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.     

中全新世和末次盛冰期北大西洋涛动变化及其与亚洲降水的联系:基于MPI-ESM模拟试验

本文利用古气候模式比较计划第三阶段(PMIP3)中MPI-ESM模式模拟输出, 采用主分量分析、回归分析、多窗谱分析等方法, 探讨了中全新世(MH)和末次盛冰期(LGM)北大西洋涛动(NAO)变化及其与亚洲降水的关系。结果表明:MH冬季NAO较现代有轻微增大, 南部高压中心东移; 而LGM冬季NAO明显减弱, 南北气压活动中心转为西南-东北走向。MH冬季强NAO信号可通过海洋记忆效应持续至夏季, 并以准静止Rossby波形式传至东亚地区, 导致乌拉尔山和鄂霍次克海阻高增强、贝加尔湖低压加深, 这种倒"Ω"流场增强有利于冷空气南下, 并通过热成风原理使得副热带西风急流增强, 急流南侧产生上升异常, 有利于该区降水产生; 而LGM时NAO减弱引起夏季倒"Ω"流场减弱, 冷空气南下弱于现代, 使得副热带西风急流减弱, 其南侧产生下沉异常, 最终抑制降水。因此, MH和LGM两阶段的NAO引起大气环流的变化可能对亚洲夏季降水产生影响。     

Global features of sea-level pressure distribution in April and July associated with contrasting situations of Indian summer monsoon

Global sea-level pressure distribution has been analysed for the months of April and July for 5 years of contrasting situations of Indian summer monsoon, comprising of two drought years (1972 and 1974), a flood year (1975) and two normal monsoon years (1970 and 1973). Mean monthly sea-level pressure data at about 400 stations have been used in the study. Prominent features of pressure departures from long-term normals have also been noted. It is observed that the month of April shows more prominent contrasting features than July. In April, the high pressure centres over USSR and the North Pacific move considerably eastward during poor monsoon years, while a breakaway cell of Icelandic Low goes deep south. Both the high pressure areas over south Indian Ocean and Australia are stronger in good monsoon years. In July, the subtropical high pressure zone over the southern Indian Ocean is stronger and the Australian high is more eastward, in good monsoon years.     

NAO在末次冰盛期和全新世对AMOC影响的对比研究

大西洋经向翻转环流(AMOC)的年代际变率对气候变化起着重要的调制作用。在现代气候背景下, 北大西洋涛动(NAO)加强能使AMOC增强, 但这种关系在更长时间尺度上是否成立尚不清楚。本研究利用TraCE-21ka模拟资料, 对比分析末次冰盛期(LGM)和全新世时期NAO对AMOC影响的异同。结果表明, LGM时期较全新世时期经向温度梯度偏强, NAO位置偏南, 这导致NAO与AMOC关系的不同: NAO的增强在LGM时期可以使AMOC增强, 而在全新世使AMOC减弱。具体地, 在LGM时期NAO的加强使北大西洋副极地气旋性环流增强, 其南支导致向北的高盐海水输送增加, 从而使北大西洋副极地区域密度升高, AMOC增强。与此同时, NAO正位相还能在中纬度激发异常的Ekman下沉流使AMOC加强。相反, 在全新世时期, NAO正位相导致北大西洋副极地地区气旋性环流减弱, 这导致中纬度向高纬度输送的高盐度海水减少, AMOC减弱。本研究表明NAO与AMOC的关系在很大程度上取决于不同气候背景下NAO的位置。

     

Indices for mid-latitude North Pacific winter wind systems; an exploratory investigation

Biological distributions and fish migrations during the spring and summer in the mid-latitude N Pacific are believed to be affected by the large-scale wind systems during the preceding winter. These wind systems are related to the field of atmospheric pressure which, on a monthly or quarterly time scale, show pronounced interannual variations. This exploratory investigation is concerned with measures of the large-scale wind systems that are indicative of their intensity, location, and size, and that can be derived from monthly or quarterly sea-level pressure distributions. Of interest are the NW, W, and SW wind systems which are related to the pressure gradients between the Siberian High and Aleutian Low, the Aleutian Low and the N Pacific Subtropical High, and the Aleutian Low and the N American High, respectively. Interannual changes in the winter sea-level pressure distribution pattern are primarily the result of changes in the pressure and zonal displacements of the Aleutian Low near 50°N. This property permitted simple derivation of wind indices from grid values of N hemisphere mean winter pressures distributions for the years 1947 to 1985. Indices, presented as normalized anomalies, are for the meridional component of the wind system at 50°N over the ocean W and E of the Aleutian Low, for the westerlies S of the Aleutian Low and for the longitude of this Low. The paper concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the indices in terms of reflecting characteristic atmospheric pressure distribution patterns, an examination of the relationship between wind anomalies and El Nino events, and a discussion of the results in terms of oceanographic, climate, and biological implications.     

