scholarly journals Evaluation of the Moisture Sources in two Extreme Landfalling Atmospheric River Events using an Eulerian WRF-Tracers tool

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Eiras-Barca ◽  
Francina Dominguez ◽  
Huancui Hu ◽  
A. Daniel Garaboa-Paz ◽  
Gonzalo Miguez-Macho
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Cold Front ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Atmospheric River ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Low Level Jet ◽  
Tropical Moisture

Abstract. A new 3D Tracer tool is coupled to the WRF model to analyze the origin of the moisture in two extreme Atmospheric River (AR) events: the so-called Great Coast Gale of 2007 in the Pacific Basin, and the Great Storm of 1987 in the North Atlantic. Results show that between 80 % and 90 % of the moisture advected by the ARs, as well as between 70 % and 80 % of the associated precipitation have a tropical or subtropical origin. Local convergence transport is responsible for the remaining moisture and precipitation. The ratio of tropical moisture to total moisture is maximized as the cold front arrives to land. Vertical cross sections of the moisture suggest that the maximum in humidity does not necessarily coincide with the Low-Level Jet (LLJ) of the extratropical cyclone. Instead, the amount of tropical humidity is maximized in the lowest atmospheric level in southern latitudes, and can be located above, below or ahead the LLJ in northern latitudes in both analyzed cases.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the moisture sources in two extreme landfalling atmospheric river events using an Eulerian WRF tracers tool

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1247-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Eiras-Barca ◽  
Francina Dominguez ◽  
Huancui Hu ◽  
Daniel Garaboa-Paz ◽  
Gonzalo Miguez-Macho
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Atmospheric River ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
Low Level Jet ◽  
Tropical Moisture

Abstract. A new 3-D tracer tool is coupled to the WRF model to analyze the origin of the moisture in two extreme atmospheric river (AR) events: the so-called Great Coastal Gale of 2007 in the Pacific Ocean and the Great Storm of 1987 in the North Atlantic. Results show that between 80 and 90 % of moisture advected by the ARs, and a high percentage of the total precipitation produced by the systems have a tropical origin. The tropical contribution to precipitation is in general above 50 % and largely exceeds this value in the most affected areas. Local convergence transport is responsible for the remaining moisture and precipitation. The ratio of tropical moisture to total moisture is maximized as the cold front arrives on land. Vertical cross sections of the moisture content suggest that the maximum in tropical humidity does not necessarily coincide with the low-level jet (LLJ) of the extratropical cyclone. Instead, the amount of tropical humidity is maximized in the lowest atmospheric level in southern latitudes and can be located above, below or ahead of the LLJ in northern latitudes in both analyzed cases.

High-Latitude Atmospheric River Cross-Sections over the North Atlantic: Assessing Optimized Airborne Sounding Strategies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henning Dorff ◽  
Heike Konow ◽  
Vera Schemann ◽  
Felix Ament
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Water Vapour ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Vapour Transport ◽  
The North ◽  
Water Vapour Transport ◽  
Low Level Jet ◽  
The North Atlantic

