| NSF Org: |
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | December 22, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | December 22, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 1041145 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Eric DeWeaver
edeweave@nsf.gov (703)292-8527 AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | January 1, 2011 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2013 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $224,071.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $224,071.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1251 MEMORIAL DR CORAL GABLES FL US 33146-2509 (305)421-4089 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
1251 MEMORIAL DR CORAL GABLES FL US 33146-2509 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | Climate & Large-Scale Dynamics |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
This project examines the large anticyclonic high pressure systems found over the oceans on the western sides of the Southern Hemisphere subtropical landmasses. These features are generally regarded as the Southern Hemisphere equivalents of the Bermuda High and the Pacific High in the Northern Hemisphere, but this research will examine the extent to which the Southern Hemisphere anticyclones are different from their northern counterparts and are affected by the geography and climatology of the Southern Hemisphere. Three broad questions are addressed: 1) How is the South Atlantic anticyclone during the southern winter connected with the West African and Asian monsoons? 2) How significant are the interhemispheric influences of the Atlantic Warm Pool on the southeastern Pacific? 3) In the Southern Hemisphere, do atmospheric-ocean interactions contribute significantly to the links between monsoons and tropical highs? These research questions are addressed primarily through numerical experiments with atmospheric general circulation models and coupled atmosphere-ocean-land climate models.
The southern subtropical anticyclones are important features of the earth's climate, and research leading to a better understanding their origins could lead to improvements in their representation in climate models. The stratus clouds found in conjunction with the anticyclones are quite important for the Earth's energy budget, and better representation of the anticyclones in climate models may help us to produce better climate model projections of future climate change. In addition, the work will provide education and training to a graduate student and two postdoctoral researchers.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
Note:
When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external
site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a
charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from
this site.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Subtropical anticyclones (or subtropical highs) refer to high atmospheric pressure systems located over the oceans between 20° and 40° of latitude in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Subtropical anticyclones play very important roles for ocean circulations and climate variability because they are linked to trade winds and westerlies. For instance, it is well known that the stength and position of the North Atlantic subtropical anticylone are closely tied to Atlantic hurriane tracks (and U.S. landfalling frequency) and summer rainfall variability in the Southeast U.S. Therefore, it is very important to undertand the physical processes that drive the subtropical anticyclones and their variability.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the subtropical anticyclones are stronger and better defined in summer consistent with our current understanding that the subtropical anticyclones are largely maintained by differntial summer heating of land and oceans (i.e., summer monsoon heating).
In the Southern Hemisphere, however, the subtropical anticyclones are notably stronger in austral winter than in summer, clearly suggesting that the physical processes that drive the southern subtropical anticyclones are different from those that drive the northan subtropical anticyclones.
To better undertand what drives the southern subtropical anticylones in autral winter, specially designed computer model simulations are perfromed.
Our analysis of these model experiments reveal that the winter intensification of the southern subtropical anicylones is mainky caused by the interhemipsheric atmopsheric influence of the summer monsoon heating in the Northern Hemisphere.
An important implication of our finding is that summertime tropical convections in the Northern Hemisphere can influence austral winter climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere.
Last Modified: 04/01/2014
Modified by: Sang-Ki Lee
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
