Influence of anomalous ocean heat transport on the extratropical atmospheric circulation in a high-resolution slab-ocean coupled model

Sun, Lantao, Patrizio, Casey, Thompson, David W. J. and Hurrell, James W. (2025) Influence of anomalous ocean heat transport on the extratropical atmospheric circulation in a high-resolution slab-ocean coupled model. Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (4). ISSN 0094-8276

Preview

PDF (Geophysical Research Letters - 2025 - Sun - Influence of Anomalous Ocean Heat Transport on the Extratropical Atmospheric) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

Key questions remain about the atmospheric response to variability in the oceanic western boundary currents (WBCs). Here we exploit a unique high-resolution slab-ocean coupled climate model to investigate how ocean heat transport (OHT) anomalies in the major WBCs of both hemispheres affect the atmospheric circulation. Prescribed OHT anomalies lead to robust changes in convective precipitation anomalies equatorward of the maximum surface warming. The response is deepest and most pronounced over the Northern Hemisphere (NH) WBCs, where it is associated with significant changes in upper tropospheric vertical motion, condensational heating and geopotential heights. The response is relatively shallow over the Southern Hemisphere (SH) WBCs. The findings reveal the robustness of the atmospheric response to OHT anomalies and highlight key hemispheric differences: in the NH, OHT anomalies are balanced by deep atmospheric vertical motion; in the SH, they are balanced primarily by shallow horizontal temperature advection.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	15 Apr 2025 09:30
Last Modified:	29 Apr 2025 13:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/99031
DOI:	10.1029/2024GL111770

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item