Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/979
Authors: Frankignoul, C.* 
Friederichs, P.* 
Kestenare, E.* 
Title: Influence of Atlantic SST anomalies on the atmospheric circulation in the Atlantic-European sector
Issue Date: 2003
Series/Report no.: 1/46 (2003)
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/979
Keywords: air-sea interaction
climate variability
Atlantic SST anomalies
Subject Classification01. Atmosphere::01.01. Atmosphere::01.01.02. Climate 
Abstract: Recent studies of observational data suggest that Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean have a significant influence on the atmospheric circulation in the Atlantic-European sector in early winter and in spring. After reviewing this work and showing that the spring signal is part of a global air-sea interaction, we analyze for comparison an ensemble of simulations with the ECHAM4 atmospheric general circulation model in T42 resolution forced by the observed distribution of SST and sea ice, and a simulation with the ECHAM4/OPA8 coupled model in T30 resolution. In the two cases, a significant influence of the Atlantic on the atmosphere is detected in the Atlantic-European sector. In the forced mode, ECHAM4 responds to SST anomalies from early spring to late summer, and also in early winter. The forcing involves SST anomalies not only in the tropical Atlantic, but also in the whole tropical band, suggesting a strong ENSO influence. The modeled signal resembles that seen in the observations in spring, but not in early winter. In the coupled mode, the Atlantic SST only has a significant influence on the atmosphere in summer. Although the SST anomaly is confined to the Atlantic, the summer signal shows some similarity with that seen in the forced simulations. However, there is no counterpart in the observations.
Appears in Collections:Annals of Geophysics

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