The Influence of Arctic Amplification on Mid-latitude Summer Circulation

Authors

Dim Coumou, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamFollow
Giorgia Di Capua, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamFollow
Steve Vavrus, University of Wisconsin-MadisonFollow
Lei Wang, Harvard UniversityFollow
Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Nature Communications

Volume

9

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Publication Date

8-20-2018

First Page

1

Last Page

12

Abstract

Accelerated warming in the Arctic, as compared to the rest of the globe, might have profound impacts on mid-latitude weather. Most studies analyzing Arctic links to mid-latitude weather focused on winter, yet recent summers have seen strong reductions in sea-ice extent and snow cover, a weakened equator-to-pole thermal gradient and associated weakening of the mid-latitude circulation. We review the scientific evidence behind three leading hypotheses on the influence of Arctic changes on mid-latitude summer weather: Weakened storm tracks, shifted jet streams, and amplified quasi-stationary waves. We show that interactions between Arctic teleconnections and other remote and regional feedback processes could lead to more persistent hot-dry extremes in the mid-latitudes. The exact nature of these non-linear interactions is not well quantified but they provide potential high-impact risks for society.

Recommended Citation

Coumou, Dim; Di Capua, Giorgia; Vavrus, Steve; Wang, Lei; and Wang, Shih-Yu (Simon), "The Influence of Arctic Amplification on Mid-latitude Summer Circulation" (2018). Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications. Paper 814.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/psc_facpub/814