Secular Climate and Atmospheric Circulation Fluctuations over the Atlantic Area

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This project will continue the analysis of secular climate and atmospheric circulation fluctuations occurring around the Atlantic Ocean. The study will analyze Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) and associated atmospheric circulation variability as well as recent climatic fluctuations occurring since the mid-1940s. The role of the Southern Oscillation (SO) in the development and evolution of Atlantic SST anomalies will be evaluated. The interaction between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and SO in the Atlantic will be examined as will their association with SST anomalies in non-winter seasons. Since the mid-1940s, the wintertime Atlantic westerlies have fluctuated in strength, being unusually strong until the late 1950s, the 1960s and late 1970s. The study will further document these circulation and associated climatic fluctuation in the land station and marine air temperature fields, and it will evaluate the evidence for climatic fluctuations occurring in spring, summer and autumn. The association between SSTs and the climatic fluctuations will be examined, to explore ocean linkages to the abrupt fluctuations and subsequent persistent circulation and climate regimes. This work may improve our capability for seasonal climate prediction and may benefit marine fishery industry in the North Atlantic.