Marine scientists are decoding the mechanism for long-term
climate fluctuations in the Atlantic
Why does hurricane activity vary from decade to decade? Or
rainfall in the Sahel region? And why are the trans-Atlantic changes frequently
in sync? A German-Russian research team has investigated the role of heat
exchange between ocean and atmosphere in long-term climate variability in the
Atlantic. The scientists analyzed meteorological measurements and sea surface
temperatures over the past 130 years. It was found that the ocean significantly
affects long term climate fluctuations, while the seemingly chaotic atmosphere
is mainly responsible for the shorter-term, year-to-year changes. The study
appears in the current issue of the prestigious journal Nature, and provides important
information on the predictability of long-term climate fluctuations.