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A robust mode of climate variability in the Arctic: The Barents Oscillation
Author(s) -
Chen Hans W.,
Zhang Qiong,
Körnich Heiner,
Chen Deliang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50551
Subject(s) - empirical orthogonal functions , arctic oscillation , climatology , northern hemisphere , north atlantic oscillation , geology , oscillation (cell signaling) , geostrophic wind , antarctic oscillation , common spatial pattern , mode (computer interface) , arctic , sea surface temperature , atmospheric circulation , pacific decadal oscillation , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , southern hemisphere , oceanography , genetics , computer science , biology , operating system , statistics , mathematics
The Barents Oscillation (BO) is an anomalous wintertime atmospheric circulation pattern in the Northern Hemisphere that has been linked to the meridional flow over the Nordic Seas. There are speculations that the BO has important implications for the Arctic climate; however, it has also been suggested that the pattern is an artifact of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis due to an eastward shift of the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO). In this study, EOF analyses are performed to show that a robust pattern resembling the BO can be found during different time periods, even when the AO/NAO is relatively stationary. This “BO” has a high and stable temporal correlation with the geostrophic zonal wind over the Barents Sea, while the contribution from the AO/NAO is small. The surface air temperature anomalies over the Barents Sea are closely associated with this mode of climate variability.