Simulated North Atlantic Oscillation Research Articles

Persistent Model Biases in the Spatial Variability of Winter North Atlantic Atmospheric Circulation

AbstractThe three leading modes of the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation explain about 70% of the winter climate variability. Although climate models generally can capture these modes, biases may induce large uncertainties in regional climate predictions. Here, we evaluate the leading winter modes simulated by CMIP5‐PMIP3 and CMIP6‐PMIP4 models from the last millennium to future scenarios in comparison with historical reanalysis and paleo‐reconstructions. The models generally have a good representation of the average spatial pattern of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) while showing a larger spread in performance for the East Atlantic and Scandinavian patterns. In contrast to historical reanalysis, the simulated NAO pattern tends to be rather stationary under various climate states over the years 861–2100. Such underestimated spatial variability in the simulated NAO is directly related to the biased spatial shifts in NAO‐related regional temperature and precipitation changes, inducing uncertainties in climate projections over the North Atlantic sector.

North Atlantic Oscillation impact on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation shaped by the mean state

Accurate representation of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in global climate models is crucial for reliable future climate predictions and projections. In this study, we used 42 coupled atmosphere–ocean global climate models to analyze low-frequency variability of the AMOC driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Our results showed that the influence of the simulated NAO on the AMOC differs significantly between the models. We showed that the large intermodel diversity originates from the diverse oceanic mean state, especially over the subpolar North Atlantic (SPNA), where deep water formation of the AMOC occurs. For some models, the climatological sea ice extent covers a wide area of the SPNA and restrains efficient air–sea interactions, making the AMOC less sensitive to the NAO. In the models without the sea-ice-covered SPNA, the upper-ocean mean stratification critically affects the relationship between the NAO and AMOC by regulating the AMOC sensitivity to surface buoyancy forcing. Our results pinpoint the oceanic mean state as an aspect of climate model simulations that must be improved for an accurate understanding of the AMOC.

Wintertime Arctic Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation and their impacts on the Northern Hemisphere climate in E3SM

The characteristics of the wintertime Arctic Oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and their impacts on climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere are important metrics for evaluating a climate system model. Observational analyses reveal that the horizontal and vertical structures in the AO and NAO exhibit a meridional dipole and a large-scale barotropic pattern between the Arctic and mid-latitudes. Historical model simulations from the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM-HIST) are used to identify how well it captures these major climate modes. It is found that the simulated AO and NAO modes have spatial structures similar to the observed features. In addition, the observed frequency bands in the AO and NAO-related time variability are captured well in the E3SM-HIST simulation. Associated with the positive phase in wintertime AO and NAO, zonal flow and warm advection in mid-latitude continents are enhanced, along with stronger cold flow from enhanced northerly winds over high latitudes. These features are linked to the atmospheric circulation pattern reflected by lower SLP anomalies over the Arctic and higher SLP anomalies over the mid‐latitudes. In E3SM-HIST, these spatial associations and main structural features are analogous to those in observations. In the time-height evolution related to winter AO and NAO modes, it can also be seen that the simulations reproduce the downward propagating patterns in observations. Nevertheless, the vertical structures associated with AO and NAO in E3SM-HIST exhibit substantial biases in the lower stratosphere. The cause of these stratospheric biases is investigated using the strength of climatological stratospheric polar vortex (SPV) and wave activity fluxes. The results herein suggest that E3SM-HIST has a reasonable skill in reproducing the observed characteristics related to the winter AO and NAO, although there exist systematic biases in the associated climate variability.

