Season-Dependent Forecast Skill of the Leading Forced Atmospheric Circulation Pattern over the North Pacific and North American Region*

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (20) ◽  
pp. 7248-7265 ◽  
Author(s):  
XiaoJing Jia ◽  
Hai Lin ◽  
June-Yi Lee ◽  
Bin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Circulation Pattern ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation Pattern ◽  
Potential Predictability ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
Mean State

Abstract Multimodel ensemble (MME) seasonal forecasts are analyzed to evaluate numerical model performance in predicting the leading forced atmospheric circulation pattern over the extratropical Northern Hemisphere (NH). Results show that the time evolution of the leading tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST)-coupled atmospheric pattern (MCA1), which is obtained by applying a maximum covariance analysis (MCA) between 500-hPa geopotential height (Z500) in the extratropical NH and SST in the tropical Pacific Ocean, can be predicted with a significant skill in March–May (MAM), June–August (JJA), and December–February (DJF) one month ahead. However, most models perform poorly in capturing the time variation of MCA1 in September–November (SON) with 1 August initial condition. Two possible reasons for the models’ low skill in SON are identified. First, the models have the most pronounced errors in the mean state of SST and precipitation along the central equatorial Pacific. Because of the link between the divergent circulation forced by tropical heating and the midlatitude atmospheric circulation, errors in the mean state of tropical SST and precipitation may lead to a degradation of midlatitude forecast skill. Second, examination of the potential predictability of the atmosphere, estimated by the ratio of the total variance to the variance of the model forecasts due to internal dynamics, shows that the atmospheric potential predictability over the North Pacific–North American (NPNA) region is the lowest in SON compared to the other three seasons. The low ratio in SON is due to a low variance associated with external forcing and a high variance related to atmospheric internal processes over this area.

Enhanced Relationship between Central Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperature and Eurasian Surface Air Temperature during Boreal Summers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-68
Author(s):  
Jing Ming ◽  
Jianqi Sun
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Wave Train ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
The North ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
Mean State

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between the central tropical Pacific (CTP) sea surface temperature (SST) and the surface air temperature (SAT) variability un-related to canonical El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) over mid-to-high latitude Eurasia during boreal summers over the past half-century. The results show that their relationship experienced a decadal shift around the early 1980s. Before the early 1980s, the Eurasian SAT-CTP SST connection was weak; after that time, the relationship became stronger, and the SAT anomalies exhibited a significant wave-like pattern over Eurasia. Such a decadal change in the Eurasian SAT-CTP SST relationship could be attributed to decadal changes in the mean state and variability of CTP SST. The warmer mean state and enhanced SST variability after the early 1980s reinforced the convective activities over the tropical Pacific, leading to significantly anomalous divergence/convergence and Rossby wave sources over the North Pacific. This outcome further excited the wave train propagating along the Northern Hemisphere zonal jet stream to northern Eurasia and then affected the surface heat fluxes and atmospheric circulations over the region, resulting in wave-like SATs over Eurasia. However, during the period before the early 1980s, the CTP SST had a weak impact on the North Pacific atmospheric circulation and was consequently not able to excite the wave train pattern to impact the Eurasian atmospheric circulation and SATs. The physical processes linking the CTP SST and Eurasian SAT are further confirmed by numerical simulations. The results of this study are valuable to understanding the variability of summer Eurasian SATs.

scholarly journals Mechanisms driving MJO teleconnection changes with warming in CMIP6

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea M. Jenney ◽  
David A. Randall ◽  
Elizabeth A. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Rossby Wave ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Extended Time ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
Mean State

