scholarly journals Central-West Argentina Summer Precipitation Variability and Atmospheric Teleconnections

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 1657-1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo A. Agosta ◽  
Rosa H. Compagnucci
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
Stationary Wave ◽  
Precipitation Variability ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Spectral Variation ◽  
The South

The interannual-to-multidecadal variability of central-west Argentina (CWA) summer (October–March) precipitation and associated tropospheric circulation are studied in the period 1900–2010. Precipitation shows significant quasi cycles with periods of about 2, 4–5, 6–8, and 16–22 yr. The quasi-bidecadal oscillation is significant from the early 1910s until the mid-1970s and is present in pressure time series over the southwestern South Atlantic. According to the lower-frequency spectral variation, a prolonged wet spell is observed from 1973 to the early 2000s. The precipitation variability shows a reversal trend since then. In that wet epoch, the regionally averaged precipitation has been increased about 24%. The lower-frequency spectral variation is attributed to the climate shift of 1976/77. From the early twentieth century until the mid-1970s, the precipitation variability is associated with barotropic quasi-stationary wave (QSW) propagation from the tropical southern Indian Ocean and the South Pacific, generating vertical motion and moisture anomalies at middle-to-subtropical latitudes east of the Andes over southern South America. The QSW propagation could be related to anomalous convection partly induced by tropical anomalous SSTs in the western Indian Ocean (WIO). It could also be linked to another midlatitude source along the storm tracks, to the east of New Zealand. After 1976/77, the precipitation variability is associated with equatorial symmetric circulation anomalies linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like warmer conditions. Positive moisture anomalies are consistently observed at lower latitudes in association with inflation of the western flank of the South Atlantic anticyclone. Outside of this, the precipitation variability is unrelated to ENSO.

scholarly journals Modulation of SST Interannual Variability in the Agulhas Leakage Region Associated with ENSO

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (19) ◽  
pp. 7089-7102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dian Putrasahan ◽  
Ben P. Kirtman ◽  
Lisa M. Beal
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Enso Cycle ◽  
The South ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
South Indian

Abstract The Agulhas leakage transports warm and saline water from the Indian Ocean into the South Atlantic Ocean, forming part of the upper returning arm of the meridional overturning circulation, which can influence climate. Ocean–atmosphere interactions and the strength of Agulhas leakage control sea surface temperature (SST) in the Agulhas leakage corridor, which may in turn affect regional climate variability. In a high-resolution run of the Community Climate System Model (version 3.5; CCSM3.5), it is found that the interannual variability of Agulhas leakage SST is linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Anomalous wind stress curl over the south Indian Ocean associated with ENSO excites westward-propagating oceanic Rossby waves that initiate southwestward-propagating anomalies along the coast of Africa. It takes approximately 2 years for this signal to reach the southern tip of South Africa and enter the South Atlantic, where it accounts for 20%–30% of the interannual SSH variability in the Agulhas leakage region. The authors find a similar propagation of anomalies with satellite observations. A similar ENSO cycle along with Rossby wave adjustment is detected in an analogous low-resolution CCSM3.5 run. However, the signal does not propagate all the way along the boundary to affect Agulhas leakage SST. Hence, it is found that high-resolution coupled climate models are necessary to resolve the tropical–subtropical oceanic teleconnection between ENSO and Agulhas leakage SST.

scholarly journals Contrasted accumulation patterns of persistent organic pollutants and mercury in sympatric tropical dolphins from the south-western Indian Ocean

2016 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 263-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alin C. Dirtu ◽  
Govindan Malarvannan ◽  
Krishna Das ◽  
Violaine Dulau-Drouot ◽  
Jeremy J. Kiszka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Persistent Organic Pollutants ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
The South

scholarly journals The impact of the subtropical South Atlantic SST on South American precipitation

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3457-3476 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Taschetto ◽  
I. Wainer
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Empirical Orthogonal Functions ◽  
Convergence Zone ◽  
South American ◽  
The South ◽  
Inter Tropical Convergence Zone ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sst Anomalies

Abstract. The Community Climate Model (CCM3) from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is used to investigate the effect of the South Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on interannual to decadal variability of South American precipitation. Two ensembles composed of multidecadal simulations forced with monthly SST data from the Hadley Centre for the period 1949 to 2001 are analysed. A statistical treatment based on signal-to-noise ratio and Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) is applied to the ensembles in order to reduce the internal variability among the integrations. The ensemble treatment shows a spatial and temporal dependence of reproducibility. High degree of reproducibility is found in the tropics while the extratropics is apparently less reproducible. Austral autumn (MAM) and spring (SON) precipitation appears to be more reproducible over the South America-South Atlantic region than the summer (DJF) and winter (JJA) rainfall. While the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) region is dominated by external variance, the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) over South America is predominantly determined by internal variance, which makes it a difficult phenomenon to predict. Alternatively, the SACZ over western South Atlantic appears to be more sensitive to the subtropical SST anomalies than over the continent. An attempt is made to separate the atmospheric response forced by the South Atlantic SST anomalies from that associated with the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Results show that both the South Atlantic and Pacific SSTs modulate the intensity and position of the SACZ during DJF. Particularly, the subtropical South Atlantic SSTs are more important than ENSO in determining the position of the SACZ over the southeast Brazilian coast during DJF. On the other hand, the ENSO signal seems to influence the intensity of the SACZ not only in DJF but especially its oceanic branch during MAM. Both local and remote influences, however, are confounded by the large internal variance in the region. During MAM and JJA, the South Atlantic SST anomalies affect the magnitude and the meridional displacement of the ITCZ. In JJA, the ENSO has relatively little influence on the interannual variability of the simulated rainfall. During SON, however, the ENSO seems to counteract the effect of the subtropical South Atlantic SST variations on convection over South America.

