Principal North Pacific heating anomaly patterns and their relations to the atmospheric circulation

The principal variability patterns (EOF) of the anomalies of total heat transfer from ocean to atmosphere computed from 30 years' monthly averaged data over the North Pacific Ocean (20°–60°N) showed variability was dominated by two patterns: a bipolar pattern and a dominantly positive or negative pattern depending on the sign of the time series coefficients. The atmosphere contributes greatly to the marine heating anomalies in most of the North Pacific in all seasons. In winter, a positive feedback is formed between the Aleutian Low and the marine heating anomalies; in summer, the marine heating anomalies are controlled by the heating on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Both patterns have a winter correlation with the Southern Oscillation Index. Contribution No. 1534 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica