The North Atlantic Oscillation: A dominant factor in variations of oceanic circulation systems of the Atlantic Ocean

On the basis of altimetry data, the dynamics of the interaction between the subtropical anticyclonic (SA) and subpolar cyclonic (SC) gyres of the North Atlantic is considered. It is shown that the westerlies in the lower troposphere represented by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index are the main factor responsible for the dynamics of the gyres, which controls the inflow of warm Atlantic water into the Polar basin.     

大洋热盐环流研究的一个焦点：北太平洋是否有深水形成

现代大洋热盐环流的特点之一是北大西洋有深水形成而北太平洋没有，这种不对称性对周边气候产生了重要影响。尽管理论上认为大洋热盐环流可能存在对应不同气候的多平衡态，但北太平洋是否曾有过深水形成已成为目前学术争论的一个热点。简要介绍了最新的热盐环流研究成果，重点分析现代北太平洋无深水形成的原因，其中亚洲季风的水汽输送和低蒸发是两个重要的影响因子。     

北大西洋涛动变率研究进展

介绍了近年来北大西洋涛动研究的最新进展。 NAO指数序列的建立取得了很多成果 ,包括一些观测气象记录的序列以及利用树木年轮、冰芯等代用资料建立的近 30 0多年的序列 ,这些长的序列显示 NAO不仅有突出的年际变率 ,也有显著的年代际变率。总结了 NAO对地面温度、降水、北大西洋飓风和北半球臭氧等影响的一些研究成果。NAO的低频变率可能与气候系统内部的相互作用以及外部强迫有关。许多模拟研究发现 NAO与温盐环流有密切的联系 ,但是这种关系还有待观测资料的证实。全球气候变暖也可能是影响 NAO变率的一个不可忽视的因素。     

Seasonally ice free glacial nordic seas without deep water ventilation

At present the Nordic Seas are a key region of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation. Two alternative scenarios have been suggested by some authors for the Last Glacial Maximum: (i) the Nordic Seas were permanently covered by sea ice, preventing the formation of NADW, or (ii) that they were seasonally free of ice and that deep water formation did occur. A modified scenario is presented here based on parallel ocean circulation modelling results from the GFDL primitive equation model and a planetary geostrophic model. It is suggested that the glacial Nordic Seas were at least seasonally ice free, but it is observed that there was never deep water formation from the surface; rather it occurred only in the North Atlantic south of 40°–50°N. North of 40°N, the weaker LGM northward flowing thermohaline conveyor is subducted below a reverse conveyor which occurred to a depth of over 1000 m. Various modelling experiments presented here indicate that the reversed conveyor was primarily caused by the colder conditions of the glacial North Atlantic that led to far stronger zonality of glacial analogue of the North Atlantic Current.     

温盐环流反转及其对新生代气候的影响

温盐环流是由海水温度、盐度差异驱动的全球洋流循环系统。在气候系统中,它对全球热量输送起到了十分重要的作用。在亚轨道尺度(千年时间尺度)上,温盐环流的改变导致了一系列快速的气候变化,因此备受关注。在构造时间尺度(百万年时间尺度)上,古海洋记录和数值模拟揭示出,温盐环流的反转对新生代气候也产生了非常显著的影响。在新生代,温盐环流由“南大洋深层水主控型”向“北大西洋深层水主控型”反转。这一反转改变了全球的热量输送,使得南半球强烈变冷,并有可能导致南极东部永久冰盖的形成。在这一反转事件中,热带海道的作用更加重要。     

Linking past flood frequencies in Norway to regional atmospheric circulation anomalies