Abstract. Teleconnections from the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) are a key source of predictability of weather on the extended time scale of about 10–40 days. The MJO teleconnection is sensitive to a number of factors, including the mean state dry static stability, the mean flow, and the propagation and intensity characteristics of the MJO itself, which are traditionally difficult to separate across models. Each of these factors may evolve in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, which will impact MJO teleconnections and potentially impact potential predictability on extended time scales. Current state-of-the-art climate models do not agree on how MJO teleconnections will change in a future climate. Here, we use results from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) historical and SSP585 experiments in concert with a linear baroclinic model to separate and investigate alternate mechanisms explaining why and how MJO teleconnections over the North Pacific and North America will change in a future climate, and to identify key sources of inter-model uncertainty. We find that decreases to the MJO teleconnection due to increases in tropical dry static stability alone are robust, and that uncertainty in mean state winds are a key driver of uncertainty in future MJO teleconnections. We find no systematic relationship between changes in Rossby wave excitation and the MJO teleconnection. However, we find that models that predict increases (decreases) in the stationary Rossby wave number over the gulf of Alaska also predict stronger (weaker) teleconnections over North America. Uncertainty in future changes to the MJO's intensity, eastward propagation speed, and eastward propagation extent are other important sources of uncertainty in future MJO teleconnections, although to a lesser degree than uncertainty in the mean state. The overall outlook is a reduction of the boreal winter MJO teleconnection across the vast majority of CMIP6 models, especially over the North Pacific, but with some nuance over North America due to larger sensitivity to expansion of the MJO's eastward extent.

scholarly journals Drivers of uncertainty in future projections of Madden–Julian Oscillation teleconnections

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 653-673
Author(s):  
Andrea M. Jenney ◽  
David A. Randall ◽  
Elizabeth A. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Static Stability ◽  
Boreal Winter ◽  
Madden Julian Oscillation ◽  
Future Projections ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
Mean State

Abstract. Teleconnections from the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) are a key source of predictability of weather on the extended timescale of about 10–40 d. The MJO teleconnection is sensitive to a number of factors, including the mean dry static stability, the mean flow, and the propagation and intensity characteristics of the MJO, which are traditionally difficult to separate across models. Each of these factors may evolve in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, which will impact MJO teleconnections and potentially impact predictability on extended timescales. Current state-of-the-art climate models do not agree on how MJO teleconnections over central and eastern North America will change in a future climate. Here, we use results from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) historical and SSP585 experiments in concert with a linear baroclinic model (LBM) to separate and investigate alternate mechanisms explaining why and how boreal winter (January) MJO teleconnections over the North Pacific and North America may change in a future climate and to identify key sources of inter-model uncertainty. LBM simulations suggest that a weakening teleconnection due to increases in tropical dry static stability alone is robust across CMIP6 models and that uncertainty in mean state winds is a key driver of uncertainty in future MJO teleconnections. Uncertainty in future changes to the MJO's intensity, eastward propagation speed, zonal wavenumber, and eastward propagation extent are other important sources of uncertainty in future MJO teleconnections. We find no systematic relationship between future changes in the Rossby wave source and the MJO teleconnection or between changes to the zonal wind or stationary Rossby wave number and the MJO teleconnection over the North Pacific and North America. LBM simulations suggest a reduction of the boreal winter MJO teleconnection over the North Pacific and an uncertain change over North America, with large spread over both regions that lends to weak confidence in the overall outlook. While quantitatively determining the relative importance of MJO versus mean state uncertainties in determining future teleconnections remains a challenge, the LBM simulations suggest that uncertainty in the mean state winds is a larger contributor to the uncertainty in future projections of the MJO teleconnection than the MJO.

scholarly journals The mean meridional circulation and midlatitude ozone buildup

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 4223-4256
Author(s):  
G. Nikulin ◽  
A. Karpechko
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Meridional Circulation ◽  
Residual Velocity ◽  
The North ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
Mean Meridional Circulation ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Temperature Tendency ◽  
The North Pacific

Abstract. The development of wintertime ozone buildup over the Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitudes and its connection with the mean meridional circulation in the stratosphere are examined statistically on a monthly basis from October to March (1980–2002). The ozone buildup begins locally in October with positive ozone tendencies over the North Pacific, which spread eastward and westward in November and finally cover all midlatitudes in December. During October–January a longitudinal distribution of the ozone tendencies mirrors a structure of quasi-stationary planetary waves in the lower stratosphere and has less similarity with this structure in February–March when chemistry begins to play a more important role. From November to March, zonal mean ozone tendencies (50°–60° N) show strong correlation (|r|=0.7) with different parameters used as proxies of the mean meridional circulation, namely: eddy heat flux, the vertical residual velocity (diabatically-derived) and temperature tendency. The correlation patterns between ozone tendency and the vertical residual velocity or temperature tendency are more homogeneous from month to month than ones for eddy heat flux. A partial exception is December when correlation is strong only for the vertical residual velocity. In October zonal mean ozone tendencies have no coupling with the proxies. However, positive tendencies averaged over the North Pacific correlate well, with all of them suggesting that intensification of northward ozone transport starts locally over the Pacific already in October. We show that the NH midlatitude ozone buildup has stable statistical relation with the mean meridional circulation in all months from October to March and half of the interannual variability in monthly ozone tendencies can be explained by applying different proxies of the mean meridional circulation.

