Interdecadal change in the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave during 1951–2010

In this study,we defined an index of the Antarctic Circumploar Wave(ACW) and analyzed its variability for the period 1951-2010.A regime shift of the circumpolar westerly in the Southern Ocean and an interdecadal change of the ACW,which occurred around the mid-1970s,were identified.Associated with these changes,the variations of the ACW show three distinct sub-periods:1951-1973,1974-1980,and 1981-2010.They are characterized by different speeds,amplitudes,and wave structures.We briefly investigated possible mechanisms responsible for the different behaviors of the ACW during the three periods.