珠江流域降水干湿时空特征及气候因子影响研究

利用模糊C-均值聚类算法、皮尔逊相关和滑动相关分析等方法,对珠江流域做了气候一致性分析,在此基础上,研究了珠江流域不同分区年降水和干湿季降水变化的时空特征,分析了区域干湿变化与厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)、北大西洋涛动(NAO)、印度洋偶极子(IOD)和太平洋10年涛动(PDO)等主要气候因子的遥相关关系,探讨了珠江流域干湿变化的气候成因。在此基础上,进一步研究上述气候指标对不同时间尺度干湿变化影响的平稳性与差异性。除此之外,还研究了气候指标的冷暖期对基于6个月SPI值的珠江流域干湿状态的影响。研究表明:(1)IOD、NAO和ENSO分别是导致珠江流域年降水、湿季降水和干季降水发生变化的主要影响因素,且对当年及下一年降水的影响是相反的。(2)珠江流域不同时间尺度的降水与对其有显著影响的气候指标(年降水与IOD,湿季降水与NAO,干季降水与ENSO),两者之间不同时期的滑动相关往往具有较强的相关性和前后相关一致性。(3)各气候指标对珠江流域不同时间尺度降水的影响在空间分布上不太均匀。(4)不同位相下气候指标对珠江流域干湿状态的影响存在较大差异。总体而言,当处于各气候指标暖期时珠江流域出现湿润期的概率较冷期时更大且在空间分布上更均匀。     

New major element analyses of proximal tephras from the Azores and suggested correlations with cryptotephras in North-West Europe

The Azores Archipelago is one of the most active volcanic areas in the North Atlantic region. Approximately 30 eruptions have been reported over the last 600 years with some major VEI 5 (Volcanic Explosivity Index) eruptions further back in time. The geochemical composition of associated tephra-derived glass, however, is not well characterized. An Azorean origin of cryptotephras found in distal areas such as North Africa, the British Isles and Greenland has been suggested, but proximal data from the Azores are scarce and the correlations have only been tentative. These tephras have a traychtic composition, which excludes an Icelandic origin. In a previous study, we presented major element analyses of proximal tephra-derived glass from five Holocene eruptions on the Azores Islands. There is a striking geochemical similarity between tephras from volcanoes on São Miguel and Irish cryptotephras, and especially with eruptives from the Furnas volcano. Here we present new analyses of proximal tephras that confirm and strengthen a link between Furnas and cryptotephras found in south-west Ireland. We also suggest a correlation between a previously unsourced tephra found in a Swedish bog with an eruption of the Sete Cidades volcano c. 3880 a cal BP.     

Weichselian Late Pleniglacial surface winds over northwest and central Europe: a model–data comparison

Reconstructions of the Weichselian Late Pleniglacial wind direction in northwest and central Europe are reviewed and compared with palaeoclimate simulations performed with an atmospheric general circulation model. These reconstructions are based on proxy data containing information on former wind directions, such as relic dune forms, sediments and wind‐polished rock surfaces. The objective is to investigate whether: (1) the proxy information is internally consistent; and (2) in agreement with the model simulations. We find a general consensus in the proxy‐based reconstructions, indicating a dominant westerly to northwesterly wind in winter during the Late Pleniglacial. The model results indicate over the study area an atmospheric circulation in winter that is dominated by southwesterly to west‐northwesterly winds, which are stronger than the southwesterly winds in the present‐day climate. The main driving factors behind the anomalous atmospheric circulation in the Late Pleniglacial are the Laurentide Ice Sheet and a colder North Atlantic Ocean with a relatively extensive sea‐ice cover, leading to an eastward relocation of the Icelandic Low and an enhanced pressure gradient over northwest Europe. The minor difference in Late Pleniglacial wind direction between the reconstructions and model can be explained by a combination of uncertainties in the proxy data and the relatively low spatial resolution of the applied climate model. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

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。     

Regional climate change and its effects on the runoff of Manas River,Xinjiang, China

