Large-Scale Coupled Dynamics

We investigate how the atmosphere’s interaction with the ocean and the land shapes the general circulation—the large-scale flow of air that drives climate and weather patterns worldwide.

We study the coupled dynamics governing the formation of sea surface temperature patterns. The “pattern effect” is a prime example for the tight coupling between the atmosphere and the underlying surface: The uneven warming of sea surface temperatures (the “SST pattern”) instigates changes in the atmospheric circulation. These circulation changes determine how the atmosphere redistributes heat and regulates Earth’s radiation balance, which in turn feeds back onto the ocean temperatures.

In climate dynamics, the ocean is often viewed as the dynamically important component, while the land “just follows”. We illuminate how the land can actively shape the large-scale circulation in ways that have previously been neglected. In doing so, we question established concepts about the fundamentals of coupled climate dynamics.

Due to their different typical time scales, land, ocean, and atmosphere can produce complex, time-dependent behavior when coupled. Beyond long-term equilibria, we are especially interested in the transient changes that govern the climate humans will experience in the coming decades.