Journal article
Persistence of pressure patterns over North America and the North Pacific since AD 1500
Nature communications, Vol.5(1), 4912
09/11/2014
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5912
PMID: 25208579
Abstract
Changes in moisture delivery to western North America are largely controlled by interrelated, synoptic-scale atmospheric pressure patterns. Long-term records of upper-atmosphere pressure and related circulation patterns are needed to assess potential drivers of past severe droughts and evaluate how future climate changes may impact hydroclimatic systems. Here we develop a tree-ring-based climate field reconstruction of cool-season 500 hPa geopotential height on a 2° × 2° grid over North America and the North Pacific to AD 1500 and examine the frequency and persistence of preinstrumental atmospheric pressure patterns using Self-Organizing Maps. Our results show extended time periods dominated by a set of persistent upper-air pressure patterns, providing insight into the atmospheric conditions leading to periods of sustained drought and pluvial periods in the preinstrumental past. A striking shift from meridional to zonal flow occurred at the end of the Little Ice Age and was sustained for several decades.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Persistence of pressure patterns over North America and the North Pacific since AD 1500
- Creators
- Erika K Wise - Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USAMatthew P Dannenberg - Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Vol.5(1), 4912
- Publisher
- England
- DOI
- 10.1038/ncomms5912
- PMID
- 25208579
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- eISSN
- 2041-1723
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/11/2014
- Academic Unit
- Geographical and Sustainability Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9983984529702771
Metrics
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