<p>Regarding arctic amplification, meridional transports of moisture and heat from subpolar regions represent a crucial phenomenon. Among such intrusions, Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are characterized by narrow and transient moisture flows, which are responsible for up to 90% of vertical integrated water vapour transport (IVT) into the Arctic. Moreover, they are relevant for meridional air mass transformations and precipitation events. To identify local sources and sinks of moisture associated with such AR pathways, the accurate determination of total IVT along the AR cross-sections is indispensable. However, since ARs primarily occur over ocean basins, e.g. the North Atlantic, there is a lack of measurements inside ARs. Spaceborne sensors struggle to profile the interior of AR cores, leading to a blind zone where the majority of water vapour is located.</p><p>Conversely, airborne released dropsondes currently provide the most detailed insights on ARs. The frequency of dropsonde releases is, however, technically limited, so that uncertainties in the calculated total IVT of the AR transect may be significant. In particular, when the IVT within the AR core has high lateral variability, unresolved AR-IVT characteristics can constrain the moisture budget analysis. During the North Atlantic Waveguide and Downstream Impact Experiment (NAWDEX), conducted in autumn 2016, the High Altitude and LOng- Range research aircraft (HALO) performed several flight segments along high-latitude AR cross-sections. From these North Atlantic ARs associated with strong meridional water vapour transport, we exemplarily present high-resolution measurements and sounding profiles in the interior of AR cross-sections. We focus on a polar case (research flight RF10, 13<sup>th</sup> October 2016) and include simulations from the cloud-resolving model ICON-2km, to investigate the lateral AR-IVT variability.  </p><p>Comparing dropsonde IVT values with the simulations from ICON-2km, the model shows a valid representation of the AR. Therefore, we use the high-resolution simulations to generate additional synthetic observations. They allow us to identify major sources of error for observational representation of IVT variability in AR cross-sections. Analysing the vertical profile of water vapour transport, we find that specific humidity and wind speed contribute to lateral IVT variability at different heights. With regard to the total cross-section IVT, we derive across-track sounding resolutions required for typical arctic AR-IVT characteristics. The considered AR shows the presence of a low-level jet, a pre-cold-frontal strong wind corridor below 1000 m, resulting from the temperature gradient across the cold front. Since maximum values and increasing lateral variability of IVT appear close to this low-level jet, our results emphasize the need of high-resolution, i.e frequent sonde releases, around the low-level jet to calculate the cross-section total IVT. Our findings aim at optimizing observational airborne strategies for future campaigns, e.g. HALO-AC³ in 2022, in order to lower the uncertainties of IVT in high-latitude and arctic ARs.</p>

scholarly journals Fingerprints of changes in the terrestrial carbon cycle in response to large reorganizations in ocean circulation

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1811-1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bozbiyik ◽  
M. Steinacher ◽  
F. Joos ◽  
T. F. Stocker
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Latitudes

Abstract. CO2 and carbon cycle changes in the land, ocean and atmosphere are investigated using the comprehensive carbon cycle-climate model NCAR CSM1.4-carbon. Ensemble simulations are forced with freshwater perturbations applied at the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean deep water formation sites under pre-industrial climate conditions. As a result, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation reduces in each experiment to varying degrees. The physical climate fields show changes that are well documented in the literature but there is a clear distinction between northern and southern perturbations. Changes in the physical variables affect, in return, the land and ocean biogeochemical cycles and cause a reduction, or an increase, in the atmospheric CO2 by up to 20 ppmv, depending on the location of the perturbation. In the case of a North Atlantic perturbation, the land biosphere reacts with a strong reduction in carbon stocks in some tropical locations and in high northern latitudes. In contrast, land carbon stocks tend to increase in response to a southern perturbation. The ocean is generally a sink of carbon although large re-organizations occur throughout various basins. The response of the land biosphere is strongest in the tropical regions due to a shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The carbon fingerprints of this shift, either to the south or to the north depending on where the freshwater is applied, can be found most clearly in South America. For this reason, a compilation of various paleoclimate proxy records of Younger Dryas precipitation changes are compared with our model results.

scholarly journals Lagrangian formation pathways of moist anomalies in the trade-wind region during the dry season: two case studies from EUREC<sup>4</sup>A

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Villiger ◽  
Heini Wernli ◽  
Maxi Boettcher ◽  
Martin Hagen ◽  
Franziska Aemisegger
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cold Front ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Long Range Transport ◽  
The North ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract. Shallow clouds in the trade-wind region over the North Atlantic contribute substantially to the global radiative budget. In the vicinity of the Caribbean island Barbados, they appear in different mesoscale organisation patterns with distinct net cloud radiative effects (CRE). Cloud formation processes in this region are typically controlled by the prevailing large-scale subsidence. However, occasionally weather systems from remote origin cause significant disturbances. This study investigates the complex cloud-circulation interactions during the field campaign EUREC4A (Elucidate the Couplings Between Clouds, Convection and Circulation) from 16 January to 20 February 2020, using a combination of Eulerian and Lagrangian diagnostics. Based on observations and ERA5 reanalyses, we identify the relevant processes and characterise the formation pathways of two moist anomalies above the Barbados Cloud Observatory (BCO), one in the lower (~1000–650 hPa) and one in the middle troposphere (~650–300 hPa). These moist anomalies are associated with strongly negative CRE values and with contrasting long-range transport processes from the extratropics and the tropics, respectively. The low-level moist anomaly is characterised by an unusually thick cloud layer, high precipitation totals and a strongly negative CRE. Its formation is connected to an “extratropical dry intrusion” (EDI) that interacts with a trailing cold front. A quasi-climatological (2010–2020) analysis reveals that EDIs lead to different conditions at the BCO depending on how they interact with the associated cold front. Based on this climatology, we discuss the relevance of the strong large-scale forcing by EDIs for the low-cloud patterns near the BCO and the related CRE. The second case study about the mid-tropospheric moist anomaly is associated with an extended and persistent mixed-phase shelf cloud and the lowest daily CRE value observed during the campaign. Its formation is linked to “tropical mid-level detrainment” (TMD), which refers to detrainment from tropical deep convection near the melting layer. The quasi-climatological analysis shows that TMDs consistently lead to mid-tropospheric moist anomalies over the BCO and that the detrainment height controls the magnitude of the anomaly. However, no systematic relationship was found between the amplitude of this mid-tropospheric moist anomaly and the CRE at the BCO. Overall, this study reveals the important impact of the long-range transport, driven by dynamical processes either in the extratropics or the tropics, on the variability of the vertical structure of moisture and clouds, and on the resulting CRE in the North Atlantic winter trades.

