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Trends in the surface meridional temperature gradient
Author(s) -
Gitelman Alix I.,
Risbey James S.,
Kass Robert E.,
Rosen Richard D.
Publication year - 1997
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 - 10.1029/97gl01154
Subject(s) - zonal and meridional , climatology , eddy , temperature gradient , environmental science , middle latitudes , period (music) , geology , atmospheric sciences , geography , meteorology , physics , acoustics , turbulence
Given the presence of a meridional temperature gradient (MTG) across midlatitudes, large‐scale eddies transport heat poleward, thereby shaping Earth's climate. Defining an MTG index here as the difference in surface temperature between the 30°–35°N belt and the 50°–55°N belt, we use a temperature record compiled from observations over a 110‐year period to determine a trend in the MTG in the last century. We find a significant decreasing trend in the MTG over this period of 0.4±0.1°C per 100 years, along with indications of substantial multidecadal variability.