Low-Frequency North Atlantic Climate Variability in the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble

There is observational and modeling evidence that low-frequency variability in the North Atlantic has significant implications for the global climate, particularly for the climate of the Northern Hemisphere. This study explores the representation of low-frequency variability in the Atlantic region in historical large ensemble and preindustrial control simulations performed with the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Compared to available observational estimates, it is found that the simulated variability in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), North Atlantic sea surface temperature (NASST), and Sahel rainfall is underestimated on multidecadal time scales but comparable on interannual to decadal time scales. The weak multidecadal North Atlantic variability appears to be closely related to weaker-than-observed multidecadal variations in the simulated North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), as the AMOC and consequent NASST variability is impacted, to a great degree, by the NAO. Possible reasons for this weak multidecadal NAO variability are explored with reference to solutions from two atmosphere-only simulations with different lower boundary conditions and vertical resolution. Both simulations consistently reveal weaker-than-observed multidecadal NAO variability despite more realistic boundary conditions and better resolved dynamics than coupled simulations. The authors thus conjecture that the weak multidecadal NAO variability in CESM is likely due to deficiencies in air–sea coupling, resulting from shortcomings in the atmospheric model or coupling details.

NAO and its relationship with the Northern Hemisphere mean surface temperature in CMIP5 simulations

AbstractThe North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most prominent teleconnection patterns in the Northern Hemisphere and has recently been found to be both an internal source and useful predictor of the multidecadal variability of the Northern Hemisphere mean surface temperature (NHT). In this study, we examine how well the variability of the NAO and NHT are reproduced in historical simulations generated by the 40 models that constitute Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). All of the models are able to capture the basic characteristics of the interannual NAO pattern reasonably well, whereas the simulated decadal NAO patterns show less consistency with the observations. The NAO fluctuations over multidecadal time scales are underestimated by almost all models. Regarding the NHT multidecadal variability, the models generally represent the externally forced variations well but tend to underestimate the internal NHT. With respect to the performance of the models in reproducing the NAO‐NHT relationship, 14 models capture the observed decadal lead of the NAO, and model discrepancies in the representation of this linkage are derived mainly from their different interpretation of the underlying physical processes associated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). This study suggests that one way to improve the simulation of the multidecadal variability of the internal NHT lies in better simulation of the multidecadal variability of the NAO and its delayed effect on the NHT variability via slow ocean processes.

Inter-annual climate variability in Europe during the Oligocene icehouse

New sclerochronological data suggest that a variability comparable to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was already present during the middle Oligocene, about 20Myr earlier than formerly assumed. Annual increment width data of long-lived marine bivalves of Oligocene (30–25Ma) strata from Central Europe revealed a distinct quasi-decadal climate variability modulated on 2–12 (mainly 3–7) year cycles. As in many other modern bivalves, these periodic changes in shell growth were most likely related to changes in primary productivity, which in turn, were coupled to atmospheric circulation patterns. Stable carbon isotope values of the shells (δ13Cshell) further corroborated the link between shell growth and food availability. Sub-decal oscillations in the 3–7year band in other annually resolved fossil archives were often interpreted as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles. This possibility is discussed in the present study. However, combined shell-derived proxy and numerical climate model data lend support to the interpretation of a NAO-like variability. According to numerical climate models, winter sea-level pressure (wSLP) and precipitation rate (wPR) across Central Europe during the Oligocene exhibited a pattern similar to the modern NAO. The simulated NAO index for the Oligocene shows periodicities coherent with those revealed by the proxy data (2.5–6years), yet, on shorter wavelengths than the modern NAO (biennial and 6–10year cycles). Likely, the different paleogeography and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations not only influenced the sea-level pressure pattern, but also the temporal variability of the NAO precursor. The present study represents the first attempt to characterize the inter-annual climate variability in Central Europe during the Oligocene and sets the basis for future studies on the early phase of the Cenozoic icehouse climate state.