scholarly journals Polar Mesoscale Cyclone Climatology for the Nordic Seas Based on ERA-Interim

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 2511-2532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clio Michel ◽  
Annick Terpstra ◽  
Thomas Spengler
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Nordic Seas ◽  
The North ◽  
Cold Air Outbreak ◽  
Low Level Jet ◽  
Large Scale Flow ◽  
The North Atlantic Oscillation

Polar mesoscale cyclones (PMCs) are automatically detected and tracked over the Nordic seas using the Melbourne University algorithm applied to ERA-Interim. The novelty of this study lies in the length of the dataset (1979–2014), using PMC tracks to infer relationships to large-scale flow patterns, and elucidating the sensitivity to different selection criteria when defining PMCs and polar lows and their genesis environments. The angle between the ambient mean and thermal wind is used to distinguish two different PMC genesis environments. The forward shear environment (thermal and mean wind have the same direction) features typical baroclinic conditions with a temperature gradient at the surface and a strong jet stream at the tropopause. The reverse shear environment (thermal and mean wind have opposite directions) features an occluded cyclone with a barotropic structure throughout the entire troposphere and a low-level jet. In contrast to previous studies, PMC occurrence features neither a significant trend nor a significant link with the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Scandinavian blocking (SB), though the SB negative pattern seems to promote reverse shear PMC genesis. The sea ice extent in the Nordic seas is not associated with overall changes in PMC occurrence but influences the genesis location. Selected cold air outbreak indices and the temperature difference between the sea surface and 500 hPa (SST − T500) show no robust link with PMC occurrence, but the characteristics of forward shear PMCs and their synoptic environments are sensitive to the choice of the SST − T500 threshold.

The North Atlantic anchor: Canada and the Pacific Century

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Richard Nossal
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
International Order ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Defence Policy ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Strategic Perspective

This paper surveys Canada’s ambivalence towards the Asia Pacific, and seeks to put that ambivalence into the broader context of the dominant strategic perspective in Canada that has privileged, and continues to privilege, a North Atlantic focus for Canadian foreign and defence policy. It argues that Canada’s laggardly approach to Asia Pacific diplomacy can be best explained by the widespread perception among Canadians—and their government—that the North Atlantic alliance should remain the key driver of Canadian foreign and defence policy. Indeed, this geostrategic outlook has actually intensified with the election of Donald J. Trump and his unorthodox approach to the transatlantic alliance and the liberal international order. I argue that this North Atlantic outlook, so dominant for so much of Canada’s history, will continue to anchor Canadian foreign and defence policy, making Canada’s engagement in the Asia Pacific more problematic.

scholarly journals Biogeochemistry of the North Atlantic during oceanic anoxic event 2: role of changes in ocean circulation and phosphorus input

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 977-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ruvalcaba Baroni ◽  
R. P. M. Topper ◽  
N. A. G. M. van Helmond ◽  
H. Brinkhuis ◽  
C. P. Slomp
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Deep Basin ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
The North Atlantic

