Atmospheric Science

Arctic air temperature change amplification and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation

  1. Petr Chylek1,
  2. Chris K. Folland2,
  3. Glen Lesins3,
  4. Manvendra K. Dubey4,
  5. Muyin Wang5

Article first published online: 16 JUL 2009

DOI: 10.1029/2009GL038777

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Chylek, P., C. K. Folland, G. Lesins, M. K. Dubey, and M. Wang (2009), Arctic air temperature change amplification and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L14801, doi:10.1029/2009GL038777.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Space and Remote Sensing, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

  2. 2

    Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Change, Exeter, UK

  3. 3

    Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

  4. 4

    Earth and Environmental Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

  5. 5

    Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 16 JUL 2009
  2. Article first published online: 16 JUL 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 9 JUN 2009
  4. Manuscript Revised: 23 MAY 2009
  5. Manuscript Received: 19 APR 2009

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Keywords:

  • Arctic amplification;
  • Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation;
  • climate change

[1] Understanding Arctic temperature variability is essential for assessing possible future melting of the Greenland ice sheet, Arctic sea ice and Arctic permafrost. Temperature trend reversals in 1940 and 1970 separate two Arctic warming periods (1910–1940 and 1970–2008) by a significant 1940–1970 cooling period. Analyzing temperature records of the Arctic meteorological stations we find that (a) the Arctic amplification (ratio of the Arctic to global temperature trends) is not a constant but varies in time on a multi-decadal time scale, (b) the Arctic warming from 1910–1940 proceeded at a significantly faster rate than the current 1970–2008 warming, and (c) the Arctic temperature changes are highly correlated with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) suggesting the Atlantic Ocean thermohaline circulation is linked to the Arctic temperature variability on a multi-decadal time scale.

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