Climatic Change Over the Mediterranean and Links to the More General Atmospheric Circulation

Reddaway, Jenny M.; Bigg, Grant R.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-0088(199606)16:6<651::aid-joc27>3.0.co;2-z

Cited by 56 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…1b), known in the Aegean Sea region as the Etesians (HMSO 1962;Metaxas 1977;Maheras 1980;Prezerakos 1984;Reddaway and Bigg 1996;Zecchetto and de Biasio 2007;Chronis et al 2011). The ventilating effect of the Etesians counteracts the adiabatic warming induced by large scale subsidence especially over the central and eastern Mediterranean ), which inhibits cloud formation and convection, resulting in a prolonged summer dry period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: influence of the South Asian monsoon

2012

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The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East (EMME) is dominated by persistent northerly winds (Etesians) whose ventilating effect counteracts the adiabatic warming induced by large scale subsidence. The ERA40 dataset is used to study the vertical distribution of these circulation features, which both appear to be reconciled manifestations of the South Asian monsoon influence. As predicted by past idealized modeling studies, in late spring a westward expanding upper level warm structure and subsidence areas are associated with Rossby waves excited by the monsoon convection. Steep sloping isentropes that develop over the EMME facilitate further subsidence on the western and northern periphery of the warm structure, which is exposed to the midlatitude westerlies. The northerly flow and descent over the eastern Mediterranean have maxima in July that are strikingly synchronous to the monsoon convection over northern India, where the weaker easterly jet favors a stronger Rossby wave response and consequent impact on the EMME circulation. The pronounced EMME topography modifies the monsoon induced structure, firstly, by inducing orographically locked summer anticyclones. These enhance the mid and low level northwesterly flow at their eastern flanks, leading to distinct subsidence maxima over the eastern Mediterranean and Iran. Secondly, topography amplifies the subsidence and the northerly flow over the Aegean, Red Sea, the Iraq-Gulf region and to the east of the Caspian Sea.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: influence of the South Asian monsoon

2012

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“…Schönwiese et al, 1994;Reddaway and Bigg, 1996;Schönwiese and Rapp, 1997;Maheras et al, 2000;Brunetti et al, 2002). In particular, the strengthening during the winter months, both at the surface and at upper tropospheric levels, is highly significant, with the increase being most evident in the western to central Mediterranean area (Makrogiannis and Sashamanoglou, 1990;Schönwiese et al, 1994;Schönwiese and Rapp, 1997;Piervitali et al, 1997;Brunetti et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circulation dynamics of Mediterranean precipitation variability 1948–98

Dünkeloh

Jacobeit

2003

Intl Journal of Climatology

344

215

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Canonical correlation analysis is used to identify main coupled circulation-rainfall patterns and to relate recent variability and trends of Mediterranean precipitation to large-scale circulation dynamics. Analyses are based on geopotential heights (500 and 1000 hPa levels) for the North Atlantic-European area (National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis) and on highly resolved (0.5°× 0.5°) monthly rainfall grids (Climatic Research Unit, Norwich) selected for the Mediterranean area during the 1948-98 period. Combining monthly analyses with similar characteristics to seasonal samples yields winter (October-March), spring (April-May) and summer (June-September) types of coupled variability; a particular autumn type for the whole Mediterranean does not occur on the monthly time scale. Coupled patterns specifically linked to one or two seasons include an east Atlantic jet (EA-Jet) related pattern for summer and a Mediterranean meridional circulation (MMC) pattern for winter and spring. The most important pattern recurring with dynamical adjustments throughout the whole year reflects the seasonal cycle of the Mediterranean oscillation (MO), which is linked (with seasonal dependence) to the Northern Hemisphere teleconnection modes of the Arctic oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). Winter rainfall trends of the recent decades marked by widespread decreases in the Mediterranean area and by opposite conditions in the southeastern part are linked to particular changes over time in several of the associated circulation patterns. Thus, different regional rainfall changes are integrated into an overall interrelation between Mediterranean rainfall patterns and large-scale atmospheric circulation dynamics.

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“…Many studies have been published relating changes in Mediterranean air temperature regimes to the largescale atmospheric circulation (Corte-Real et al, 1995, 1998Reddaway and Bigg, 1996;Hurrell and van Loon, 1997;Kutiel and Maheras, 1998;Maheras et al, 1999;Saenz et al, 2001;Kutiel and Benaroch, 2002;Xoplaki, 2002;Xoplaki et al, 2002). Some of these papers evaluated the fraction of air temperature variability explained by major sea-level pressure (SLP) and/or upper-air large-scale anomalies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wintertime surface temperature in Egypt in relation to the associated atmospheric circulation

Hasanean

2004

Intl Journal of Climatology

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Mean wintertime temperatures (December, January, February) recorded during the period 1905-2000 at 18 weather stations distributed across Egypt were analysed to reveal spatial and temporal patterns of long-term trends. The relationship between winter atmospheric circulation indices and winter temperature in Egypt is examined using correlation analysis. The atmospheric circulation is represented by four indices: the well-known El Niño-southern oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) index, East Atlantic-West Russia (EAWR) index, and East Atlantic (EA) index.Surface temperature is a stable climatic element whose coefficient of variation (COV) is lower during winter. A statistically significant relation between COV and latitude indicates that stations in the south, Upper Egypt, are more variable than stations in the north, Lower Egypt. Increasing and decreasing winter surface temperature trends were found. In general, wintertime temperature has increased (warming) at most stations. Decreasing trends (cooling) are observed mainly over Upper Egypt. The upward trends in mean winter temperature during the 1910s-30s, mid 1970s, and early 1980s-2000 and the downward trends during the 1940s and 1960s are prominent features of the temporal distributions. The warming period that occurred early in the century may be explained by changes in circulation. Striking upward trends are most remarkable during the last 20 years. This could be attributed not only to human activities, but also to atmospheric circulation changes. No detectable connection between Egypt temperature and either ENSO or EA index was found during winter. A statistically significant negative relationship between winter temperature and winter NAO index can be observed. The NAO index is more dominant in determining winter temperature than ENSO circulation. A significantly stronger negative relationship between temperature over Egypt and the winter EAWR index values is detected.

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Climatic Change Over the Mediterranean and Links to the More General Atmospheric Circulation

Cited by 56 publications

References 7 publications

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: influence of the South Asian monsoon

The summer circulation over the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East: influence of the South Asian monsoon

Circulation dynamics of Mediterranean precipitation variability 1948–98

Wintertime surface temperature in Egypt in relation to the associated atmospheric circulation

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