Large-Scale Air-Sea Interactions and Short-Period Climatic Fluctuations

Abstract

Research during the last 15 years has shown that there is order in large-scale air-sea interactions, so that space scales of abnormalities of the lower atmosphere's circulation and the upper oceanic thermal structure are comparable. Because of this air-sea coupling, each oceanic or atmospheric pattern can be reasonably well specified by the other. Patterns of oceanic thermal anomalies are about an order of magnitude more persistent than those of atmospheric circulations, and empirical studies have had some success in using sea surface temperature patterns in long-range weather prediction. In addition to empirical studies, efforts continue in the development of numerical-dynamical models in order to understand the complex linkages of the large-scale air-sea system.

Atmospheric Effects of the Kuroshio Large Meander during 2004–05*

“…This positive correlation between SST and wind speed prevails on ocean fronts (Xie 2004;Small et al 2008), in sharp contrast with the negative correlation often observed on the basin scale in the extratropics that is indicative of atmosphere-to-ocean forcing (Namias et al 1981;Wallace et al 1990). The positive SST-wind speed correlation indicates the opposite causality: the large meander-induced SST anomalies cause the surface wind to change.…”

Late Holocene lake level dynamics inferred from magnetic susceptibility and stable oxygen isotope data: Lake Elsinore, southern California (USA)

“…The amount of winter precipitation is a function of the average position of the winter season polar front, which is forced by changes in the position of the eastern Pacific subtropical high, the polar front jet stream, and its modulation of storm tracks (Weaver 1962;Pyke 1972;Minnich 1984;Lau 1988;Schonher and Nicholson 1989;Enzel et al 1989Enzel et al , 1992Redmond and Koch 1991;Friedman et al 1992;Ely 1997). In turn, large-scale atmospheric patterns that determine the average position of the polar front are modulated by Pacific Ocean sea-surface conditions (Namias 1951;Namias and Cayan 1981;Douglas et al 1982;Lau 1988;Namias et al 1988;Latif and Barnett 1994;Trenberth and Hurrell 1994;Cayan et al 1998;Dettinger et al 1998). As a result, Lake Elsinore lake level is controlled principally by the amount of winter precipitation received over its drainage basin, in turn reflecting large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions over the Pacific Ocean (Kirby et al 2002b).…”

Review article. Studying climate effects on ecology through the use of climate indices: the North Atlantic Oscillation, El Niño Southern Oscillation and beyond

“…Proxies for the overall climate condition-representing a 'package of weather'-might, at least at an initial stage provide a robust assessment of the ecological effects of climate fluctuations, not least because of the more holistic account of the climate systems (Namias & Cayan 1981). By definition, such climate indices ought to reduce complex space and time variability into simple measures.…”