NAO and PNA influences on winter temperature and precipitation over the eastern United States in CMIP5 GCMs

The historical and future relationships between two major patterns of large-scale climate variability, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Pacific/North America pattern (PNA), and the regional winter temperature and precipitation over the eastern United States were systemically evaluated by using 17 general circulation models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5. Empirical orthogonal function analysis was used to define the NAO and PNA. The observed spatial patterns of NAO and PNA can be reproduced by all the GCMs with slight differences in locations of the centers of action and their average magnitudes. For the correlations with regional winter temperature and precipitation over the eastern US, GCMs perform best in capturing the relationships between the NAO and winter temperature, and between the PNA and winter temperature and precipitation. The differences between the observed and simulated relationships are mainly due to displacements of the simulated NAO and PNA centers of action and differences in their magnitudes. In simulations of the future, both NAO and PNA magnitudes increase, with uncertainties related to the model response and emission scenarios. When assessing the influences of future NAO/PNA changes on regional winter temperature, it is found that the main factors are related to changes in the magnitude of the NAO Azores center and total NAO magnitude, and the longitude of the PNA center over northwestern North America, total PNA magnitude, and the magnitude of the PNA center over the southeastern US.

The Roles of External Forcings and Internal Variabilities in the Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation Change from the 1960s to the 1990s

Abstract The Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation change from the 1960s to the 1990s shows a strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and a deepening of the Aleutian low. The issue regarding the contributions of external forcings and internal atmospheric variability to this circulation change has not been resolved satisfactorily. Previous studies have found the importance of tropical SST forcing. Here, this hypothesis is examined again using relatively large ensembles of atmospheric general circulation model simulations of the twentieth-century climate forced only by historically varying SST. The resulting ensemble-mean amplitude underestimates the observed change by at least 70%, although the spatial pattern is reproduced well qualitatively. Furthermore, AGCM experiments are performed to investigate other driving factors, such as the greenhouse gases, sea ice, the stratospheric ozone, as well as the contribution from atmospheric internal variability. The increase in ensemble-mean trend amplitude induced by these additional drivers was not enough to substantially improve the agreement with the observed trend. However, the full distribution of simulated trends reveals that the ensemble members at the upper tail are much closer to the observed amplitude. In the “best” ensemble, the 95th percentile of the simulated NAO trend amplitude remains at about 80% of the observed trend amplitude, with nearly equal contributions from external forcings and internal variability. The results also indicate that a complete set of driving factors and a correct simulation of stratospheric trends are important in bridging the gap between observed and modeled interdecadal variability in the North Atlantic winter circulation.

Impact of tropical SST variations on the linear predictability of the atmospheric circulation in the Atlantic/European region

Seasonal mean values of tropical Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Atlantic/European Mean Sea Level Pressure (MSLP) from a 301-year coupled ocean/atmosphere model run are analysed statistically. Relations between the two fields are identified on both interannual and interdecadal timescales. It is shown that tropical SST variability affects Atlantic/European MSLP in winter. In particular, there appears to be a statistically significant relation, between the leading modes of variability, the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). During cold ENSO (La Nina) years the NAO tends to be in its positive phase, while the opposite is the case during warm ENSO (El Nino) years, although to a lesser extent. Similar analyses that are presented for gridded observational data, confirm this result, although here tropical Atlantic SST appears to be stronger related to the NAO than tropical Pacific SST. The linear predictability of a model simulated NAO index is estimated by making statistical predictions that are based on model simulated tropical SST. It is shown that the predictive skill is rather insensitive to the length of the training period. On the other hand, the skill score estimate can vary significantly as a result of interdecadal variability in the climate system. These results are important to bear in mind when making statistical seasonal forecasts that are based on observed SST.

Is the observed NAO variability during the instrumental record unusual?

Observed multidecadal variability (30 yr running means, trends, and moving standard deviations) of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the instrumental record is compared to that simulated by two different coupled general circulation models in extended‐range control experiments. Simulated NAO exhibits strong low frequency fluctuations, even on multi‐centennial time scale. Observed multi‐decadal NAO variations agree well with the model variability. Trend probability distribution functions, observed and simulated, were not found to be different with statistical significance. Thus, multi‐decadal NAO changes similar to those observed during the instrumental record, including the recent increase in 1965–1995, may be internally generated within the coupled atmosphere‐ocean system without considering external forcing.

