Abstract
The Arctic cell as a reversed and closed loop next to the Polar cell has been recently revealed in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). In this paper, we study the interannual variability of the Arctic and Polar cell strengths during 1979–2012, and their influence on surface air temperature (SAT), precipitation, and sea-ice concentration (SIC) at mid- and high-latitudes of the NH. We show that there is a significant negative correlation between the Arctic and Polar cell strengths. Both the Arctic and Polar cell strengths can well indicate the recurring climatic anomalies of SAT, precipitation, and SIC in their extreme winters. The surface large-scale cold–warm and dry–wet anomalous patterns in these extreme winters are directly linked with the vertical structure of height and temperature anomalies in the troposphere. Results suggest that the past climatic anomalies are better indicated by the strength anomalies of the Polar and Arctic cells than the traditional indices of mid-high latitude pattern such as the Arctic Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation. This study illustrates a three-dimensional picture of atmospheric variable anomalies in the troposphere that result in surface climatic anomalies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnston AG, Livezey RE (1987) Classification, seasonality and persistence of low-frequency atmospheric circulation patterns. Mon Weather Rev 115:1083–1126. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1987)115<1083:CSAPOL>2.0.CO;2
Bromwich DH, Fogt RL, Hodges KI, Walsh JE (2007) A tropospheric assessment of the ERA-40, NCEP, and JRA-25 global reanalyses in the polar regions. J Geophys Res Atmos 112(D10):185–194. doi:10.1029/2006JD007859
Bromwich DH, Kuo Y-H, Serreze M, Walsh J, Bai L-S, Barlage M, Hines K, Slater A (2010) Arctic system reanalysis: call for community involvement. EOS Trans Am Geophys Union 91(2):13–14
Bromwich DH, Wilson AB, Bai LS, Moore GW, Bauer P (2015) A comparison of the regional Arctic system reanalysis and the global ERA-Interim reanalysis for the Arctic. Q J R Meteorol Soc. doi:10.1002/qj.2527
Chen JY, Carlson BE, Del Genio AD (2002) Evidence for strengthening of the tropical general circulation in the 1990s. Science 295:838–841. doi:10.1126/science.1065835
Chen S, Wei K, Chen W, Song L (2014) Regional changes in the annual mean Hadley circulation in recent decades. J Geophys Res Atmos 119(13):7815–7832. doi:10.1002/2014JD021540
Cohen J, Screen JA, Furtado JC, Barlow M, Whittleston D, Coumou D, Francis J, Dethloff K, Entekhabi D, Overland J, Jones J (2014) Recent Arctic amplification and extreme mid-latitude weather. Nat Geosci 7:627–637
Davis SM, Rosenlof KH (2012) A multidiagnostic intercomparison of tropical-width time series using reanalyses and satellite observations. J Clim 25:1061–1078. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00127.1
Dee DP, Uppala SM, Simmons AJ et al (2011) The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q J R Meteorol Soc 137(656):553–597. doi:10.1002/qj.828
Deser C, Teng H (2008) Recent trends in Arctic sea ice and the evolving role of atmospheric circulation forcing, 1979–2007. Arct Sea Ice Decline Obs Proj Mech Implic. doi:10.1029/180GM03
Devasthale A, Sedlar J, Koenigk T, Fetzer EJ (2013) The thermodynamic state of the Arctic atmosphere observed by AIRS: comparisons during the record minimum sea ice extents of 2007 and 2012. Atmos Chem Phys 13(15):7441–7450. doi:10.5194/acp-13-7441-2013
Ding T, Qian WH (2012) Statistical characteristics of heat wave precursors in China and model prediction. Chin J Geophys 5:1472–1486. doi:10.6038/j.issn.0001-5733.2012.05.005 (in Chinese)
Dong XQ, Zib BJ, Xi B et al (2014) Critical mechanisms for the formation of extreme arctic sea-ice extent in the summers of 2007 and 1996. Clim Dyn 43(1–2):53–70. doi:10.1007/s00382-013-1920-8
Ebita A, Kobayashi S, Ota Y et al (2011) The Japanese 55-year reanalysis “JRA-55”: an interim report. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 7:149–152. doi:10.2151/sola.2011-038
Frierson DM, Lu J, Chen G (2007) Width of the Hadley cell in simple and comprehensive general circulation models. Geophys Res Lett 34:L18804. doi:10.1029/2007GL031115
Fu Q, Johanson CM, Wallace JM, Reichler T (2006) Enhanced mid-latitude tropospheric warming in satellite measurements. Science 312:1179. doi:10.1126/science.1125566
Graversen RG, Mauritsen T, Drijfhout S, Tjernström M, Mårtensson S (2011) Warm winds from the Pacific caused extensive Arctic sea-ice melt in summer 2007. Clim Dyn 36(11–12):2103–2112. doi:10.1007/s00382-010-0809-z
Hu YY, Fu Q (2007) Observed poleward expansion of the Hadley circulation since 1979. Atmos Chem Phys 7:5229–5236. doi:10.5194/acp-7-5229-2007
