The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate
A strong link exists between stratospheric variability and anomalous weather patterns at the earth’s surface. Specifically, during extreme variability of the Arctic polar vortex termed a “weak vortex event,” anomalies can descend from the upper stratosphere to the surface on time scales of weeks. Su...
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American Meteorological Society
2013
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Online Access: | https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/ https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/1/mitchell.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 |
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ftunivreading:oai:centaur.reading.ac.uk:34207 2024-05-12T08:00:22+00:00 The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate Mitchell, Daniel M. Gray, Lesley J. Anstey, James Baldwin, Mark P. Charlton-Perez, Andrew 2013-04-02 text https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/ https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/1/mitchell.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 en eng American Meteorological Society https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/1/mitchell.pdf Mitchell, D. M., Gray, L. J., Anstey, J., Baldwin, M. P. and Charlton-Perez, A. <https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/view/creators/90000511.html> (2013) The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate. Journal of Climate, 26 (8). pp. 2668-2682. ISSN 1520-0442 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 <https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1> Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftunivreading https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 2024-04-17T14:46:07Z A strong link exists between stratospheric variability and anomalous weather patterns at the earth’s surface. Specifically, during extreme variability of the Arctic polar vortex termed a “weak vortex event,” anomalies can descend from the upper stratosphere to the surface on time scales of weeks. Subsequently the outbreak of cold-air events have been noted in high northern latitudes, as well as a quadrupole pattern in surface temperature over the Atlantic and western European sectors, but it is currently not understood why certain events descend to the surface while others do not. This study compares a new classification technique of weak vortex events, based on the distribution of potential vorticity, with that of an existing technique and demonstrates that the subdivision of such events into vortex displacements and vortex splits has important implications for tropospheric weather patterns on weekly to monthly time scales. Using reanalysis data it is found that vortex splitting events are correlated with surface weather and lead to positive temperature anomalies over eastern North America of more than 1.5 K, and negative anomalies over Eurasia of up to −3 K. Associated with this is an increase in high-latitude blocking in both the Atlantic and Pacific sectors and a decrease in European blocking. The corresponding signals are weaker during displacement events, although ultimately they are shown to be related to cold-air outbreaks over North America. Because of the importance of stratosphere–troposphere coupling for seasonal climate predictability, identifying the type of stratospheric variability in order to capture the correct surface response will be necessary. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic CentAUR: Central Archive at the University of Reading Arctic Pacific Journal of Climate 26 8 2668 2682 |
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Open Polar |
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CentAUR: Central Archive at the University of Reading |
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ftunivreading |
language |
English |
description |
A strong link exists between stratospheric variability and anomalous weather patterns at the earth’s surface. Specifically, during extreme variability of the Arctic polar vortex termed a “weak vortex event,” anomalies can descend from the upper stratosphere to the surface on time scales of weeks. Subsequently the outbreak of cold-air events have been noted in high northern latitudes, as well as a quadrupole pattern in surface temperature over the Atlantic and western European sectors, but it is currently not understood why certain events descend to the surface while others do not. This study compares a new classification technique of weak vortex events, based on the distribution of potential vorticity, with that of an existing technique and demonstrates that the subdivision of such events into vortex displacements and vortex splits has important implications for tropospheric weather patterns on weekly to monthly time scales. Using reanalysis data it is found that vortex splitting events are correlated with surface weather and lead to positive temperature anomalies over eastern North America of more than 1.5 K, and negative anomalies over Eurasia of up to −3 K. Associated with this is an increase in high-latitude blocking in both the Atlantic and Pacific sectors and a decrease in European blocking. The corresponding signals are weaker during displacement events, although ultimately they are shown to be related to cold-air outbreaks over North America. Because of the importance of stratosphere–troposphere coupling for seasonal climate predictability, identifying the type of stratospheric variability in order to capture the correct surface response will be necessary. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mitchell, Daniel M. Gray, Lesley J. Anstey, James Baldwin, Mark P. Charlton-Perez, Andrew |
spellingShingle |
Mitchell, Daniel M. Gray, Lesley J. Anstey, James Baldwin, Mark P. Charlton-Perez, Andrew The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
author_facet |
Mitchell, Daniel M. Gray, Lesley J. Anstey, James Baldwin, Mark P. Charlton-Perez, Andrew |
author_sort |
Mitchell, Daniel M. |
title |
The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
title_short |
The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
title_full |
The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
title_fullStr |
The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
title_full_unstemmed |
The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
title_sort |
influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate |
publisher |
American Meteorological Society |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/ https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/1/mitchell.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 |
geographic |
Arctic Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Pacific |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_relation |
https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/34207/1/mitchell.pdf Mitchell, D. M., Gray, L. J., Anstey, J., Baldwin, M. P. and Charlton-Perez, A. <https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/view/creators/90000511.html> (2013) The influence of stratospheric vortex displacements and splits on surface climate. Journal of Climate, 26 (8). pp. 2668-2682. ISSN 1520-0442 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 <https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00030.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Climate |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
2668 |
op_container_end_page |
2682 |
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1798842250623451136 |