Details:

Journal Title:
Nature Communications
Personal Author:
Mamalakis, A. ; Yu, J. ; Randerson, J. T. ; AghaKouchak, Amir ; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi ;
Mamalakis, A. ; Yu, J. ; Randerson, J. T. ; AghaKouchak, Amir ; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi ; Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ;
Description:
Reliable prediction of seasonal precipitation in the southwestern US (SWUS) remains a challenge with significant implications for the economy, water security and ecosystem management of the region. Winter precipitation in the SWUS has been linked to several climate modes, including the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with limited predictive ability. Here we report evidence that late-summer sea surface temperature and geopotential height anomalies close to New Zealand exhibit higher correlation with SWUS winter precipitation than ENSO, enhancing the potential for earlier and more accurate prediction. The teleconnection depends on a western Pacific ocean-atmosphere pathway, whereby sea surface temperature anomalies propagate from the southern to the northern hemisphere during boreal summer. Analysis also shows an amplification of this new teleconnection over the past four decades. Our work highlights the need to understand the dynamic nature of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system in a changing climate for improving future predictions of regional precipitation.
Keywords:
[+]
El Niño Current
Ocean-atmosphere Interaction
Precipitation Forecasting
Southern Oscillation

Source:
Nature Communications 9 (2332)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04722-7
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC5997984
Document Type:
Journal Article ;
Funding:
Grant no. NA14OAR4310222 ;
Rights Information:
CC BY
Compliance:
PMC
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:d95bcbc09ab6eb308ee8aa45b543d6267fff2135ccdf08b9a8d5ac80c5298952
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