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Remote Drying in the North Atlantic as a Common Response to Precessional Changes and CO2 Increase Over Land

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076669· OSTI ID:1434667
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division
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In this study, we demonstrate that changes of the North Atlantic subtropical high and its regional rainfall pattern during mid-Holocene precessional changes and idealized 4xCO2 increase can both be understood as a remote response to increased land heating near North Africa. Despite different sources and patterns of radiative forcing (increase in CO2 concentration versus changes in orbital parameters), we find that the pattern of energy, circulation, and rainfall responses in the Northern Hemisphere summer subtropics are remarkably similar in the two forcing scenarios because both are dominated by the same land-sea heating contrast in response to the forcing. An increase in energy input over arid land drives a westward displacement of the coupled North Atlantic subtropical high-monsoon circulation, consistent with increased precipitation in the Afro-Asia region and decreased precipitation in the America-Atlantic region. This study underscores the importance of land heating in dictating remote drying through zonal shifts of the subtropical circulation.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Scientific User Facilities Division; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1434667
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1433289
OSTI ID: 1434850
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA--131183
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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The Response of Subtropical Highs to Climate Change journal September 2018
Future Changes in Seasonality of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Subtropical Highs journal November 2018
Shape of Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Tracks and the Indian Monsoon journal October 2018
Separating the Influences of Land Warming, the Direct CO 2 Effect, the Plant Physiological Effect, and SST Warming on Regional Precipitation Changes journal January 2019

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