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Evidence for the chaotic origin of Northern Annular Mode variability
Author(s) -
Osprey S. M.,
Ambaum M. H. P.
Publication year - 2011
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 - 10.1029/2011gl048181
Subject(s) - autocorrelation , decorrelation , mode (computer interface) , climatology , spectral line , chaotic , exponential function , autoregressive model , teleconnection , physics , exponential decay , statistical physics , geology , atmospheric sciences , mathematics , statistics , el niño southern oscillation , astronomy , mathematical analysis , artificial intelligence , computer science , operating system , nuclear physics
Exponential spectra are found to characterize variability of the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) for periods less than 36 days. This corresponds to the observed rounding of the autocorrelation function at lags of a few days. The characteristic persistence timescales during winter and summer is found to be ∼5 days for these high frequencies. Beyond periods of 36 days the characteristic decorrelation timescale is ∼20 days during winter and ∼6 days in summer. We conclude that the NAM cannot be described by autoregressive models for high frequencies; the spectra are more consistent with low‐order chaos. We also propose that the NAM exhibits regime behaviour, however the nature of this has yet to be identified.