scholarly journals Impact of Multidecadal Variability in Atlantic SST on Winter Atmospheric Blocking

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 867-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Oh Kwon ◽  
Hyodae Seo ◽  
Caroline C. Ummenhofer ◽  
Terrence M. Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Transient Eddy ◽  
Atmospheric Blocking ◽  
Multidecadal Variability ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
Sst Anomalies

AbstractRecent studies have suggested that coherent multidecadal variability exists between North Atlantic atmospheric blocking frequency and the Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV). However, the role of AMV in modulating blocking variability on multidecadal times scales is not fully understood. This study examines this issue primarily using the NOAA Twentieth Century Reanalysis for 1901–2010. The second mode of the empirical orthogonal function for winter (December–March) atmospheric blocking variability in the North Atlantic exhibits oppositely signed anomalies of blocking frequency over Greenland and the Azores. Furthermore, its principal component time series shows a dominant multidecadal variability lagging AMV by several years. Composite analyses show that this lag is due to the slow evolution of the AMV sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, which is likely driven by the ocean circulation. Following the warm phase of AMV, the warm SST anomalies emerge in the western subpolar gyre over 3–7 years. The ocean–atmosphere interaction over these 3–7-yr periods is characterized by the damping of the warm SST anomalies by the surface heat flux anomalies, which in turn reduce the overall meridional gradient of the air temperature and thus weaken the meridional transient eddy heat flux in the lower troposphere. The anomalous transient eddy forcing then shifts the eddy-driven jet equatorward, resulting in enhanced Rossby wave breaking and blocking on the northern flank of the jet over Greenland. The opposite is true with the AMV cold phases but with much shorter lags, as the evolution of SST anomalies differs in the warm and cold phases.

scholarly journals Dominant Anomaly Patterns in the Near-Surface Baroclinicity and Accompanying Anomalies in the Atmosphere and Oceans. Part I: North Atlantic Basin

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 880-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mototaka Nakamura ◽  
Shozo Yamane
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Storm Track ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Atlantic Basin ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
North Atlantic Basin ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux

Abstract Variability in the monthly mean flow and storm track in the North Atlantic basin is examined with a focus on the near-surface baroclinicity, B = Bxi + Byj. Dominant patterns of anomalous B found from empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses generally show patterns of shift and changes in the strength of B. Composited anomalies in the monthly mean wind at various pressure levels based on the signals in the EOFs display robust accompanying anomalies in the mean flow up to 50 hPa in the winter and up to 100 hPa in other seasons. Anomalous eddy fields accompanying the anomalous Bx patterns exhibit, broadly speaking, structures anticipated from linear theories of baroclinic instabilities and suggest a tendency for anomalous wave fluxes to accelerate/decelerate the surface westerly accordingly. Atmospheric anomalies accompanying By anomalies have patterns different from those that accompany Bx anomalies but are as large as those found for Bx. Anomalies in the sea surface temperature (SST) found for the anomalous patterns of Bx often show large values of small spatial scales along the Gulf Stream (GS), indicating that a meridional shift in the position of the GS and/or changes in the heat transport by the GS may be responsible for the anomalous Bx and concomitant tropospheric and lower-stratospheric anomalies. Anomalies in the net surface heat flux, SST in preceding months, and meridional eddy heat flux in the lower troposphere support this interpretation.

scholarly journals Vertical Structure and Energetics of the Western Pacific Teleconnection Pattern

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (18) ◽  
pp. 6597-6616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sho Tanaka ◽  
Kazuaki Nishii ◽  
Hisashi Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Thermal Gradient ◽  
Far East ◽  
Storm Track ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
The Western Pacific