Effects of Ekman Transport on the NAO Response to a Tropical Atlantic SST Anomaly

Abstract A recent study showed that a tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly induces a significant coupled response in late winter [February–April (FMA)] in a coupled model, in which an atmospheric general circulation model is coupled to a slab mixed layer ocean model (AGCM_ML). The coupled response comprises a dipole in the geopotential height, like the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and a North Atlantic tripole in the SST. The simulated NAO response developed 1 or 2 months later in the model than in observations. To determine the possible effects of Ekman heat transport on the development of the coupled response to the tropical forcing, an extended coupled model (AGCM_EML), including Ekman transport in the slab mixed layer ocean, is now used. Large ensembles of AGCM_EML experiments are performed, parallel to the previous AGCM_ML experiments, with the model forced by the same tropical Atlantic SST anomaly over the boreal winter months (September–April). The inclusion of Ekman heat transport is found to result in an earlier development of the coupled NAO–SST tripole response in the AGCM_EML, compared to that in the AGCM_ML. The mutual reinforcement between the anomalous Ekman transport and the surface heat flux causes the tropical forcing to induce an extratropical SST response in November–January (NDJ) in the AGCM_EML that is twice as strong as that in the AGCM_ML. The feedback of this stronger extratropical SST response on the atmosphere in turn drives the development of the NAO response in NDJ. In FMA, the sign of the anomalous surface heat flux is reversed in the Gulf Stream region such that it opposes the anomalous Ekman transport. The resulting equilibrium NAO response in the AGCM_EML is similar to that in the AGCM_ML, but it is reached 1–2 months sooner in the AGCM_EML. Hence, the presence of Ekman transport causes a seasonal shift in the evolution of the coupled response. The faster development of the NAO response in the AGCM_EML suggests that tropical Atlantic SST anomalies should be able to influence the NAO, in nature, on the seasonal time scale, and that efficient interactions with the extratropical ocean play a significant role in determining the coupled response.

The Role of Boundary Conditions in AMIP-2 Simulations of the NAO

Abstract The simulated North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) teleconnection patterns and their interannual variability are evaluated from a suite of atmospheric models participating in the second phase of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-2). In general the models simulate the observed spatial pattern well, although there are important differences among models. The NAO response to interannual variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and snow-cover boundary forcings are also evaluated. The simulated NAO indices are not correlated with the observed NAO index, despite being forced with observed SSTs, indicating that SSTs are not driving NAO variability in the models. Similarly, although a number of studies have identified a link between Eurasian snow extent and the phase of the NAO, no such link is apparent in the AMIP-2 results. It appears that, within the framework of the AMIP-2 experiments, the NAO is an internal mode of atmospheric variability and that impacts of SSTs and Eurasian snow cover on the phase of the NAO are not discernable. However, these conclusions do not necessarily apply to decadal-scale and longer variability or to coupled atmosphere–ocean models.

Simulating the winter North Atlantic Oscillation: the roles of internal variability and greenhouse gas forcing

Analysis of simulations with seven coupled climate models demonstrates that the observed variations in the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), particularly the increase from the 1960s to the 1990s, are not compatible with either the internally generated variability nor the response to increasing greenhouse gas forcing simulated by these models. The observed NAO record can be explained by a combination of internal variability and greenhouse gas forcing, though only by the models that simulate the strongest variability and the strongest response. These models simulate inter-annual variability of the NAO index that is significantly greater than that observed, and can no longer explain the observed record if the simulated NAO indices are scaled so that they have the same high-frequency variance as that observed. It is likely, therefore, that other external forcings also contributed to the observed NAO index increase, unless the climate models are deficient in their simulation of inter-decadal NAO variability or their simulation of the response to greenhouse gas forcing. These conclusions are based on a comprehensive analysis of the control runs and transient greenhouse-gas-forced simulations of the seven climate models. The simulations of mean winter circulation and its pattern of inter-annual variability are very similar to the observations in the Atlantic half of the Northern Hemisphere. The winter atmospheric circulation response to increasing greenhouse gas forcing shows little inter-model similarity at the regional scale, and the NAO response is model-dependent and sensitive to the index used to measure it. At the largest scales, however, sea level pressure decreases over the Arctic Ocean in all models and increases over the Mediterranean Sea in six of the seven models, so that there is an increase of the NAO in all models when measured using a pattern-based index.

