scholarly journals Simulated Response to Recent Freshwater Flux Change over the Gulf Stream and Its Extension: Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Adjustment and Atlantic–Pacific Teleconnection

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (15) ◽  
pp. 3971-3988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liping Zhang ◽  
Lixin Wu ◽  
Jiaxu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Gulf Stream ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
The North ◽  
Flux Change ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract Recent observation has shown that the dominant mode of the net freshwater flux variations over the North Atlantic Ocean is the significant trend of freshwater loss over the Gulf Stream region and its extension. In this paper, the coupled ocean–atmosphere response to this freshwater flux change is investigated based on a series of the Fast Ocean–Atmosphere Model coupled-model experiments. The model demonstrates that the freshwater loss over the Gulf Stream and its extension region directly forces an anomalous cyclonic gyre and triggers a SST dipole with cooling in the western subtropical and warming in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic. The freshwater loss also forces a significant response in the atmosphere with a negative NAO-like response in early winter and a basin-scale ridge resembling the eastern Atlantic mode (EAM) in late winter. The salinification also strengthens the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and thus the poleward heat transport, leading to tropical cooling. The freshwater loss over the Gulf Stream and its extension also leads to an El Niño–like warming in the tropical Pacific and cooling in the North Pacific, similar to the responses in previous water-hosing experiments with an input of freshwater in the subpolar North Atlantic. The tropical Pacific responses subsequently strengthen the Northern Hemispheric atmospheric anomalies in early winter, but reverse them in late winter through an emanation of Rossby wave trains. Overall, the tropical Pacific air–sea coupling plays a damping role, while local air–sea coupling tends to enhance the ocean and atmospheric responses over the North Atlantic.

scholarly journals Causal dependences between the coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics over the Tropical Pacific, the North Pacific and the North Atlantic

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane Vannitsem ◽  
Pierre Ekelmans
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
The North ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract. The causal dependences between the dynamics of three different coupled ocean-atmosphere basins, The North Atlantic, the North Pacific and the Tropical Pacific region, NINO3.4, have been explored using data from three reanalyses datasets, namely the ORA-20C, the ORAS4 and the ERA-20C. The approach is based on the Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) developed by Sugihara et al. (2012) that allows for evaluating the dependences between observables beyond the classical teleconnection patterns based on correlations. The use of CCM on these data mostly reveals that (i) the Tropical Pacific (NINO3.4 region) only influences the dynamics of the North Atlantic region through its annual climatological cycle; (ii) the atmosphere over the North Pacific is dynamically forcing the North Atlantic on a monthly basis; (iii) on longer time scales (interannual), the dynamics of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic are influencing each other through the ocean dynamics, suggesting a connection through the thermohaline circulation. These findings shed a new light on the coupling between these three different important regions of the globe. In particular they call for a deep reassessment of the way teleconnections are interpreted, and for a more rigorous way to evaluate causality and dependences between the different components of the climate system.

scholarly journals Causal dependences between the coupled ocean–atmosphere dynamics over the tropical Pacific, the North Pacific and the North Atlantic

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1063-1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane Vannitsem ◽  
Pierre Ekelmans
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
The North ◽  
Ocean Atmosphere ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract. The causal dependences (in a dynamical sense) between the dynamics of three different coupled ocean–atmosphere basins, the North Atlantic, the North Pacific and the tropical Pacific region (Nino3.4), have been explored using data from three reanalysis datasets, namely ORA-20C, ORAS4 and ERA-20C. The approach is based on convergent cross mapping (CCM) developed by Sugihara et al. (2012) that allows for evaluating the dependences between variables beyond the classical teleconnection patterns based on correlations. The use of CCM on these data mostly reveals that (i) the tropical Pacific (Nino3.4 region) only influences the dynamics of the North Atlantic region through its annual climatological cycle; (ii) the atmosphere over the North Pacific is dynamically forcing the North Atlantic on a monthly basis; (iii) on longer timescales (interannual), the dynamics of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic are influencing each other through the ocean dynamics, suggesting a connection through the thermohaline circulation. These findings shed a new light on the coupling between these three different regions of the globe. In particular, they call for a deep reassessment of the way teleconnections are interpreted and for a more rigorous way to evaluate dynamical dependences between the different components of the climate system.

scholarly journals Hydrological variations in central China over the past millennium and their links to the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic oceans