Abstract The western Pacific (WP) pattern, characterized by north–south dipolar anomalies in pressure over the Far East and western North Pacific, is known as one of the dominant teleconnection patterns in the wintertime Northern Hemisphere. Composite analysis reveals that monthly height anomalies exhibit baroclinic structure with their phase lines tilting southwestward with height in the lower troposphere. The anomalies can thus yield not only a poleward heat flux across the climatological thermal gradient across the strong Pacific jet but also a westward heat flux across the climatological thermal gradient between the North Pacific and the cooler Asian continent. The resultant baroclinic conversion of available potential energy (APE) from the climatological-mean flow contributes most efficiently to the APE maintenance of the monthly WP pattern, acting against strong thermal damping effects by anomalous heat exchanges with the underlying ocean and anomalous precipitation in the subtropics and by the effect of anomalous eddy heat flux under modulated storm-track activity. Kinetic energy (KE) of the pattern is maintained through barotropic feedback forcing associated with modulated activity of transient eddies and the conversion from the climatological-mean westerlies, both of which act against frictional damping. The net feedback forcing by transient eddies is therefore not particularly efficient. The present study suggests that the WP pattern has a characteristic of a dynamical mode that can maintain itself through efficient energy conversion from the climatological-mean fields even without external forcing, including remote influence from the tropics.

scholarly journals The Life Cycle of the North Atlantic Storm Track*

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 821-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Novak ◽  
Maarten H. P. Ambaum ◽  
Rémi Tailleux
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Storm Track ◽  
High Heat ◽  
High Heat Flux ◽  
Dominant Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract The North Atlantic eddy-driven jet exhibits latitudinal variability with evidence of three preferred latitudinal locations: south, middle, and north. Here the authors examine the drivers of this variability and the variability of the associated storm track. The authors investigate the changes in the storm-track characteristics for the three jet locations and propose a mechanism by which enhanced storm-track activity, as measured by upstream heat flux, is responsible for cyclical downstream latitudinal shifts in the jet. This mechanism is based on a nonlinear oscillator relationship between the enhanced meridional temperature gradient (and thus baroclinicity) and the meridional high-frequency (periods of shorter than 10 days) eddy heat flux. Such oscillations in baroclinicity and heat flux induce variability in eddy anisotropy, which is associated with the changes in the dominant type of wave breaking and a different latitudinal deflection of the jet. The authors’ results suggest that high heat flux is conducive to a northward deflection of the jet, whereas low heat flux is conducive to a more zonal jet. This jet-deflecting effect was found to operate most prominently downstream of the storm-track maximum, while the storm track and the jet remain anchored at a fixed latitudinal location at the beginning of the storm track. These cyclical changes in storm-track characteristics can be viewed as different stages of the storm track’s spatiotemporal life cycle.

scholarly journals Dominant Anomaly Patterns in the Near-Surface Baroclinicity and Accompanying Anomalies in the Atmosphere and Oceans. Part II: North Pacific Basin

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (24) ◽  
pp. 6445-6467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mototaka Nakamura ◽  
Shozo Yamane
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Baroclinic Instability ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Pacific Basin ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
North Pacific Basin

Abstract Variability in the monthly-mean flow and storm track in the North Pacific basin is examined with a focus on the near-surface baroclinicity. Dominant patterns of anomalous near-surface baroclinicity found from empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses generally show mixed patterns of shift and changes in the strength of near-surface baroclinicity. Composited anomalies in the monthly-mean wind at various pressure levels based on the signals in the EOFs show accompanying anomalies in the mean flow up to 50 hPa in the winter and up to 100 hPa in other seasons. Anomalous eddy fields accompanying the anomalous near-surface baroclinicity patterns exhibit, broadly speaking, structures anticipated from simple linear theories of baroclinic instability, and suggest a tendency for anomalous wave fluxes to accelerate–decelerate the surface westerly accordingly. However, the relationship between anomalous eddy fields and anomalous near-surface baroclinicity in the midwinter is not consistent with the simple linear baroclinic instability theories. Composited anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) accompanying anomalous near-surface baroclinicity often exhibits moderate values and large spatial scales in the basin, rather than large values concentrated near the oceanic fronts. In the midsummer and in some cases in cold months, however, large SST anomalies are found around the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extensions. Accompanying anomalies in the net surface heat flux, SST in the preceding and following months, and meridional eddy heat flux in the lower troposphere suggest active roles played by the ocean in generating the concomitant anomalous large-scale atmospheric state in some of these cases.

