Evidence for external forcing of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation since termination of the Little Ice Age

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) represents a significant driver of Northern Hemisphere climate, but the forcing mechanisms pacing the AMO remain poorly understood. Here we use the available proxy records to investigate the influence of solar and volcanic forcing on the AMO over the last...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature Communications
Main Authors: Knudsen, Mads Faurschou, Jacobsen, Bo Holm, Seidenkrantz, Marit-Solveig, Olsen, Jesper
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2014
Subjects:
MEDIEVAL WARM PERIOD
NORTH-ATLANTIC
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
CLIMATE VARIABILITY
SEA
TEMPERATURE
HOLOCENE
RAINFALL
OCEAN
IRRADIANCE
North Atlantic
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/evidence-for-external-forcing-of-the-atlantic-multidecadal-oscillation-since-termination-of-the-little-ice-age(925fb713-d049-4f85-9432-871031363106).html
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4323
https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/73221669/Knudsen_et_al_2013_NCOMM.pdf
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896823898&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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Summary:The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) represents a significant driver of Northern Hemisphere climate, but the forcing mechanisms pacing the AMO remain poorly understood. Here we use the available proxy records to investigate the influence of solar and volcanic forcing on the AMO over the last similar to 450 years. The evidence suggests that external forcing played a dominant role in pacing the AMO after termination of the Little Ice Age (LIA; ca. 1400-1800), with an instantaneous impact on mid-latitude sea-surface temperatures that spread across the North Atlantic over the ensuing similar to 5 years. In contrast, the role of external forcing was more ambiguous during the LIA. Our study further suggests that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is important for linking external forcing with North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures, a conjecture that reconciles two opposing theories concerning the origin of the AMO.

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