The influence of the Atlantic Ocean on global climate variation

• Grant number: 93/01387-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 1993
• End date: February 28, 1997
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Ilana Elazari Klein Coaracy Wainer
• Grantee: Ilana Elazari Klein Coaracy Wainer
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The study of the interaction between ocean and the atmosphere in the Atlantic Ocean is still fairly recent. Bjerknes in 1964 formulated the hypothesis that the air-sea interaction in this region occurs in different timescales, in contrast to what happens in the Pacific Ocean, where the timescale for the coupling of the atmosphere and the ocean is a single one. This work has the objective of exploring the time scales of the coupled system between the Atlantic Ocean and the atmosphere. In the first place, we wish to determine which are the timescales that characterize the air-sea interaction in the Atlantic Ocean. The intention is next to characterize the spatial distribution of the active regions and try to correlate one region with another. In particular it is intended to examine what is the relationship of the oscillation of the North Atlantic (WALLACE and GUTZLER, 1981) with the sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical region and with the droughts in the Northeast of Brazil. (MOURA and SHUKLA, 1981). To achieve this objective, several sets of historical data (containing ten or more years of observation) will be analyzed. In the long term, it is intended to construct a coupled model for the study of the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean and the global atmosphere. The great barrier to the understanding of this problem is the fact of being very difficult to distinguish what is natural climate variation and that caused by external factors.With the analysis of observational data and data from models of oceanic circulation and atmosphere it is hoped to understand the role of the Atlantic Ocean in the variation of the climate. (AU)