scholarly journals The South Atlantic–South Indian Ocean Pattern: a Zonally Oriented Teleconnection along the Southern Hemisphere Westerly Jet in Austral Summer

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongda Lin
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
The South ◽  
South Indian Ocean ◽  
Westerly Jet ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Zonal Wavenumber

Extratropical teleconnections significantly affect the climate in subtropical and mid-latitude regions. Understanding the variability of atmospheric teleconnection in the Southern Hemisphere, however, is still limited in contrast with the well-documented counterpart in the Northern Hemisphere. This study investigates the interannual variability of mid-latitude circulation in the Southern Hemisphere in austral summer based on the ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset during 1980–2016. A stationary mid-latitude teleconnection is revealed along the strong Southern Hemisphere westerly jet over the South Atlantic and South Indian Ocean (SAIO). The zonally oriented SAIO pattern represents the first EOF mode of interannual variability of meridional winds at 200 hPa over the region, with a vertical barotropic structure and a zonal wavenumber of 4. It significantly modulates interannual climate variations in the subtropical Southern Hemisphere in austral summer, especially the opposite change in rainfall and surface air temperature between Northwest and Southeast Australia. The SAIO pattern can be efficiently triggered by divergences over mid-latitude South America and the southwest South Atlantic, near the entrance of the westerly jet, which is probably related to the zonal shift of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone. The triggered wave train is then trapped within the Southern Hemisphere westerly jet waveguide and propagates eastward until it diverts northeastward towards Australia at the jet exit, in addition to portion of which curving equatorward at approximately 50° E towards the southwest Indian Ocean.

scholarly journals Analysis of the position and strength of westerlies and trades with implications for Agulhas leakage and South Benguela upwelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nele Tim ◽  
Eduardo Zorita ◽  
Kay-Christian Emeis ◽  
Franziska U. Schwarzkopf ◽  
Arne Biastoch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Emission Scenario ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The South ◽  
Trade Winds ◽  
Benguela Upwelling ◽  
Poleward Shift

Abstract. The westerlies and trade winds over the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean are important drivers of the regional oceanography around southern Africa, including features such as the Agulhas Current, the Agulhas leakage, and the Benguela upwelling. Agulhas leakage constitutes a fraction of warm and saline water transport from the Indian Ocean into the South Atlantic. The leakage is stronger during intensified westerlies. Here, we analyze the wind stress of different observational and modeled atmospheric data sets (covering the last 2 millennia, the recent decades, and the 21st century) with regard to the intensity and position of the southeasterly trades and the westerlies. The analysis reveals that variations of both wind systems go hand in hand and that a poleward shift of the westerlies and trades and an intensification of westerlies took place during the recent decades. Furthermore, upwelling in South Benguela is slightly intensified when trades are shifted poleward. Projections for strength and position of the westerlies in the 21st century depend on assumed CO2 emissions and on their effect relative to the ozone forcing. In the strongest emission scenario (RCP8.5) the simulations show a further southward displacement, whereas in the weakest emission scenario (RCP2.6) a northward shift is modeled, possibly due to the effect of ozone recovery dominating the effect of anthropogenic greenhouse forcing. We conclude that the Agulhas leakage has intensified during the last decades and is projected to increase if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. This will have a small impact on Benguela upwelling strength and may also have consequences for water mass characteristics in the upwelling region. An increased contribution of Agulhas water to the upwelling water masses will import more preformed nutrients and oxygen into the upwelling region.

scholarly journals Potential Sources of Decadal Climate Variability over Southern Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (22) ◽  
pp. 8695-8709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yushi Morioka ◽  
Francois Engelbrecht ◽  
Swadhin K. Behera
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Decadal Climate Variability ◽  
The South ◽  
Sst Anomaly ◽  
Decadal Climate ◽  
Southwestern Indian Ocean ◽  
Sst Anomalies

Abstract Potential sources of decadal climate variability over southern Africa are examined by conducting in-depth analysis of available datasets and coupled general circulation model (CGCM) experiments. The observational data in recent decades show a bidecadal variability noticeable in the southern African rainfall with its positive phase of peak during 1999/2000. It is found that the rainfall variability is related to anomalous moisture advection from the southwestern Indian Ocean, where the anomalous sea level pressure (SLP) develops. The SLP anomaly is accompanied by anomalous sea surface temperature (SST). Both SLP and SST anomalies slowly propagate eastward from the South Atlantic to the southwestern Indian Ocean. The analysis of mixed layer temperature tendency reveals that the SST anomaly in the southwestern Indian Ocean is mainly due to eastward advection of the SST anomaly by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The eastward propagation of SLP and SST anomalies are also confirmed in the 270-yr outputs of the CGCM control experiment. However, in a sensitivity experiment where the SST anomalies in the South Atlantic are suppressed by the model climatology, the eastward propagation of the SLP anomaly from the South Atlantic disappears. These results suggest that the local air–sea coupling in the South Atlantic may be important for the eastward propagation of the SLP anomaly from the South Atlantic to the southwestern Indian Ocean. Although remote influences from the tropical Pacific and Antarctica were widely discussed, this study provides new evidence for the potential role of local air–sea coupling in the South Atlantic for the decadal climate variability over southern Africa.

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