Joint Seminar: Outstanding challenges in understanding the equatorial Atlantic and its variability
The equatorial Atlantic and its variability have been studied extensively since the 1980s and much progress has been made since then. Nevertheless, much remains to be understood, and simulating the equatorial Atlantic and predicting its variability remain a challenge. In this presentation, I would like to highlight a few outstanding challenges that I consider to be important, partly because they may hold the key to a deeper understanding of equatorial Atlantic variability, and partly because they may have wider implications for tropical variability. Among these are the fact that the zonal surface winds over the equator flow against the surface pressure gradient in boreal spring; the asymmetric relation of the Atlantic ITCZ latitude and equatorial surface winds, in which the winds are weaker when the ITCZ is south of the equator than right over it; vertical momentum transport and its role in the phase locking of the Atlantic zonal mode (AZM) to boreal summer; the origin of the ubiquitous SST and ITCZ biases in GCMs; and the reason for the poor prediction skill of the AZM.
Datum
23.08.2023
Uhrzeit
13:30 Uhr
Ort
- Bundesstr. 53, room 022/023
- Seminar Room 022/023, Ground Floor, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, Hamburg