The influence of Arctic amplification on mid-latitude summer circulation

D. Coumou (), G. Di Capua, S. Vavrus, L. Wang and S. Wang
Additional contact information
D. Coumou: VU Amsterdam
G. Di Capua: VU Amsterdam
S. Vavrus: University of Wisconsin-Madison
L. Wang: Harvard University
S. Wang: Utah State University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Accelerated warming in the Arctic, as compared to the rest of the globe, might have profound impacts on mid-latitude weather. Most studies analyzing Arctic links to mid-latitude weather focused on winter, yet recent summers have seen strong reductions in sea-ice extent and snow cover, a weakened equator-to-pole thermal gradient and associated weakening of the mid-latitude circulation. We review the scientific evidence behind three leading hypotheses on the influence of Arctic changes on mid-latitude summer weather: Weakened storm tracks, shifted jet streams, and amplified quasi-stationary waves. We show that interactions between Arctic teleconnections and other remote and regional feedback processes could lead to more persistent hot-dry extremes in the mid-latitudes. The exact nature of these non-linear interactions is not well quantified but they provide potential high-impact risks for society.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-05256-8

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05256-8

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