Analysis of two continuous, high‐resolution palaeo‐flood records from southern Norway reveals that the frequency of extreme flood events has changed significantly during the Holocene. During the early and middle Holocene, flood frequency was low; by contrast, it was high over the last 2300 years when the mean flood frequency was about 2.5–3.0 per century. The present regional discharge regime is dominated by spring/summer snowmelt, and our results indicate that the changing flood frequency cannot be explained by local conditions associated with the respective catchments of the two lakes, but rather long‐term variations of solid winter precipitation and related snowmelt. Applying available instrumental winter precipitation data and associated sea‐level pressure re‐analysis data as a modern analogue, we document that atmospheric circulation anomalies, significantly different from the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), have some potential in explaining the variability of the two different palaeo‐flood records. Centennial‐scale patterns in shifting flood frequency might be indicative of shifts in atmospheric circulation and shed light on palaeo‐pressure variations in the North Atlantic region, in areas not influenced by the NAO. Major shifts are found at about 2300, 1200 and 200 years ago (cal. a BP). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rapid ice-sheet growth and initiation of the last glaciation

Calculations based on temperature-corrected oxygen-isotope ratios from deep-sea cores yield a glacioeustatic sea-level fall in excess of 50 m during the first 10,000 yr of the last glaciation, and generally support the local regression of about 70 m inferred from tectonically rising New Guinea beaches. We propose that this rapid glacial buildup depended on high-latitude cooling, and large increases of high-latitude regional winter precipitation in the Laurentide and the Fennoscandian-Barents Sea areas, and that these factors were caused by a critical alteration of North Atlantic Drift currents and their associated subpolar atmospheric circulation. In support of this, faunal data from northeast North Atlantic deep-sea cores show that the glacial buildup was accompanied by a sudden loss of most of the North Atlantic Drift from the Greenland-Norwegian Sea, a factor favoring reduced heat input into the higher latitudes. Subpolar mollusk and foraminifera fauna from elevated marine deposits on the Baffin Island coast, and northwest North Atlantic core data suggest a continuation or an associated restoration of subpolar water west of Greenland as far north as Baffin Bay, a factor favoring precipitation in the northeast Canadian region. Heat transport and atmospheric circulation considerations suggest that the loss of the northeast North Atlantic Drift was itself a major instrument of high-latitude climate change, and probably marked the initiation of major new ice-sheet growth.     

Is the North Atlantic Oscillation reflected in Scandinavian glacier mass balance records?

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the modes of climate variability in the North Atlantic region. The atmospheric circulation during the winter season in this region commonly displays a strong meridional (north–south) pressure contrast, with low air pressure (cyclone) centred close to Iceland and high air pressure (anticyclone) near the Azores. This pressure gradient drives the mean surface winds and the mid‐latitude winter storms from west to east across the North Atlantic, bringing mild moist air to northwest Europe. The NAO index is based on the difference of normalised sea‐level pressures (SLP) between Ponta Delgada, Azores and Stykkisholmur, Iceland. The SLP anomalies at these stations are normalised by division of each monthly pressure by the long‐term (1865–1984) standard deviation. Interannual atmospheric climate variability in northwest Europe, especially over Great Britain and western Scandinavia has, during the last decades, been attributed mainly to the NAO, causing variations in the winter weather over the northeast North Atlantic and the adjacent land areas. A comparison between the NAO index and the winter (December–March) precipitation between ad 1864 and 1995 in western Norway shows that these are strongly linked (correlation coefficient 0.77). Variations in the NAO index are also reflected in the mass balance records of glaciers in western Scandinavia. The NAO index is best correlated with mass balance data from maritime glaciers in southern Norway (e.g. Ålfotbreen R² = 0.51). The record of Holocene (last ca. 11 500 cal. yr) glacier variations of maritime glaciers in western Scandinavia is thus a proxy of pre‐instrumental NAO variations. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

北极海冰与全球气候变化

最近有关北极海冰在全球气候系统中作用的研究发现，北冰洋边缘海域大洋深水的形成与海冰发育有关，海冰冻融过程对盐度层结具有重要影响，海冰变化可引起盐度突变层的灾变和热盐环流的突然停止，热盐环流的变化与北大西洋海冰１０年际变化相联系，北大西洋气候的不稳定性与热盐环流变化密切相关。北极海冰－海洋－大气间耦合作用，使北极海冰构成了北大西洋和全球气候反馈循环中的重要环节。     