The effects of climate change on annual runoff were analyzed on the basis of hydrologic and meteorological data for the past 50 years recorded by six meteorological stations and the Kenswatt Hydrological Station in the headstream of the Manas River watershed. The long-term trends of climate change and hydrological variations were determined in a nonparametric test, and the periodicities were determined employing the extrapolation method of periodic variance analysis. Subsequently, a periodicity-trend superposition model was used to predict future change. The results show that both the climate factors (temperature and precipitation) and runoff have increased considerably and have significant relations; the relation between temperature and runoff is the more significant. There is periodicity of 18 years in the change in annual runoff, and the primary periodicity of changes in temperature and precipitation is, respectively, 3 and 15 years. The runoff variations are affected by climate change in the headstream, but do not shift simultaneously with abrupt changes in temperature and precipitation in the headstream. There is a significant positive relationship in winter between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and runoff, while there are negative correlations annually and in summer for the runoff lagging the NAO by 1 year. The NAO has certain effects on climate change that are mainly due to atmospheric circulation in the Manas River Basin, and thus, the NAO affects the runoff.     

Links between NAO fluctuations and inter-annual variability of winter-months precipitation in the Seine River watershed (north-western France)

The inter-annual to multi-decadal winter variability (DJFM) of precipitation on the Seine River watershed (France) was analysed using continuous wavelet transform analysis and compared to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI). Nine weather stations were used over the 1951 to 2004 period and confirmed the homogeneity of inter-annual fluctuations for all stations but one. Wavelet coherence between SLP over the Icelandic and Azores regions and precipitation highlighted coherence for different scales of variability according to the centre of action considered. Segmentation and wavelet analysis and coherence between precipitation and NAOI over a long period of time (1873–2004) showed: i) increasing variability across the last century at most time scales, especially for NAOI; ii) the existence of change points for the mean and variance of both signals; iii) overall discontinuity of the coherence whatever the scale considered, especially between ∼1910 and ∼1955 for inter-decennial to pluri-decennial scales.     

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.     

Storm climate on the Danube delta coast: evidence of recent storminess change and links with large-scale teleconnection patterns

This paper presents an overview of storminess along the Danube delta coast since 1949 by analysing wind and wave data and discusses the influences of teleconnections on climate variability. To this end, a five-category storm classification is proposed based on wind speed intensity and storm duration. On average, this coast experiences 30 storms/year occurring predominantly in winter, three of them considered severe (categories III–IV). The extreme storms (cat. V) endanger most the coastal settlements and the back-beach ecosystems (sand dunes, wetlands, lagoons) and have a mean recurrence rate of 7 years, but occur with a large inter-annual variability more frequent during the late 1960s, the 1970s and the 1990s. The prevalence of northern storms, in particular for the severe ones (>90% frequency for wind speeds >20 m/s) is responsible for the vigorous southward longshore sediment transport, which shaped the Danube delta physiognomy over the last millennia. The application of the newly developed energetic (Storm Severity Index—SSI) and morphologic (Storm Impact Potential—SIP) proxies allowed the better assessment of both the storm strength and the temporal variation in storm energy. It appears that storm climate follows a cyclic pattern with successive periods of 7–9 years of high, moderate and low storminess in accordance with the main teleconnections patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation—NAO, East Atlantic oscillation—EA, East Atlantic/Western Russia—EAWR, Scandinavian oscillation—SCAND). If NAO succeeded to explain best most of the storminess evolution (r = ?0.76 for 1962–2005), it failed during the latest decade (since 2006) when an unprecedented low in storminess occurred. There is also evidence of increased southern circulation during the latter period, associated with a reversal of correlation with NAO (from negative to positive). Significant correlations were also found for the EA, EAWR and SCAND (r = ?0.55, 0.56, 0.55, respectively, significant at p < 0.01) for all the study period suggesting that besides NAO, the north-western Black Sea coast storminess is considerably influenced by several modes of climate variability, most notable the EA and the EAWR, which succeed to address the recent decrease in storminess.     