Atmospheric Control on the Thermohaline Circulation

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 234-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Czaja
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
High Surface ◽  
Subpolar Gyre ◽  
Atlantic Sector ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The North Pacific

Abstract In an attempt to elucidate the role of atmospheric and oceanic processes in setting a vigorous ocean overturning circulation in the North Atlantic but not in the North Pacific, a comparison of the observed atmospheric circulation and net surface freshwater fluxes over the North Atlantic and Pacific basins is conducted. It is proposed that the more erratic meridional displacements of the atmospheric jet stream over the North Atlantic sector is instrumental in maintaining high surface salinities in its subpolar gyre. In addition, it is suggested that the spatial pattern of the net freshwater flux at the sea surface favors higher subpolar Atlantic salinity, because the geographical line separating net precipitation from net evaporation is found well south of the time-mean gyre separation in the North Pacific, whereas the two lines tend to coincide in the North Atlantic. Numerical experiments with an idealized two-gyre system confirm that these differences impact the salinity budget of the subpolar gyre. Further analysis of a coupled climate model in which the Atlantic meridional overturning cell has been artificially weakened suggests that the more erratic jet fluctuations in the Atlantic and the shift of the zero [net evaporation minus precipitation (E − P)] line are likely explained by features independent of the state of the thermohaline circulation. It is thus proposed that the atmospheric circulation helps “locking” high surface salinities and an active coupling between upper and deep ocean layers in the North Atlantic rather than in the North Pacific basin.

scholarly journals Significant Atmospheric Circulation Anomalies over the North Pacific Associated with the Enhanced Pacific ITCZ during the Summer–Fall of 2014

SOLA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (0) ◽  
pp. 282-286
Author(s):  
Shuhei Maeda ◽  
Yusuke Urabe ◽  
Kazuto Takemura ◽  
Tamaki Yasuda ◽  
Youichi Tanimoto
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
The North ◽  
Circulation Anomalies ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation Anomalies ◽  
The North Pacific

scholarly journals A Multifaceted Climatology of Atmospheric Blocking and Its Recent Linear Trend

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Croci-Maspoli ◽  
C. Schwierz ◽  
H. C. Davies
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Atmospheric Blocking ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
The North ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Medium Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The North Pacific

Abstract A dynamically based climatology is derived for Northern Hemisphere atmospheric blocking events. Blocks are viewed as large amplitude, long-lasting, and negative potential vorticity (PV) anomalies located beneath the dynamical tropopause. The derived climatology [based on the 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40)] provides a concise, coherent, and illuminating description of the main physical characteristics of blocks and the accompanying linear trends. The latitude–longitude distribution of blocking frequency captures the standard bimodal geographical distribution with major peaks over the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific in all four seasons. The accompanying pattern for the age distribution, the genesis–lysis regions, and the track of blocks reveals that 1) younger blocks (1–4 days) are more prevalent at lower latitudes whereas significantly older blocks (up to 12 days) are located at higher latitudes; 2) genesis is confined predominantly to the two major ocean basins and in a zonal band between 40° and 50°N latitude, whereas lysis is more dispersed but with clear preference to higher latitudes; and 3) the general northeastward–west-northwest movement of blocks in the genesis–lysis phase also exhibits subtle seasonal and intra- and interbasin differences. Examination of the intensity and spatial-scale changes during the blocking life cycle suggests that in the mean a block’s evolution is independent of the genesis region and its eventual duration. A novel analysis of blocking trends reveals significant negative trends in winter over Greenland and in spring over the North Pacific. It is shown that the changes over Greenland are linked to the number of blocking episodes, whereas a neighboring trend signal to the south is linked to higher-frequency anticyclonic systems. Furthermore, evidence is adduced that changes in blocking frequency contribute seminally to tropopause height trends.

Linkages between the North Pacific Oscillation and central tropical Pacific SSTs at low frequencies

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 2833-2846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason C. Furtado ◽  
Emanuele Di Lorenzo ◽  
Bruce T. Anderson ◽  
Niklas Schneider
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
North Pacific Oscillation ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Pacific
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