Overview

Teaching: 0 min
Exercises: 0 min

Questions

• How to analyze NAO using CMIP6 data?

Objectives

• Learn about NAO

• Learn to analyze CMIP6 data

• Introduction
• Questions
• Data
• References

Introduction

NAO

The NAO is the dominant atmospheric circulation pattern over the North Atlantic/Europe in winter-spring. NCEP CPC

• How to calculate the NAO index: NCEP CPC NAO indices, UCAR Hurrell station-based NAO index, UCAR Hurrell PC-based NAO index
• Stratospheric impact on the NAO: Scaife et al., 2005

Research question ideas

• How is the frequancy and strength of NAO in CMIP6 models?
• How does it compare with observations?
• Are the impacts on surface climate captured in the models?
• How is the NAO likely to change in a future climate? Under extreme climate change? 

Data

• CMIP6 model data: monthly mean sea level pressure; geopotential height; temperature at surface, 500 hPa, and 50 hPa; precipitation
• CMIP6 experiments: historical, SSP585, piControl, abrupt-4xCO2
• Observations: NCEP CPC data, NCDC NOAA figure and data

References

• Lecture slides and material
• NCEP CPC NAO
• A stratospheric influence on the winter NAO and North Atlantic surface climate: Scaife et al., 2005
• NAO and its relationship with the Northern Hemisphere mean surface temperature in CMIP5 simulations: Wang et al., 2017

Key Points

• NAO