北欧海深层水的研究进展简

As a connection region between North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, the Nordic Sea plays a critical role in global climate system. In the Nordic Seas, surface water converts into intermediate water and deep water after cooling and other effects. These waters transport southward, and enter into North Atlantic as a form of overflow, therefore, they are the main source of the North Atlantic Deep Water(NADW), which play a key role in global ocean conveyor. The causes and processes of the deep water formation in the Nordic Seas are still uncertain. Based on a review of current and historical research results of the deep water in the Nordic Seas, the most important process for deep water formation convection is addressed. Factors and physical processes that may have impact on deep water formation are summarized. The transport of deep water in the Nordic Seas is summed up. Multi year variation of the deep water is described with the aim of giving some instructions and research directions to the readers.     

季节性海冰驱动的冰期北大西洋“电容器”效应

第四纪冰期的千年尺度气候突变事件——Dansgaard-Oeschger Event (D-O事件),一直是古气候学领域关注的重点。近年来,数值模拟的研究发现,北大西洋副极地地区年际-年代际气候变率的振幅在D-O事件中的冰阶冷期远大于间冰阶暖期,这一现象为理解该区域海温代理指标的气候学意义提供了重要参考价值,但其动力机制尚不清晰。本文利用海气耦合气候模型(COSMOS),通过模拟氧同位素(MIS)3阶段的一个典型D-O事件过程,探讨了冰阶冷期北大西洋气候变率的放大机制。结果显示,北大西洋副极地海域的季节性海冰通过调控海气间热量交换,影响当地气候变率的幅度。冰阶期,热带暖水向北输送导致海洋次表层逐渐升温,削弱了表层-次表层海水的密度层结,有利于次表层暖水上涌,促进海冰融化及海表温度升高。这将激发出海平面气压的负异常,引起气旋式风切变,并通过Ekman抽吸作用加速表层-次表层海水的垂直混合,进一步促进次表层暖水的上涌。这一正反馈机制造成海洋次表层热量的迅速释放,海表温度快速升高。当次表层热量释放结束后,海表将无暖水补充,导致海表温度下降,海冰增多。该过程激发的海表气压正异常(即反气旋式风切变)将抑制垂直混合发生,促进次表层热量积累,为下一次放热过程提供条件。在间冰阶暖期,随着北大西洋季节性海冰消失,海气间热交换不再受海冰变化影响,海洋次表层与大气间的热交换始终处于准平衡态,气候变率的振幅显著下降。本研究结果显示,北大西洋季节性海冰的存在可以调控海洋次表层热量积累-释放的过程,产生“电容器”效应,这对理解冰期年际-年代际气候变率放大现象有重要启示意义。     

Oceanic evidence for the mechanism of rapid northern hemisphere glaciation

The oxygen isotopic stage 5/4 boundary in deep-sea sediments marks a prominent interval of northern hemisphere ice-sheet growth that lasted about 10,000 yr. During much of this rapid ice growth, the North Atlantic Ocean from at least 40°N to 60°N maintained warm sea-surface temperatures, within 1° to 2°C of today's subpolar ocean. This oceanic warmth provided a local source of moisture for ice-sheet accretion on the adjacent continents. The unusually strong thermal gradient off the east coast of North America (an “interglacial” ocean alongside a “glacial” land mass) also should have directed low-pressure storms from warm southern latitudes north-ward toward the Laurentide Ice Sheet. In addition, minimal calving of ice into the North Atlantic occurred during most of the stage 5/4 transition, indicative of ice retention within the continents. Diminished summer and autumn insolation, a warm subpolar ocean, and minimal calving of ice are conducive to rapid and extensive episodes of northern hemisphere ice-sheet growth.     

