Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Year-to-year Variability and Long-term Trends in the Circulation over High Latitudes

John M. Wallace

John M. ("Mike") Wallace
Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO)
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Portions of the cryosphere have experienced rapid thawing over the past few decades. Changes in the atmospheric circulation including trends or shifts in the polarity of the dominant teleconnection patterns-- specifically the northern and southern annular modes and the Pacific / North American (PNA) pattern-- have contributed to and in some cases may be primarily responsible for these changes. The talk will include a brief primer on the annular modes and the PNA pattern and how they affect regional climate over high latitudes. The talk will conclude with a discussion of approaches for distinguishing between such circulation-induced changes and the direct effects of human-induced global warming.

John M. (Mike) Wallace