Funding through China Sholarship Council and AWI

supervision: Prof. Gerrit Lohmann with Prof. Xianyao Chen, Ocean University of China
PhD candidate: Xiaojie Hao

 

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is a dominant mode of variability in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across the North Atlantic Ocean, exerting profound impacts on regional and global climate patterns. Recent advancements in modeling techniques are used to demonstrate the resolution-dependence of the AMO in climate models. The precise mechanisms within these models that drive the improvements in simulating the AMO remain poorly understood. The Fram Strait Sea Ice Export (FSSIE) is a crucial component of the Arctic Ocean's freshwater and heat budget, influencing the dynamics of sea ice formation and melting. Recent studies have suggested a potential linkage between FSSIE and the AMO. However, the exact nature and strength of this feedback mechanism, particularly at higher resolutions, remain largely unexplored.

 

Related papers:
Contzen, J., Dickhaus, T., and Lohmann, G.: Variability and extremes: statistical validation of the Alfred Wegener Institute Earth System Model (AWI-ESM), Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 1803–1820, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-1803-2022, 2022.

Dima, M., and Lohmann, G., 2007: A hemispheric mechanism for the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. J. Climate 20 (11), 2706-2719. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI4174.1

Ionita, M., P. Scholz, G. Lohmann, M. Dima, and M. Prange, 2016: Linkages between atmospheric blocking, sea ice export through Fram Strait and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Scientific Reports 6:32881, DOI:10.1038/srep32881

Vaideanu, P., G. Lohmann, C. Stepanek, J. Schrepfer, M. Dima, M. Ionita, F. Matos, 2023: Large-scale sea ice – surface temperature variability linked to Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. PLOS ONE, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0290437