North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data
© 2008 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24, doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 We show that the observed zonally averaged jet in the Northern Hemisphere atmosphere exhibits...
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ftwhoas:oai:darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org:1912/2124 2023-05-15T17:31:37+02:00 North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data Kravtsov, Sergey K. Dewar, William K. Ghil, M. Berloff, Pavel S. McWilliams, James C. 2008-01-18 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2124 en eng Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2124 doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ CC-BY-NC-SA Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24 doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 Article 2008 ftwhoas https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 2022-05-28T22:57:28Z © 2008 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24, doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 We show that the observed zonally averaged jet in the Northern Hemisphere atmosphere exhibits two spatial patterns with broadband variability in the decadal and inter-decadal range; these patterns are consistent with an important role of local, mid-latitude ocean–atmosphere coupling. A key aspect of this behaviour is the fundamentally nonlinear bi-stability of the atmospheric jet's latitudinal position, which enables relatively small sea-surface temperature anomalies associated with ocean processes to affect the large-scale atmospheric winds. The wind anomalies induce, in turn, complex three-dimensional anomalies in the ocean's main thermocline; in particular, they may be responsible for recently reported cooling of the upper ocean. Both observed modes of variability, decadal and inter-decadal, have been found in our intermediate climate models. One mode resembles North Atlantic tri-polar sea-surface temperature (SST) patterns described elsewhere. The other mode, with mono-polar SST pattern, is novel; its key aspects include interaction of oceanic turbulence with the large-scale oceanic flow. To the extent these anomalies exist, the interpretation of observed climate variability in terms of natural and human-induced changes will be affected. Coupled mid-latitude ocean-atmosphere modes do, however, suggest some degree of predictability is possible. This research was supported by NSF grant OCE-02-221066, DOE grants DE-FG-03-01ER63260 and DE-FG02-02ER63413, as well as NASA grant NNG-06-AG66G-1 (MG & SK). PB has also been supported by the Newton Trust research grant, and SK - by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Growth Initiative program 2006-2007. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 1 13 24 |
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Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) |
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English |
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© 2008 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24, doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 We show that the observed zonally averaged jet in the Northern Hemisphere atmosphere exhibits two spatial patterns with broadband variability in the decadal and inter-decadal range; these patterns are consistent with an important role of local, mid-latitude ocean–atmosphere coupling. A key aspect of this behaviour is the fundamentally nonlinear bi-stability of the atmospheric jet's latitudinal position, which enables relatively small sea-surface temperature anomalies associated with ocean processes to affect the large-scale atmospheric winds. The wind anomalies induce, in turn, complex three-dimensional anomalies in the ocean's main thermocline; in particular, they may be responsible for recently reported cooling of the upper ocean. Both observed modes of variability, decadal and inter-decadal, have been found in our intermediate climate models. One mode resembles North Atlantic tri-polar sea-surface temperature (SST) patterns described elsewhere. The other mode, with mono-polar SST pattern, is novel; its key aspects include interaction of oceanic turbulence with the large-scale oceanic flow. To the extent these anomalies exist, the interpretation of observed climate variability in terms of natural and human-induced changes will be affected. Coupled mid-latitude ocean-atmosphere modes do, however, suggest some degree of predictability is possible. This research was supported by NSF grant OCE-02-221066, DOE grants DE-FG-03-01ER63260 and DE-FG02-02ER63413, as well as NASA grant NNG-06-AG66G-1 (MG & SK). PB has also been supported by the Newton Trust research grant, and SK - by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Growth Initiative program 2006-2007. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kravtsov, Sergey K. Dewar, William K. Ghil, M. Berloff, Pavel S. McWilliams, James C. |
spellingShingle |
Kravtsov, Sergey K. Dewar, William K. Ghil, M. Berloff, Pavel S. McWilliams, James C. North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
author_facet |
Kravtsov, Sergey K. Dewar, William K. Ghil, M. Berloff, Pavel S. McWilliams, James C. |
author_sort |
Kravtsov, Sergey K. |
title |
North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
title_short |
North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
title_full |
North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
title_fullStr |
North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
title_full_unstemmed |
North Atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
title_sort |
north atlantic climate variability in coupled models and data |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2124 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24 doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 15 (2008): 13-24 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2124 doi:10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 |
op_rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-SA |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-15-13-2008 |
container_title |
Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
13 |
op_container_end_page |
24 |
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1766129293355646976 |