Hu YY, Tung KK, Liu J (2005) A closer comparison of early and late-winter atmospheric trends in the Northern-Hemisphere. J Clim 18:3204–3216. doi:10.1175/JCLI3468.1
Johanson CM, Fu Q (2009) Hadley cell widening: model simulations versus observations. J Clim 22(10):2713–2725. doi:10.1175/2008JCLI2620.1
Kahl JD, Serreze MC, Schnell RC (1991) The historical Arctic rawinsonde archive. In: Fergusson EE, Rosson RM (eds) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory No. 19 Summary report 1990. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, pp 95–98
Kahl JD, Skony SM, Serreze MC, Shiotani S, Schnell RC (1992) In situ meteorological sounding archives for Arctic studies. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 73:1824–1830
Kalnay E, Kanamitsu M, Kistler R et al (1996) The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 77:437–471
Kanamitsu M, Ebisuzaki W, Woollen J et al (2002) NCEP–DOE AMIP-II reanalysis (R-2). Bull Am Meteorol Soc 83:1631–1643. doi:10.1175/BAMS-83-11-1631
Kumar A, Perlwitz J, Eischeid J et al (2010) Contribution of sea ice loss to Arctic amplification. Geophys Res Lett 37(21):L21701. doi:10.1029/2010GL045022
Lindzen RS, Hou AY (1988) Hadley circulations for zonally averaged heating centered off the equator. J Atmos Sci 45(17):2416–2427. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1988)045<2416:HCFZAH>2.0.CO;2
Lu J, Vecchi GA, Reichler T (2007) Expansion of the Hadley cell under global warming. Geophys Res Lett 34(6):L06805. doi:10.1029/2006GL028443
Mitas CM, Clement A (2005) Has the Hadley cell been strengthening in recent decades? Geophys Res Lett 32(3):L03809. doi:10.1029/2004GL021765
Qian WH, Jiang M (2014) Early signals of synoptic-scale atmospheric anomalies associated with the summer low temperature events in Northeast China. Meteorol Atmos Phys 124(1–2):33–46. doi:10.1007/s00703-013-0306-0
Qian WH, Zhang ZJ (2012) Precursors to predict low-temperature freezing-rain events in southern China. Chin J Geophys 5:1501–1512. doi:10.6038/j.issn.0001-5733.2012.05.007 (in Chinese)
Qian WH, Chen Y, Jing M, Hu Q (2015a) An anomaly-based method for identifying signals of spring and autumn low temperature events in the Yangtze River Valley, China. J Appl Meteorol Climatol 54:1216–1233. doi:10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0240.1
Qian WH, Wu KJ, Chen DL (2015b) The Arctic and Polar cells act on the Arctic sea ice variation. Tellus A 67:27692
Qian WH, Wu KJ, Liang HY (2015c) Arctic and Antarctic cells in the troposphere. Theor Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-015-1485-z
Qian WH, Yu TT, Du J (2015d) A unified approach to trace surface heat and cold events by using height anomaly. Clim Dyn. doi:10.1007/s00382-015-2666-2
Qian WH, Wu KJ, Leung JC-H (2016) Three-dimensional structure and long-term trend of heat wave events in western Eurasia revealed with an anomaly-based approach. Int J Climatol. doi:10.1002/joc.4634
Quan X, Diaz HF, Hoerling MP (2002) Changes of the Hadley circulation since 1950. In: The conference on the Hadley circulation: present, past and future, 12–15 Nov. Honolulu, Hawaii
Rayner NA, Parker DE, Horton EB et al (2003) Global analyses of sea surface temperature, sea ice, and night marine air temperature since the late nineteenth century. J Geophys Res 108(D14):1–29. doi:10.1029/2002JD002670
Screen JA, Deser C, Simmonds I (2012) Local and remote controls on observed Arctic warming. Geophys Res Lett 39:L10709. doi:10.1029/2012GL051598
Stachnik JP, Schumacher C (2011) A comparison of the Hadley circulation in modern reanalyses. J Geophys Res 116:D22. doi:10.1029/2011jd016677
Wielicki BA, Wong T, Allan RP, Slingo A, Kiehl JT, Soden BJ, Gordon CT, Miller AJ, Yang SK, Randall DA, Robertson F, Susskind J, Jacobowitz H (2002) Evidence for large decadal variability in the tropical mean radiative energy budget. Science 295:841–843. doi:10.1126/science.1065837
Xie P, Arkin PA (1997) Global precipitation: a 17-year monthly analysis based on gauge observations, satellite estimates, and numerical model outputs. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 78:539–2558. doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1997)078<2539:GPAYMA>2.0.CO;2
Acknowledgments
We thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their detail and constructive suggestions, which greatly improved our manuscript. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41375073), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05090407) and the Global Change and Air-Sea Interaction Program (GASI-03-02-01-02).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Qian, W., Wu, K. & Leung, J.CH. Climatic anomalous patterns associated with the Arctic and Polar cell strength variations. Clim Dyn 48, 169–189 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3067-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3067-x