The relative roles of the ocean, atmosphere, and coupled ocean/atmosphere modes in modulating tropical cyclones

We will discuss relationships between tropical cyclone activity and environmental variability, and will introduce a coupled mode of Atlantic variability that unifies a number of previously documented relationships. We will focus on both the tropical Atlantic and Pacific basins, and we will make comparisons between sea surface temperature and regional atmospheric circulation variability. We will discuss how these individual varying factors may be better viewed as parts of larger coupled ocean/atmosphere modes, particularly in their modulating effects on tropical cyclones on a broad range of time-scales.