On the Predictability of the Winter Euro-Atlantic Climate: Lagged Influence of Autumn Arctic Sea Ice
International audience Satellite-derived sea ice concentration (SIC) and reanalyzed atmospheric data are used to explore the predictability of the winter Euro-Atlantic climate resulting from autumn SIC variability over the Barents– Kara Seas region (SIC/BK). The period of study is 1979/80–2012/13. M...
Published in: | Journal of Climate |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2015
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01191761 https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01191761/document https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01191761/file/Garcia-Serrano_2015_On_the.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00472.1 |
Summary: | International audience Satellite-derived sea ice concentration (SIC) and reanalyzed atmospheric data are used to explore the predictability of the winter Euro-Atlantic climate resulting from autumn SIC variability over the Barents– Kara Seas region (SIC/BK). The period of study is 1979/80–2012/13. Maximum covariance analyses show that the leading predictand is indistinguishable from the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The leading covari-ability mode between September SIC/BK and winter North Atlantic–European sea level pressure (SLP) is not significant, indicating that no empirical prediction skill can be achieved. The leading covariability mode with either October or November SIC/BK is moderately significant (significance levels ,10%), and both predictor fields yield a cross-validated NAO correlation of 0.3, suggesting some empirical prediction skill of the winter NAO index, with sea ice reduction in the Barents–Kara Seas being accompanied by a negative NAO phase in winter. However, only November SIC/BK provides significant cross-validated skill of winter SLP, surface air temperature, and precipitation anomalies over the Euro-Atlantic sector, namely in southwestern Europe. Statistical analysis suggests that November SIC/BK anomalies are associated with a Rossby wave train–like anomaly across Eurasia that affects vertical wave activity modulating the stratospheric vortex strength, which is then followed by downward propagation of anomalies that impact transient-eddy activity in the upper troposphere, helping to settle and maintain the NAO-like pattern at surface. This stratospheric pathway is not detected when using October SIC/BK anomalies. Hence, only November SIC/BK, with a one-month lead time, could be considered as a potential source of regional predictability. |
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