Atlantic sea-surface temperature variability: Ocean dynamics and atmospheric forcing

Sea-surface temperatures influence storms, droughts, and sea ice. Credit: Pixabay

A new study supported by the Climate Program Office’s Climate Variability & Predictability (CVP) Program investigates the role of ocean dynamics in shaping variations in Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST), a crucial factor influencing climate phenomena like hurricanes, droughts, and Arctic sea ice extent. Postdoctoral researcher Olivia Gozdz worked with CVP-funded researchers Martha Buckley and Timothy Delsole of George Mason University to identify SST patterns impacted by interactive ocean dynamics. CVP funded this project through three different grants focused on decadal climate variability and predictability and climate links to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). The authors show that ocean dynamics like the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) tripole pattern and the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV) pattern play a critical role in enhancing variability, particularly in areas around the tropics.