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-485
Author(s):  
Fucai Duan ◽  
Zhenqiu Zhang ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Jianshun Chen ◽  
Zebo Liao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Atmospheric Precipitation ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Central China ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
The North ◽  
Future Global Warming ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract. Variations of precipitation, also called the Meiyu rain, in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) domain during the last millennium could help enlighten the hydrological response to future global warming. Here we present a precisely dated and highly resolved stalagmite δ18O record from the Yongxing Cave, central China. Our new record, combined with a previously published one from the same cave, indicates that the Meiyu rain has changed dramatically in association with the global temperature change. In particular, our record shows that the Meiyu rain was weakened during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) but intensified during the Little Ice Age (LIA). During the Current Warm Period (CWP), our record indicates a similar weakening of the Meiyu rain. Furthermore, during the MCA and CWP, our records show that the atmospheric precipitation is similarly wet in northern China and similarly dry in central China, but relatively wet during the CWP in southern China. This spatial discrepancy indicates a complicated localized response of the regional precipitation to the anthropogenic forcing. The weakened (intensified) Meiyu rain during the MCA (LIA) matches well with the warm (cold) phases of Northern Hemisphere surface air temperature. This Meiyu rain pattern also corresponds well to the climatic conditions over the tropical Indo-Pacific warm pool. On the other hand, our record shows a strong association with the North Atlantic climate as well. The reduced (increased) Meiyu rain correlates well with positive (negative) phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation. In addition, our record links well to the strong (weak) Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the MCA (LIA) period. All abovementioned localized correspondences and remote teleconnections on decadal to centennial timescales indicate that the Meiyu rain was coupled closely with oceanic processes in the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic oceans during the MCA and LIA.

scholarly journals Sensitivity study of the tropical Pacific precipitation anomalies

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shouwen Zhang ◽  
Hua Jiang ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
Ling Du ◽  
Dakui Wang
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Tropical Pacific Ocean ◽  
The North ◽  
Precipitation Anomalies ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract. Climate model results have shown that precipitation in the tropical Pacific Ocean will change up to 15 % and 25 % in one century. In this paper, both reanalysis data and climate model are used to study the response of global ocean and atmosphere to precipitation anomalies in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It shows that positive precipitation anomalies could trigger an El Nino-like SSTA response, with warmer SST in the east tropical Pacific Ocean and slightly cooler SST in the west tropical Pacific Ocean. The zonal tropical ocean currents change significantly, of which the magnitudes and directions are mainly relying on the intensity of the precipitation anomalies. Through a wave train encompassing the whole Northern Hemisphere named as the Circumglobal Waveguide Pattern (CWP), the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation responds to the freshwater anomalies in a NAO-like pattern. The anomalous atmospheric circulation transport sea ice to the North Atlantic Ocean. The sea ice melts in summer and freshen the upper ocean, which makes the ocean more stable. It thus constrains vertical heat transport and makes the upper water cooler, forming a significant positive feedback mechanism.

scholarly journals Portraying the Impact of the Tibetan Plateau on Global Climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 3565-3583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haijun Yang ◽  
Xingchen Shen ◽  
Jie Yao ◽  
Qin Wen
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

AbstractAs the most extensive highland in the world, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays an important role in shaping the global climate. Quantifying the effect of the TP on global climate is the first step for a full understanding of the TP’s standing on planet Earth. Through coupled model sensitivity experiments, we draw a panorama of the TP’s global impact in this paper. Our model results show that the absence of the TP would result in a 4°C colder and 10% drier climate in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). The TP has a striking remote effect on the North Atlantic. Removing the TP would enhance the westerlies in the mid- to high latitudes of the NH and weaken the easterlies over the tropical Pacific. More moisture would be relocated from the tropical Pacific to the North Atlantic, shutting down the Atlantic thermohaline circulation, which would eventually result in more than 15°C colder and 20% drier climate over the North Atlantic. Our model results suggest that the presence of the TP may have contributed greatly to the hospitable modern climate in the NH, by promoting the establishment of the thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic, and therefore enhancing the northward ocean heat transport and atmosphere moisture transport across the equator.

scholarly journals Enhanced mixing across the gyre boundary at the Gulf Stream front

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (30) ◽  
pp. 17607-17614
Author(s):  
Jacob O. Wenegrat ◽  
Leif N. Thomas ◽  
Miles A. Sundermeyer ◽  
John R. Taylor ◽  
Eric A. D’Asaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Gulf Stream ◽  
Subtropical Gyre ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
Mode Water ◽  
Horizontal Structure ◽  
The North ◽  
Shear Dispersion ◽  
General Importance ◽  
The North Atlantic

