Climate Variability over the North Atlantic
James W. Hurrell
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80307
Martin P. Hoerling
Climate Diagnostics Center, NOAA/ERL, Boulder, Colorado 80307
Chris. K. Folland
Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, United Kingdom
Meteorological Office, London Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 2SY U.K.
This paper summarizes an invited presentation given at the historic "Meteorology
at the Millennium" Conference in July 2000, which marked the 150th
anniversary of the Royal Meteorological Society. It begins with a broad review
of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the mechanisms that might influence
its phase and amplitude on decadal and longer time scales. New results are
presented which suggest an important role for tropical ocean forcing of the
unprecedented trend in the wintertime NAO over the past several decades. We
conclude with a brief discussion of a significant change in the pattern of the
summertime atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic in recent decades.
Back to Publications List
Hongjun Zhang:
zhangho@ucar.edu