On the interpretation of AGCMs response to prescribed time‐varying SST anomalies

Recently, Bretherton and Battisti (1999) have presented an interesting interpretation of ensemble experiments with atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) forced by observed sea surface temperature (SST) whose mean successfully simulates the decadal evolution of the observed North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Using a linear model of atmosphere/ocean interaction, they plausibly argue that this hind‐cast skill, as measured by lowpass correlations between observed and simulated indices, is consistent with the ocean mixed layer merely integrating stochastic surface heat flux forcing governed by the natural variability of the atmosphere. They go on to suggest, however, that predictability associated with middle‐latitude SST anomalies is limited to timescales associated with the thermal inertia of the oceanic mixed layer (perhaps a year). Here, we include ocean circulation in a simple coupled ocean‐atmosphere model and also consider hypothetical limits in which the coupled system is highly predictable at low frequencies. We find that low pass correlations between observed and simulated NAO indices, obtained from ensembles of SST‐forced AGCMs, are insensitive to the predictability of the system. Thus inferences about predictability of the atmosphere‐ocean system cannot be made on the basis of this measure of the hindcast skill of atmosphere‐only simulations.

Effects of specifying bottom boundary conditions in an ensemble of atmospheric GCM simulations

Interannual variability in an ensemble of six 47‐year climate simulations with specified time‐varying sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice extent is analyzed. Variability is compared with that in a 250‐year control simulation with climatological SST and sea ice extent. The simulations were performed with the Canadian Climate Centre second generation General Circulation Model. An analysis of variance approach was combined with rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to assess the influence of the prescribed boundary conditions on the simulated atmospheric circulation structure and variability and to identify potentially predictable spatially coherent modes of variation. The quantities analyzed are seasonal mean 500 hPa geopotential (Z500) and mean sea level pressure (Pmsl). The prescribed boundary conditions increase the variability of the simulated atmosphere and modulate its large‐scale circulation structure. The effects on Z500 are found to be strongest in DJF and MAM and weakest in SON. The prescribed boundary conditions have a significant effect over the extratropical land areas, especially over northern North America, in El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years, but have little influence in non‐ENSO years. The variability of several of the leading spatial modes is significantly affected by the prescribed boundary conditions. In contrast with some previous studies, we find that the simulated North Atlantic Oscillation is not affected by the prescribed boundary forcing.

Evaluation of the North Atlantic Oscillation as simulated by a coupled climate model

The realism of the Hadley Centre’s coupled climate model (HadCM2) is evaluated in terms of its simulation of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a major natural mode of the Northern Hemisphere atmosphere that is currently the subject of considerable scientific interest. During 1400 y of a control integration with present-day radiative forcing levels, HadCM2 exhibits a realistic NAO associated with spatial patterns of sea level pressure, synoptic activity, temperature and precipitation anomalies that are very similar to those observed. Spatially, the main model deficiency is that the simulated NAO has a teleconnection with the North Pacific that is stronger than observed. In a temporal sense the simulation is compatible with the observations if the recent observed trend (from low values in the 1960s to high values in the early 1990s) in the winter NAO index (the pressure difference between Gibraltar and Iceland) is ignored. This recent trend is, however, outside the range of variability simulated by the control integration of HadCM2, implying that either the model is deficient or that external forcing is responsible for the variation. It is shown, by analysing two ensembles, each of four HadCM2 integrations that were forced with historic and possible future changes in greenhouse gas and sulphate aerosol concentrations, that a small part of the recent observed variation may be a result of anthropogenic forcing. If so, then the HadCM2 experiments indicate that the anthropogenic effect should reverse early next century, weakening the winter pressure gradient between Gibraltar and Iceland. Even combining this anthropogenic forcing and internal variability cannot explain all of the recent observed variations, indicating either some model deficiency or that some other external forcing is partly responsible.