The Gulf Stream front separates the North Atlantic subtropical and subpolar ocean gyres, water masses with distinct physical and biogeochemical properties. Exchange across the front is believed to be necessary to balance the freshwater budget of the subtropical gyre and to support the biological productivity of the region; however, the physical mechanisms responsible have been the subject of long-standing debate. Here, the evolution of a passive dye released within the north wall of the Gulf Stream provides direct observational evidence of enhanced mixing across the Gulf Stream front. Numerical simulations indicate that the observed rapid cross-frontal mixing occurs via shear dispersion, generated by frontal instabilities and episodic vertical mixing. This provides unique direct evidence for the role of submesoscale fronts in generating lateral mixing, a mechanism which has been hypothesized to be of general importance for setting the horizontal structure of the ocean mixed layer. Along the Gulf Stream front in the North Atlantic, these observations further suggest that shear dispersion at sharp fronts may provide a source of freshwater flux large enough to explain much of the freshwater deficit in the subtropical-mode water budget and a flux of nutrients comparable to other mechanisms believed to control primary productivity in the subtropical gyre.

scholarly journals The Development of a Statistical Forecast Model for Changma

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1304-1321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung-Eon Lee ◽  
Kyong-Hwan Seo
Keyword(s):  
Wave Propagation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
The North ◽  
Sst Anomaly ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Abstract Forecasting year-to-year variations in East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation is one of the most challenging tasks in climate prediction because the predictors are not sufficiently well known and the forecast skill of the numerical models is poor. In this paper, a statistical forecast model for changma (the Korean portion of the EASM system) precipitation is proposed that was constructed with three physically based predictors. A forward-stepwise regression was used to select the predictors that included sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the North Pacific, the North Atlantic, and the tropical Pacific Ocean. Seasonal predictions with this model showed high forecasting capabilities that had a Gerrity skill score of ~0.82. The dynamical processes associated with the predictors were examined prior to their use in the prediction scheme. All predictors tended to induce an anticyclonic anomaly to the east or southeast of Japan, which was responsible for transporting a large amount of moisture to the southern Korean Peninsula. The predictor in the North Pacific formed an SST front to the east of Japan during the summertime, which maintained a lower-tropospheric baroclinicity. The North Atlantic SST anomaly induced downstream wave propagation in the upper troposphere, developing anticyclonic activity east of Japan. Forcing from the tropical Pacific SST anomaly triggered a cyclonic anomaly over the South China Sea, which was maintained by atmosphere–ocean interactions and induced an anticyclonic anomaly via northward Rossby wave propagation. Overall, the model used for forecasting changma precipitation performed well (R = 0.85) and correctly predicted information for 16 out of 19 yr of observational data.

Influence of Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperature on the Genesis of Gulf Stream Cyclones

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 4203-4214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Schemm ◽  
Laura M. Ciasto ◽  
Camille Li ◽  
Nils Gunnar Kvamstø
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Gulf Stream ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Cp El Niño ◽  
The North ◽  
Sst Variability ◽  
Ep El Niño ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) variability and cyclogenesis over the Gulf Stream region of the North Atlantic. A cyclone identification scheme and Lagrangian trajectories are used to compare preferred cyclogenesis locations and precyclogenesis flow paths associated with three patterns of tropical Pacific SST variability: eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño, central Pacific (CP) El Niño, and La Niña. During EP El Niño and La Niña winters, the upper-level precyclogenesis flow takes a subtropical path over North America and Gulf Stream cyclogenesis predominantly occurs under the North Atlantic jet entrance, which is the climatologically preferred location. In contrast, during CP El Niño winters, when the warmest SST anomalies occur in the central tropical Pacific, the precyclogenesis flow takes a northern path across North America and Gulf Stream cyclogenesis tends to occur farther north under the jet exit. The shift in preferred cyclogenesis is consistent with changes in transient upstream flow perturbations, detected using potential vorticity (PV) streamer frequencies, which are associated with the stationary wave response. Compared to EP El Niño winters, CP El Niño winters exhibit fewer southward-extending streamers and cyclonic (LC2) flow behavior, resulting in precyclogenesis air bypassing the right entrance of the North Atlantic jet. Downstream, Gulf Stream cyclones penetrate deeper into high Arctic latitudes during CP El Niño winters than in other cases. The results highlight distinct signatures of tropical SST anomalies on synoptic-scale atmospheric features and could help constrain future changes in the North Atlantic storm track and the associated poleward heat transport.

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