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SUMMARY:The influence of the Amundsen Sea Low on the climate of West Antar
 ctica and its representation in coupled climate model simulations - Scott 
 Hosking (British Antarctic Survey)
DTSTART:20130703T130000Z
DTEND:20130703T140000Z
UID:TALK45346@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Scott Hosking
DESCRIPTION:In contrast to earlier studies\, we describe the climatologica
 l deep low-pressure system that exists over the South Pacific sector of th
 e Southern Ocean\, referred to as the Amundsen Seas Low (ASL)\, in terms o
 f its relative (rather than actual) central pressure by removing the backg
 round area-averaged mean sea level pressure (MSLP). In doing so\, we remov
 e much of the influence of large-scale variability across the ASL sector r
 egion (e.g.\, due to the Southern Annular Mode)\, allowing a clearer under
 standing of ASL variability and its effect on the regional climate of West
  Antarctica. Using ERA-Interim reanalysis fields the annual cycle of the r
 elative central pressure of the ASL for the period 1979 to 2011 shows a mi
 nimum (maximum) during winter (summer)\, differing considerably from the e
 arlier studies based on actual central pressure which suggests a semi-annu
 al oscillation. The annual cycle of the longitudinal position of the ASL i
 s insensitive to the background pressure\, and shows it shifting westwards
  from 250° E to 220° E between summer and winter\, in agreement with ear
 lier studies. We demonstrate that ASL variability\, and in particular its 
 longitudinal position\, plays an important role in controlling the surface
  climate of West Antarctica and the surrounding ocean by quantifying its i
 nfluence on key meteorological parameters. Examination of the ASL annual c
 ycle in seventeen CMIP5 climate models run with historical forcing showed 
 that the majority of them have definite biases\, especially in terms of lo
 ngitudinal position\, and a correspondingly poor representation of West An
 tarctic climate.\n\n* Website for index: http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/data/
 absl/\n\n* Publication: http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JCLI-D
 -12-00813.1
LOCATION:British Antarctic Survey\, Room 307
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