Caracterização de Mudanças Climáticas na Antártica a partir da Segunda Metade do Século XX

A Antártica é uma região do planeta extremamente sensível às mudanças globais do clima. Para quantificar essas mudanças, é possível estudar a variação de algumas propriedades atmosféricas como temperatura (T), pressão no nível do mar (PNM) e velocidade de ventos (v). Dados de estações meteorológicas espalhadas pela Antártica distribuídos pelo British Antarctic Survey são analisados. Os resultados mostram que as tendências de temperatura apresentam uma distribuição peculiar, visto que na porção oeste do continente há um intenso aquecimento (e.g.,0.55°C/década em San Martin), enquanto que o lado leste observa um resfriamento (-0.06°C/década em Zhongshan). O índice Intervalo de Temperatura Diária (ITD) também é utilizado para caracterizar mudanças climáticas e é consistente com as variações obtidas para a temperatura, caracterizando, portanto, o chamado Padrão de Dipolo na temperatura. Com relação à PNM, 19 estações meteorológicas das 20 estudadas, apresentam tendências negativas e na grande maioria dessas observa-se também intensificação da velocidade dos ventos. Essas mudanças estão associadas principalmente aos modos de variabilidade natural do planeta, sendo que o maior determinante das características climáticas nas regiões extratropicais do Hemisfério Sul é o Modo Anular do Hemisfério Sul (SAM). Characterization of climate change in Antarctica from the second half of 20th CenturyA B S T R A C TAntarctica is a region of the planet extremely sensitive to global climate change. To quantify these changes, it is possible to study the variation of some atmospheric properties such as Temperature, Sea Level Pressure and Wind Speed. Data from meteorological stations in Antarctica provided by the British Antarctic Survey are analyzed. The results show that Temperature trends have a peculiar distribution, since on the western side of the continent there is intense heating (e.g., 0.55°C/decade in San Martin), while the east side observes cooling trends (-0.06°C/decade in Zhongshan). The Daily Temperature Range index is also used to characterize climatic changes and agrees with the variations obtained for the Temperature, thus characterizing the so-called Dipole Pattern in temperature. About the Sea Level Pressure, 19 meteorological stations of the 20 studied, present negative trends and in the great majority of these it is also observed intensification on the wind speed. These changes are mainly associated with the natural modes of variability of the planet, and the Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode (SAM) is the major determinant of the climatic characteristics in the extratropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere.Keywords: Antarctica, Climate Change, Temperature Dipole, Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode.

Cross-Seasonal Influence of the December–February Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode on March–May Meridional Circulation and Precipitation

New evidence suggests that interannual variability in zonal-mean meridional circulation and precipitation can be partially attributed to the Southern Hemisphere annular mode (SAM), the dominant mode of climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) extratropics. A cross-seasonal correlation exists between the December–February (DJF) SAM and March–May (MAM) zonal-mean meridional circulation and precipitation. This correlation is not confined to the SH: it also extends to the Northern Hemisphere (NH) subtropics. When the preceding DJF SAM is positive, counterclockwise, and clockwise meridional cells, accompanied by less and more precipitation, occur alternately between the SH middle latitudes and NH subtropics in MAM. In particular, less precipitation occurs in the SH middle latitudes, the SH tropics, and the NH subtropics, but more precipitation occurs in the SH subtropics and the NH tropics. A framework is built to explain the cross-seasonal impact of SAM-related SST anomalies. Evidence indicates that the DJF SAM tends to lead to dipolelike SST anomalies in the SH extratropics, which are referred to in this study as the SH ocean dipole (SOD). The DJF SOD can persist until the following MAM when it begins to modulate MAM meridional circulation and large-scale precipitation. Atmospheric general circulation model simulations further verify that MAM meridional circulation between the SH middle latitudes and the northern subtropics responds to the MAM SOD.