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Is Tropical Atlantic Variability driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation?
Author(s) -
Wu Lixin,
Liu Zhengyu
Publication year - 2002
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 - 10.1029/2002gl014939
Subject(s) - tropical atlantic , teleconnection , north atlantic oscillation , atlantic equatorial mode , climatology , extratropical cyclone , atlantic multidecadal oscillation , thermohaline circulation , north atlantic deep water , tropical wave , atmosphere (unit) , oceanography , geology , anomaly (physics) , environmental science , el niño southern oscillation , sea surface temperature , tropical cyclone , geography , meteorology , physics , condensed matter physics
The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the genesis of the Tropical Atlantic Variability (TAV) is studied in a coupled ocean‐atmosphere general circulation model using two modeling approaches of partial coupling and partial blocking. It is found that the NAO is not a necessary precondition for the genesis of the TAV although it can enhance climate variability in the tropical North Atlantic significantly via extratropical‐tropical teleconnections. Instead, local ocean‐atmosphere interaction plays a dominant role for the full development of TAV. Our results do not rule out the possible influence of ENSO on TAV.