Abstract. The geological record provides evidence for the periodic occurrence of water column anoxia and formation of organic-rich deposits in the North Atlantic Ocean during the mid-Cretaceous (hereafter called the proto-North Atlantic). Both changes in primary productivity and oceanic circulation likely played a role in the development of the low-oxygen conditions. Several studies suggest that an increased input of phosphorus from land initiated oceanic anoxic events (OAEs). Other proposed mechanisms invoke a vigorous upwelling system and an ocean circulation pattern that acted as a trap for nutrients from the Pacific Ocean. Here, we use a detailed biogeochemical box model for the proto-North Atlantic to analyse under what conditions anoxia could have developed during OAE2 (94 Ma). The model explicitly describes the coupled water, carbon, oxygen and phosphorus cycles for the deep basin and continental shelves. In our simulations, we assume the vigorous water circulation from a recent regional ocean model study. Our model results for pre-OAE2 and OAE2 conditions are compared to sediment records of organic carbon and proxies for photic zone euxinia and bottom water redox conditions (e.g. isorenieratane, carbon/phosphorus ratios). Our results show that a strongly elevated input of phosphorus from rivers and the Pacific Ocean relative to pre-OAE2 conditions is a requirement for the widespread development of low oxygen in the proto-North Atlantic during OAE2. Moreover, anoxia in the proto-North Atlantic is shown to be greatly influenced by the oxygen concentration of Pacific bottom waters. In our model, primary productivity increased significantly upon the transition from pre-OAE2 to OAE2 conditions. Our model captures the regional trends in anoxia as deduced from observations, with euxinia spreading to the northern and eastern shelves but with the most intense euxinia occurring along the southern coast. However, anoxia in the central deep basin is difficult to achieve in the model. This suggests that the ocean circulation used in the model may be too vigorous and/or that anoxia in the proto-North Atlantic was less widespread than previously thought.

On the Role of Atmospheric Teleconnections in Climate

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 2990-3001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasios A. Tsonis ◽  
Kyle L. Swanson ◽  
Geli Wang
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Recent Application ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Atmospheric Teleconnections ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The North Atlantic Oscillation ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract In a recent application of networks to 500-hPa data, it was found that supernodes in the network correspond to major teleconnection. More specifically, in the Northern Hemisphere a set of supernodes coincides with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and another set is located in the area where the Pacific–North American (PNA) and the tropical Northern Hemisphere (TNH) patterns are found. It was subsequently suggested that the presence of atmospheric teleconnections make climate more stable and more efficient in transferring information. Here this hypothesis is tested by examining the topology of the complete network as well as of the networks without teleconnections. It is found that indeed without teleconnections the network becomes less stable and less efficient in transferring information. It was also found that the pattern chiefly responsible for this mechanism in the extratropics is the NAO. The other patterns are simply a linear response of the activity in the tropics and their role in this mechanism is inconsequential.

On a new species of Siboglinum (Pogonophora), found on both sides of the North Atlantic

1963 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 513-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve C. Southward
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Related Species ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
A New Species

A description is given of Siboglinum holmei sp.nov., a shallow-water Atlantic species. It is compared with S. caulleryi, a related species from the Pacific.

Second reply to the comment by Romero and Kannada on “Genetic analysis of 16th-century whale bones prompts a revision of the impact of Basque whaling on right and bowhead whales in the western North Atlantic”Appears in Can. J. Zool. 84(7): 1059–1065.

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff W. Higdon
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
16Th Century ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Potential Value ◽  
The North ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The Impact

The comments by A. Romero and S. Kannada (2006. Can. J. Zool. 84: 1059–1065) provide a brief summary of North Atlantic whaling history as a critique of T. Rastogi et al. (2004. Can. J. Zool. 82: 1647–1654) . However, they fall far short of providing an accurate review of whaling history in this region. The authors present a number of factual errors, misuse several key sources, and make significant omissions, ultimately defeating the purpose of providing information to biologists, managers, and historians. In this comment I highlight the mistakes in their representation of the history of North Atlantic whaling for bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus L., 1758). There are unacceptable errors for most nations covered, and for American whaling in particular. The authors assert that over 30 000 bowhead whales were landed by Yankee whalers in the North Atlantic when the vast majority were in fact taken on the Pacific grounds. Although a summary of whaling history is an admirable goal and of potential value, it is unfortunate that the authors missed such an opportunity by failing to adequately research this topic, failing to include important citations, and by including sources that do not provide the information indicated. Providing a whaling summary with such errors and omissions only adds further confusion to an already confusing theme.

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