Description:

Historical, paleo-climate proxies, climate models all indicate that the Atlantic Ocean exhibits pronounced multi-decadal variations that impact weather and climate around over the globe. These variations consisting of a broader band of multidecadal signals have been referred to as Atlantic multi-decadal variability (AMV). Large uncertainties exist on the mechanisms for AMV, including on the importance of external forcing and internal variability; the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), dynamical and thermodynamical ocean-atmosphere feedbacks; and high-latitude, low-latitudes, stratosphere-troposphere interactions. The underestimation of predictable atmospheric dynamics (i.e. signal-to-noise paradox) by climate models hints at a greater importance of coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics in AMV. This session seeks theoretical, observational, and numerical model studies that help clarify these open questions and that provide insights on how to improve predictions of AMV. We also welcome contributions on understanding climatic impacts of AMV, including on climate extremes and in modulating the response to external forcings.