Differential North Atlantic control of winter hydroclimate in late Holocene varved sediments of Lake Kortejärvi,eastern Finland

Sediment microfacies, geochemical μ‐XRF and X‐ray density analyses were conducted on varved sediments from Lake Kortejärvi (eastern Finland) covering the last 2700 years. The varves comprise couplets of detrital and organic sub‐layers throughout the complete time‐span. Based on their microfacies and stratigraphical position within a varve as well as comparisons with local discharge and meteorological data, thicker detrital layers are interpreted to reflect intensified snow‐melt floods following more humid winters. Detailed comparisons with monthly to annually resolved North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices back to AD 1049 (901 a BP) suggest that multidecadal increases in snow‐melt layer thickness tend to be connected with a more positive phase of the NAO and, consequently, warmer winters. In contrast, distinct centennial intervals of thicker snow‐melt layers from −40 to 170, 280 to 460 and 1900 to 2300 a BP as well as around 2600 a BP do not consistently correspond to a particular NAO phase, but coincide with extended sea‐ice margins and a colder North Atlantic climate, causing intensified and southward shifted westerly cyclones. Our results point to a differential modification of North Atlantic winter hydroclimate working on varying time scales.     

Blueprints for Medieval hydroclimate

According to tree ring and other records, a series of severe droughts that lasted for decades afflicted western North America during the Medieval period resulting in a more arid climate than in subsequent centuries. A review of proxy evidence from around the world indicates that North American megadroughts were part of a global pattern of Medieval hydroclimate that was distinct from that of today. In particular, the Medieval hydroclimate was wet in northern South America, dry in mid-latitude South America, dry in eastern Africa but with strong Nile River floods and a strong Indian monsoon. This pattern is similar to that accompanying persistent North American droughts in the instrumental era. This pattern is compared to that associated with familiar climate phenomena. The best fit comes from a persistently La Niña-like tropical Pacific and the warm phase of the so-called Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. A positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) also helps to explain the Medieval hydroclimate pattern. Limited sea surface temperature reconstructions support the contention that the tropical Pacific was cold and the subtropical North Atlantic was warm, ideal conditions for North American drought. Tentative modeling results indicate that a multi-century La Niña-like state could have arisen as a coupled atmosphere–ocean response to high irradiance and weak volcanism during the Medieval period and that this could in turn have induced a persistently positive NAO state. A La Niña-like state could also induce a strengthening of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, and hence warming of the North Atlantic Ocean, by (i) the ocean response to the positive NAO and by shifting the southern mid-latitude westerlies poleward which (ii) will increase the salt flux from the Indian Ocean into the South Atlantic and (iii) drive stronger Southern Ocean upwelling.     

Synchronism of Holocene East Asian monsoon variations and North Atlantic drift-ice tracers

Eighteen radiocarbon-dated eolian and paleosol profiles within a 1500-km-long belt along the arid to semi-arid transition zone of north-central China record variations in the extent and strength of the East Asian summer monsoon during the Holocene. Dated paleosols and peat layers represent intervals when the zone was dominated by a mild, moist summer monsoon climate that favored pedogenesis and peat accumulation. Brief intervals of enhanced eolian activity that resulted in the deposition of loess and eolian sand were times when strengthened winter monsoon conditions produced a colder, drier climate. The monsoon variations correlate closely with variations in North Atlantic drift-ice tracers that represent episodic advection of drift ice and cold polar surface water southward and eastward into warmer subpolar water. The correspondence of these records over the full span of Holocene time implies a close relationship between North Atlantic climate and the monsoon climate of central China.     

北大西洋涛动和北极涛动与新疆河川径流变化

分析了冬季北大西洋涛动(NAO)和北极涛动(AO)与新疆天山南北不同流域河川径流变化的关系.结果表明:影响北半球气温、降水等气候驱动因子的NAO和AO同样与新疆河川径流的变化具有显著的遥相关.在年际变化上,NAO和AO的强弱分别与径流变化的相关性具有明显的区域性差异;在年代际尺度上,NAO和AO有超前于新疆河流年径流5 a的显著相关,相关关系分别超过了95%和99%置信水平.NAO和AO变化对预测新疆河川径流的变化有很好的实际意义.     