Alternating Effects of Climate Drivers on Altamaha River Discharge to Coastal Georgia,USA

Freshwater delivery is an important factor determining estuarine character and health and may be influenced by large-scale climate oscillations. Variability in freshwater delivery (precipitation and discharge) to the Altamaha River estuary (GA, USA) was examined in relation to indices for several climate signals: the Bermuda High Index (BHI), the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), the Improved El Niño Modoki Index (IEMI), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the Pacific/North American Pattern (PNA). Discharge to this estuary has been linked to key ecosystem properties (e.g., salinity regime, water residence time, nutrient inputs, and marsh processes), so understanding how climate patterns affect precipitation and river discharge will help elucidate how the estuarine ecosystem may respond to climate changes. Precipitation patterns in the Altamaha River watershed were described using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of the combined multidecadal time series of precipitation at 14 stations. The first EOF (67 % of the variance) was spatially uniform, the second EOF (11 %) showed a spatial gradient along the long axis of the watershed (NW–SE), and the third EOF (6 %) showed a NE–SW pattern. We compared the principal components (PCs) associated with these EOFs, monthly standardized anomalies of Altamaha River discharge at the gauge closest to the estuary, and the climate indices. Complex, seasonally alternating patterns emerged. The BHI was correlated with June–January discharge and precipitation PC 1. The SOI was correlated with January–April discharge and precipitation PC 2, and also weakly correlated with PC 1 in November–December. The AMO was correlated with river discharge and precipitation PC 3 mainly in December–February and June. The correlation patterns of precipitation PCs with PDO and PNA were similar to those with SOI, but weaker. There were no consistent relationships with two NAO indices or IEMI. Connections between climate signals and estimates of nutrient loading were consistent with the connections to discharge. The occurrence of tropical storms in the region was strongly related to the BHI but not to the other climate indices, possibly representing the influence of storm tracking more than the rate of storm formation. Comparison with the literature suggests that the patterns found may be typical of southeastern USA estuaries but are likely to be different from those outside the region.     

Spectral analysis of climate cycles to predict rainfall induced landslides in the western Mediterranean (Majorca,Spain)

In the present work, spectral analysis has been applied to determine the presence and statistical significance of climate cycles in long-term data series from different rainfall and gauging stations located in the Tramuntana Range, in the north-western sector of the island of Majorca. Climate signals recorded previously in the Mediterranean region have been identified: the ENSO, NAO, HALE, QBO and Sun Spot cycles as well as others related to solar activity; the most powerful signals correspond to the annual cycle, followed by the 6-month and NAO cycles. The incorporation of data derived from gauging stations contributes to better climate signal detection as local and exceptional influences are eliminated. Simulations have been performed for each rainfall/gauging station, using the most significant climate cycles obtained by means of the power spectrum. A good correlation between rainfall/flow values and simulated cycles has been obtained. The NAO and ENSO cycles are the most influential in the rainy periods, and specifically the NAO cycle, where a good correlation between episodes of high rainfall/flow and high values of ANAOI can be observed. At a second stage, landslides dated and recorded in the Tramuntana Range since 1954 (174 events) have been correlated with the simulated cycles obtaining good results, as the landslide events match rainfall peaks well. The correlation for the past decade (since 2005), when a detailed landslide inventory is available, also reveals a coincidence between landslide events and climate cycles, and specifically NAO and ENSO cycles. That is the case of the period 2008–2010, when numerous mass movements took place, and when the largest movement of the inventory was recorded. Results show a potential rainy period in the Tramuntana Range for the coming years (with maximum values around year 2021), when conditions similar to those related to the 2008–2010 event could take place again. The methodology presented in this work can contribute to the prediction of temporal, extreme hydrological events in order to design short-/medium-term mitigation strategies on a regional scale.     

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.     

Differential modulation of eastern oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea virginica</Emphasis>) disease parasites by the El-Niño-Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation

The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is affected by two protozoan parasites, Perkinsus marinus which causes Dermo disease and Haplosporidium nelsoni which causes MSX (Multinucleated Sphere Unknown) disease. Both diseases are largely controlled by water temperature and salinity and thus are potentially sensitive to climate variations resulting from the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which influences climate along the Gulf of Mexico coast, and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which influences climate along the Atlantic coast of the United States. In this study, a 10-year time series of temperature and salinity and P. marinus infection intensity for a site in Louisiana on the Gulf of Mexico coast and a 52-year time series of air temperature and freshwater inflow and oyster mortality from Delaware Bay on the Atlantic coast of the United States were analyzed to determine patterns in disease and disease-induced mortality in C. virginica populations that resulted from ENSO and NAO climate variations. Wavelet analysis was used to decompose the environmental, disease infection intensity and oyster mortality time series into a time–frequency space to determine the dominant modes of variability and the time variability of the modes. For the Louisiana site, salinity and Dermo disease infection intensity are correlated at a periodicity of 4 years, which corresponds to ENSO. The influence of ENSO on Dermo disease along the Gulf of Mexico is through its effect on salinity, with high salinity, which occurs during the La Niña phase of ENSO at this location, favoring parasite proliferation. For the Delaware Bay site, the primary correlation was between temperature and oyster mortality, with a periodicity of 8 years, which corresponds to the NAO. Warmer temperatures, which occur during the positive phase of the NAO, favor the parasites causing increased oyster mortality. Thus, disease prevalence and intensity in C. virginica populations along the Gulf of Mexico coast is primarily regulated by salinity, whereas temperature regulates the disease process along the United States east coast. These results show that the response of an organism to climate variability in a region is not indicative of the response that will occur over the entire range of a particular species. This has important implications for management of marine resources, especially those that are commercially harvested.     

大高加索山南部大气降水氧同位素的气候意义

大高加索山脉位于黑海和里海之间,是欧洲与亚洲的分界线,该区域气候受到北大西洋涛动 (North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO)的强烈影响。为了对该区域的大气降水δ18O (δ18OP) 与NAO的关系有更加深入的认识,本文利用大高加索山以南6个全球降水同位素监测网(Global Network of Isotope in Precipitation, GNIP)站点的δ18OP数据,分析该区域δ18OP 的季节变化规律,以及δ18OP与温度和降水量等气象要素及大气环流之间的关系。得到以下主要认识：① 在月时间尺度上,δ18OP与月平均温度之间有着显著的正相关关系(p<0.01),表明该区域δ18OP主要受当地温度控制,表现出“温度效应”。② 北大西洋涛动通过改变西风的强度和位置从而影响δ18OP 的变化：当NAO呈现负相位时,此时西风输送较弱,使得来自地中海的富含18O的水汽能够达到大高加索山以南,该地区δ18OP偏正。而当NAO正相位时,西风急流输送较强,从北大西洋穿越黑海带来更多的δ18OP 偏轻的降水。因此,NAO所导致的水汽输送路径的变化可能是影响大高加索山以南地区δ18OP的重要因素,这一研究结果为利用该地区地质记录中的δ18O记录来重建过去的NAO变化提供了前提。     

Rayleigh wave tomography in the North Atlantic: high resolution images of the Iceland, Azores and Eifel mantle plumes

Presented in this paper is a high resolution S_v-wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy model for the upper mantle beneath the North Atlantic and surrounding region derived from the analysis of about 9000 fundamental and higher-mode Rayleigh waveforms. Much of the dataset comes from global and national digital seismic networks, but to improve the path coverage a number of instruments at coastal sites in northwest Europe, Iceland and eastern Greenland was deployed by us and a number of collaborators. The dense path coverage, the wide azimuthal distribution and the substantial higher-mode content of the dataset, as well as the relatively short path-lengths in the dataset have enabled us to build an upper mantle model with a horizontal resolution of a few hundred kilometers extending to 400 km depth. Low upper mantle velocities exist beneath three major hotspots: Iceland, the Azores and Eifel. The best depth resolution in the model occurs in NW Europe and in this area low S_v-velocities in the vicinity of the Eifel hotspot extend to about 400 km depth. Major negative velocity anomalies exist in the North Atlantic upper mantle beneath both Iceland and the Azores hotspots. Both anomalies are, above 200 km depth, 4–7% slow with respect to PREM and elongated along the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Low velocities extend to the south of Iceland beneath the Reykjanes Ridge where other geophysical and geochemical observations indicate the presence of hot plume material. The low velocities also extend beneath the Kolbeinsey Ridge north of Iceland, where there is also supporting geochemical evidence for the presence of hot plume material. The low-velocity upper mantle beneath the Kolbeinsey Ridge may also be associated with a plume beneath Jan Mayen. The anomaly associated with the Azores extends from about 25°N to 45°N along the ridge axis, which is in agreement with the area influenced by the Azores Plume, predicted from geophysical and geochemical observations. Compared to the anomaly associated with Iceland, the Azores anomaly is elongated further along the ridge, is shallower and decays more rapidly with depth. The fast propagation direction of horizontally propagating S_v-waves in the Atlantic south of Iceland correlates well with the east–west ridge-spreading direction at all depths and changes to a direction close to NS in the vicinity of Iceland.