Sunday, 10 January 2016
Hall E ( New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
The link between the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and Antarctic sea ice concentration (SIC) has not been studied in depth. While it has been found that MJO affects Arctic SIC in a primarily top down manner, there is no substantive research of what its effects are in the Antarctic region, if any. The purpose of this study is twofold, first to discover if the seasonal variation in MJO phase has an effect on Antarctic SIC and other thermodynamic properties in that region. Second, if a link exists, to determine what atmospheric changes are induced in the South Polar Region with respect to each phase of MJO.
Daily change in sea ice concentrations (DSIC) and mean monthly DSIC were calculated from NOAA SIC Climate Data Record for the years of 1989 to 2013. Mean monthly SIC is used to calculate anomalies, which were then composited by phase of MJO. As the months of June and December exhibit the largest DSIC throughout the annual cycle, composite analysis was focused on these months. This method was also applied to Antarctic atmospheric variables, including 500mb geopotential height, surface air temperature, and sea level pressure. Preliminary results for the Antarctic surface and mid-tropospheric fields by phase of MJO will be discussed.
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