scholarly journals Observational Assessment of Nonlocal Heat Flux Feedback in the North Atlantic by GEFA

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Wen ◽  
Zhengyu Liu ◽  
Qinyu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Turbulent Heat ◽  
Observational Assessment ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Flux Response ◽  
Sst Anomalies ◽  
Heat Flux Feedback

AbstractMost previous studies have proven the local negative heat flux feedback (the surface heat flux response to SST anomalies) in the midlatitude areas. However, it is uncertain whether a nonlocal heat flux feedback can be observed. In this paper, the generalized equilibrium feedback assessment (GEFA) method is employed to examine the full surface turbulent heat flux response to SST in the North Atlantic Ocean using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data. The results not only confirm the dominant local negative feedback, but also indicate a robust nonlocal positive feedback of the Gulf Stream Extension (GSE) SST to the downstream heat flux in the subpolar region. This nonlocal feedback presents a strong seasonality, with response magnitudes of in winter and in summer. Further study indicates that the nonlocal effect is initiated by the adjustments of the downstream surface wind to the GSE SST anomalies.

Estimation of the Surface Heat Flux Response to Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies over the Global Oceans

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 4582-4599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungsu Park ◽  
Clara Deser ◽  
Michael A. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Surface Heat Flux ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Surface Heat ◽  
Radiative Flux ◽  
Turbulent Heat ◽  
Global Oceans ◽  
Sst Anomalies ◽  
Heat Flux Feedback

Abstract The surface heat flux response to underlying sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (the surface heat flux feedback) is estimated using 42 yr (1956–97) of ship-derived monthly turbulent heat fluxes and 17 yr (1984–2000) of satellite-derived monthly radiative fluxes over the global oceans for individual seasons. Net surface heat flux feedback is generally negative (i.e., a damping of the underlying SST anomalies) over the global oceans, although there is considerable geographical and seasonal variation. Over the North Pacific Ocean, net surface heat flux feedback is dominated by the turbulent flux component, with maximum values (28 W m−2 K−1) in December–February and minimum values (5 W m−2 K−1) in May–July. These seasonal variations are due to changes in the strength of the climatological mean surface wind speed and the degree to which the near-surface air temperature and humidity adjust to the underlying SST anomalies. Similar features are observed over the extratropical North Atlantic Ocean with maximum (minimum) feedback values of approximately 33 W m−2 K−1 (9 W m−2 K−1) in December–February (June–August). Although the net surface heat flux feedback may be negative, individual components of the feedback can be positive depending on season and location. For example, over the midlatitude North Pacific Ocean during late spring to midsummer, the radiative flux feedback associated with marine boundary layer clouds and fog is positive, and results in a significant enhancement of the month-to-month persistence of SST anomalies, nearly doubling the SST anomaly decay time from 2.8 to 5.3 months in May–July. Several regions are identified with net positive heat flux feedback: the tropical western North Atlantic Ocean during boreal winter, the Namibian stratocumulus deck off West Africa during boreal fall, and the Indian Ocean during boreal summer and fall. These positive feedbacks are mainly associated with the following atmospheric responses to positive SST anomalies: 1) reduced surface wind speed (positive turbulent heat flux feedback) over the tropical western North Atlantic and Indian Oceans, 2) reduced marine boundary layer stratocumulus cloud fraction (positive shortwave radiative flux feedback) over the Namibian stratocumulus deck, and 3) enhanced atmospheric water vapor (positive longwave radiative flux feedback) in the vicinity of the tropical deep convection region over the Indian Ocean that exceeds the negative shortwave radiative flux feedback associated with enhanced cloudiness.

