Premium
Footprinting: A seasonal connection between the tropics and mid‐latitudes
Author(s) -
Vimont Daniel J.,
Battisti David S.,
Hirst Anthony C.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1029/2001gl013435
Subject(s) - climatology , subtropics , latitude , anomaly (physics) , tropics , environmental science , atmospheric circulation , atmospheric sciences , wind stress , middle latitudes , general circulation model , footprinting , sea surface temperature , atmosphere (unit) , geology , oceanography , climate change , geography , meteorology , ecology , biochemistry , physics , chemistry , condensed matter physics , geodesy , gene , transcription factor , biology
A connection between the mid‐latitude and tropical Pacific is identified in a coupled general circulation model (CGCM). The connection involves a seasonal coupling between winter mid‐latitude atmospheric circulation anomalies, and summer equatorial wind stress anomalies. The seasonal coupling results from a “footprinting” mechanism, in which the summer tropical atmosphere responds to subtropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that are generated by the mid‐latitude atmospheric variability during the previous winter. Details of the connection, and of the footprinting mechanism are presented. Implications for interannual ENSO and decadal ENSO‐like variability are discussed.