North American April tornado occurrences linked to global sea surface temperature anomalies
Chu, J.-E.; Timmermann, A.; Lee, J.-Y. (2019). North American April tornado occurrences linked to global sea surface temperature anomalies. Science Advances 5(8): eaaw9950. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw9950
In: Science Advances. AAAS: New York. ISSN 2375-2548; e-ISSN 2375-2548, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Chu, J.-E.
- Timmermann, A.
- Lee, J.-Y.
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| Abstract |
Annual tornado occurrences over North America display large interannual variability and a statistical linkage to sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. However, the underlying physical mechanisms for this connection and its modulation in a rapidly varying seasonal environment still remain elusive. Using tornado data over the United States from 1954 to 2016 in combination with SST-forced atmospheric general circulation models, we show a robust dynamical linkage between global SST conditions in April, the emergence of the Pacific-North American teleconnection pattern (PNA), and the year-to-year tornado activity in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) region of the United States. Contrasting previous studies, we find that only in April SST-driven atmospheric circulation anomalies can effectively control the northward moisture-laden flow from the Gulf of Mexico, boosting low-level moisture flux convergence over the SGP. These strong large-scale connections are absent in other months because of the strong seasonality of the PNA and background moisture conditions. |
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