The Atmospheric Circulation and Sea Surface Temperature in the North Atlantic Area in Winter: Their Interaction and Relevance for Iberian Precipitation

Abstract

Abstract The ocean surface-atmosphere relationships in the North Atlantic area in northern winter are empirically examined by canonical correlation analysis (CCA). This analysis is performed from two different points of view. First, the connection between atmospheric circulation anomalies, in terms of monthly mean sea level pressure (SLP) and monthly standard deviation of SLP (αSLP), and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies of the Atlantic Ocean are directly examined. Second, the air-sea relationships are indirectly studied through their influence upon precipitation in an area likely to be influenced by the North Atlantic, the Iberian Peninsula. The canonical correlation analysis yields two pairs of patterns that describe the coherent variations of the combined SST-SLP fields; one pair of patterns for the SST-αSLP fields and one pair of patterns for the SLP-αSLP fields. All patterns are dominant in describing variance. A lag cross-correlation analysis of the time coefficients indicates that monthly mea...