Abstract
The aim of the work described herein was to study projection scenarios in order to find changes in the synoptic variability of the northwest Iberian Peninsula in the 21st century. To this end, we investigated the changes in the frequency of the different circulation types computed for the study area using three different models used in the IPCC 4th assessment report. The circulation types were computed using the procedure known as Lamb circulation types. The control simulation for the late 20th century was evaluated objectively from the results obtained using data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, as to evaluate the ability of the model to reproduce the present climate. We have compared not only seasonal mean sea level pressure fields but also the mean seasonal frequency of circulation types. The results for the end of the 21st century show a decrease in the frequency of cyclonic, W, and SW circulation types in the spring and summer months. This trend also appears in the autumn, with a concomitant increase in the anticyclonic types.
Highlights
The findings of recent studies have shown that the North Atlantic-European (NAE) sector is characterized by significant trends in climate that occur over different time scales [1,2,3]
The circulation types used in this work were computed using the procedure specified by Lamb [23,29] in which the method was applied to the NW Iberian Peninsula (Galician area)
Few works have studied the ability of coupled general circulation models (CGCM) in reproducing circulation patterns
Summary
The findings of recent studies have shown that the North Atlantic-European (NAE) sector is characterized by significant trends in climate that occur over different time scales [1,2,3]. The variability of the atmospheric circulation is the most important of these trends, with respect to changes in the spatial distribution and variability, for temperature and precipitation, and for other climatological variables [4,5,6,7]. Circulation types reflect the atmospheric circulation that is specific to a given region, and may be obtained following the examination of synoptic daily data, usually on a regular grid, using any of a wide variety of methodologies [8,9]. Circulation types are used as a tool for a wide range of applications, such as climatological studies e.g. Circulation types are used as a tool for a wide range of applications, such as climatological studies e.g. [5,10,11,12,13], biometeorology [14], air quality [15,16,17], and medium-range forecasting [18]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