Connection between South Mediterranean climate and North African atmospheric circulation during the last 50,000 yr BP North Atlantic cold events

High-resolution clay mineralogical analyses were performed on sediment deposited during the last 50,000 yr in the Alboran sea (ODP Site 976). The clay mineral record is compared with pollen assemblages and with annual precipitation (Pann) and mean temperatures of the coldest month (MTCO) reconstructed with the modern analog technique (MAT). Enhanced contribution of palygorskite, a typical wind-blown clay mineral, characterizes the North Atlantic cold climatic events. Coeval development of the semi-arid vegetation (Artemisia rich) associated with a drastic fall of reconstructed precipitations and temperatures, suggest cold and arid continental conditions in the West Mediterranean area during North Atlantic cold events. The clay mineral association, especially the palygorskite content and the illite-to-kaolinite ratio, indicate western Morocco as one of the major source of the clay-size fraction during the North Atlantic cold events. The maximum abundance of Artemisia associated with the presence of Argania pollen both indicate Morocco as the main origin for pollen during these cold periods. The comparison of these pollen and clay mineral-specific features allows us to pinpoint western Morocco as the dominant source of wind-blown particles during North Atlantic cold events. These specific mineralogical composition and palynological assemblages reveal enhanced aridity over North Africa and intensification of winds favouring dust erosion and transport from North Africa toward the Alboran Sea during the North Atlantic cold events. According to atmospheric models, such a meridian transport (1) likely results from the development of strong and stable anticyclonic conditions over the tropical Atlantic and North Africa, similar to today's summer meteorological configuration and (2) implies a northward position of the westerly winds during North Atlantic cold events. Finally the synoptic situation over the West Mediterranean during the North Atlantic cold events is compared with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), suggesting that during the cold Atlantic events, weather regimes over Europe and North Africa may have been systematically shifted towards a positive NAO situation.     

Distribution and sources of pre-anthropogenic lead isotopes in deep ocean water from FeMn crusts

The lead isotope composition of ocean water is not well constrained due to contamination by anthropogenic lead. Here the global distribution of lead isotopes in deep ocean water is presented as derived from dated (ca. 100 ka) surface layers of hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts. The results indicate that the radiogenic lead in North Atlantic deep water is probably supplied from the continents by river particulates, and that lead in Pacific deep water is similar to that characteristic of island and continental volcanic arcs. Despite a short residence time in deep water (80–100 a), the isotopes of lead appear to be exceedingly well mixed in the Pacific basin. There is no evidence for the import of North Atlantic deep water-derived lead into the Pacific ocean, nor into the North Indian Ocean. This implies that the short residence time of lead in deep water prohibits advection over such long distances. Consequently, any climate-induced changes in deep-water flow are not expected to result in major changes in the seawater Pb-isotope record of the Pacific Ocean.     

我国北方沙尘暴年代际变化与北大西洋海气系统年代际变率的联系

分析了近50年我国北方沙尘暴的年代际变化和热盐环流(THC)的年代际变率的演变特征,发现沙尘暴与THC存在一定的联系.这种相互联系的演变过程大致是:THC与北大西洋涛动(NAO)有联系,NAO与西伯利亚冷高压有联系,而西伯利亚高压又影响北半球冷空气活动,最终影响我国北方沙尘暴的发生.结果表明,THC强(弱)→NAO弱(...     

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Europe Blocking and Their Impacts on Extreme Snowstorms: A Review

Large-scale, low frequency modes such as the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO)and blocking, have an important modulation on the northern hemisphere weather and climate. In this paper, the physical mechanism studies on inter-decadal and decadal variability of NAO and blocking were summarized. The relationship between NAO regime transitions and the interannual variability of NAO in winter during was examined by using a statistical approach. The time-space relationship between NAO and European blocking were discussed. Based on two extreme cold and snowstorm events, the impacts on local weather especially the extreme events within the life cycle (two weeks) of the NAO and blocking were further examined. It was found that the frequently occurrence of the Eurasian extreme snowstorm was closely related to the special combination of NAO and blocking regime. In addition, the development of theoretical modes for NAO and blocking was discussed and issues that remain to be solved were proposed.