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A seasonally lagged signal of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the North Pacific
Author(s) -
Zhao Hongxu,
Moore G. W. K.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0899-8418
DOI - 10.1002/joc.1288
Subject(s) - north atlantic oscillation , climatology , proxy (statistics) , pacific decadal oscillation , sea surface temperature , spring (device) , atlantic multidecadal oscillation , north sea , environmental science , snow , climate system , climate change , oceanography , geology , geography , meteorology , mechanical engineering , machine learning , computer science , engineering
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been identified as an important mode of variability in the climate system. However, little is known about its impact on the climate of the North Pacific region. In this paper, we discuss the existence of a seasonally lagged signal of the NAO in the North Pacific region. In particular, we show that the spring sea‐level pressures (SLPs) and surface temperatures in the region are positively correlated with the characteristics of the NAO during the preceding winter. This signal is identified in a number of long‐term climate data sets including a Japanese tree‐ring time series that has been shown to be a proxy for spring temperatures in the North Pacific region. We identify two distinct mechanisms responsible for this lagged signal: one involving sea‐surface temperature anomalies in the North Pacific and the other involving Eurasian snow anomalies. We show that both these anomalies develop during the winter and persist into spring, resulting in the observed lagged response. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.