North Atlantic Circulation Regimes and Heat Transport by Synoptic Eddies

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 4769-4785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Ruggieri ◽  
M. Carmen Alvarez-Castro ◽  
Panos Athanasiadis ◽  
Alessio Bellucci ◽  
Stefano Materia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Heat Transport ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Dynamical Interaction ◽  
Weather Regimes ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
Synoptic Eddies

AbstractMeridional transport of heat by transient atmospheric eddies is a key component of the energy budget of the middle- and high-latitude regions. The heat flux at relevant frequencies is also part of a dynamical interaction between eddies and mean flow. In this study we investigate how the poleward heat flux by high-frequency atmospheric transient eddies is modulated by North Atlantic weather regimes in reanalysis data. Circulation regimes are estimated via a clustering method, a jet-latitude index, and a blocking index. Heat transport is defined as advection of moist static energy. The focus of the analysis is on synoptic frequencies but results for slightly longer time scales are reported. Results show that the synoptic eddy heat flux is substantially modulated by midlatitude weather regimes on a regional scale in midlatitude and polar regions. In a zonal-mean sense, the phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation do not significantly change the high-latitude synoptic heat flux, whereas Scandinavian blocking and the Atlantic ridge are associated with an intensification. A close relationship between high-latitude (midlatitude) heat flux and Atlantic jet speed (latitude) is found. The relationship between extreme events of synoptic heat flux and circulation regimes is also assessed and reveals contrasting behaviors in the polar regions. The perspective that emerges complements the traditional view of the interaction between synoptic eddies and the extratropical flow and reveals relationships with the high-latitude climate.

scholarly journals Atlantic Multidecadal Variability and the U.K. ACSIS Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. T. Sutton ◽  
G. D. McCarthy ◽  
J. Robson ◽  
B. Sinha ◽  
A. T. Archibald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Atlantic Multidecadal Variability ◽  
Multidecadal Variability ◽  
The North ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) is the term used to describe the pattern of variability in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) that is characterized by decades of basinwide warm or cool anomalies, relative to the global mean. AMV has been associated with numerous climate impacts in many regions of the world including decadal variations in temperature and rainfall patterns, hurricane activity, and sea level changes. Given its importance, understanding the physical processes that drive AMV and the extent to which its evolution is predictable is a key challenge in climate science. A leading hypothesis is that natural variations in ocean circulation control changes in ocean heat content and consequently AMV phases. However, this view has been challenged recently by claims that changing natural and anthropogenic radiative forcings are critical drivers of AMV. Others have argued that changes in ocean circulation are not required. Here, we review the leading hypotheses and mechanisms for AMV and discuss the key debates. In particular, we highlight the need for a holistic understanding of AMV. This perspective is a key motivation for a major new U.K. research program: the North Atlantic Climate System Integrated Study (ACSIS), which brings together seven of the United Kingdom’s leading environmental research institutes to enable a broad spectrum approach to the challenges of AMV. ACSIS will deliver the first fully integrated assessment of recent decadal changes in the North Atlantic, will investigate the attribution of these changes to their proximal and ultimate causes, and will assess the potential to predict future changes.

Estimating Eddy Heat Flux from Float Data in the North Atlantic: The Impact of Temporal Sampling Interval

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 923-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian S. Chinn ◽  
Sarah T. Gille
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Sampling Interval ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Temporal Sampling ◽  
The North ◽  
Eddy Heat Flux ◽  
Daily Sampling ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Acoustically tracked float data from 16 experiments carried out in the North Atlantic are used to evaluate the feasibility of estimating eddy heat fluxes from floats. Daily float observations were bin averaged in 2° by 2° by 200-db-deep geographic bins, and eddy heat fluxes were estimated for each bin. Results suggest that eddy heat fluxes can be highly variable, with substantial outliers that mean that fluxes do not converge quickly. If 100 statistically independent observations are available in each bin (corresponding to 500–1000 float days of data), then results predict that 80% of bins will have eddy heat fluxes that are statistically different from zero. Pop-up floats, such as Autonomous Lagrangian Circulation Explorer (ALACE) and Argo floats, do not provide daily sampling and therefore underestimate eddy heat flux. The fraction of eddy heat flux resolved using pop-up float sampling patterns decreases linearly with increasing intervals between float mapping and can be modeled analytically. This implies that flux estimates from pop-up floats may be correctable to represent true eddy heat flux.

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