Collaborative Research: Determining the Role of Ocean Dynamics in Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature Variations Using a Hierarchy of Coupled Models

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Observations and models indicate that Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) exhibit significant low- frequency (interannual to decadal) variability, and a significant portion of these variations is related to internal variations of the climate system. However, the origin of these internal Atlantic SST variations is yet to be fully understood. This project will develop a hierarchy of coupled models in which various oceanic processes are disabled; comparing model pairs will enable the role of one-dimensional and three-dimensional ocean dynamics to be separated robustly, as well the separate roles of wind and buoyancy forcing in creating dynamical ocean variations. Much of the literature on decadal Atlantic SST variations is focused rather narrowly on the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV) and the role of the atmosphere and the ocean therein. Instead of focusing on one specific mode (e,g., the AMV), this research will isolate the modes of Atlantic SST variability related to specific oceanic processes, throughout the Atlantic basin on multiple time scales. This variability impacts regional and global climate, including temperatures across North America and Europe, rainfall in the Sahel region, and frequency and intensity of Atlantic hurricanes. Improved knowledge of low-frequency SST variability is essential for efforts aimed at climate predictions on seasonal to decadal time scales. Understanding the respective roles of atmospheric forcing and ocean dynamics in setting SST anomalies has implications for predictability of SSTs, as higher predictability is expected if ocean dynamics play a dominant role, and practical questions regarding the importance of monitoring ocean currents as part of a decadal prediction system. This project will also advance statistical methods for analysis of climate data by providing codes for covariance discriminant analysis to the broader community. This proposal will support a graduate student at WHOI and a postdoctoral researcher at NC State for a year each. The proposal will also support 2 female early career PIs. Lead PI Buckley is a Co-Leader of a mentoring group for Mentoring Physical Oceanography Women to Increase Retention (MPOWIR). The PIs will also engage in K-12 Science-Technology- Engineering-Math (STEM) education by serving as mentors and judges for the local public school annual science fairs.The goal of this project is to disentangle the roles of atmospheric forcing and various ocean dynamical processes in Atlantic SST variability and predictability on interannual-to-decadal time scales. In order to achieve this goal, a hierarchy of coupled models will be developed using the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). The model hierarchy will include ocean model components of varying complexity and comparing model pairs will enable the team to quantitatively determine the roles of specific aspects of ocean dynamics, including one-dimensional processes (vertical mixing, interannual mixed layer depth variations, entrainment) and three-dimensional ocean dynamics (including wind and buoyancy-driven processes), on driving SST variability. A rigorous statistical technique, called covariance discriminant analysis, will be applied to diagnose the leading differences in Atlantic SST variance between model pairs, thus elucidating the impact of specific ocean processes on Atlantic SST variability. Additionally, a comparison of the predictability of Atlantic SST between models in the hierarchy, will help elucidate the role of oceanic processes in predictability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.