscillation linked to ocean circulation
Atlantic climate displays an oscillatory mode at a period of 10–15 years described as pan-Atlantic decadal oscillation. Prevailing theories on the mode are based on thermodynamic air-sea interactions and the role of ocean circulation remains uncertain. Here we uncover ocean circulation variability a...
| Published in: | Communications Earth & Environment |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Research
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/58197/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/58197/1/s43247-023-00781-x.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00781-x https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00781-x |
| Summary: | Atlantic climate displays an oscillatory mode at a period of 10–15 years described as pan-Atlantic decadal oscillation. Prevailing theories on the mode are based on thermodynamic air-sea interactions and the role of ocean circulation remains uncertain. Here we uncover ocean circulation variability associated with the pan-Atlantic decadal oscillation using observational datasets from 1900–2009. Specifically, a sea level-derived index of ocean circulation also exhibits 10-15 year periodicity and leads the surface climate oscillation. The underlying ocean circulation links the extratropical and tropical Atlantic, where the maximum variance in surface-ocean temperature feeds back on the North Atlantic Oscillation (the leading mode of atmospheric variability over the North Atlantic region). Our findings imply that, rather than a passive role postulated by the thermodynamic paradigm, ocean circulation across the Atlantic plays an active role for the pan-Atlantic decadal climate oscillation. |
|---|