Atlantic multidecadal oscillation

Not to be confused with North Atlantic oscillation or Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.
Atlantic multidecadal oscillation spatial pattern obtained as the regression of monthly HadISST sea surface temperature anomalies (1870–2013).
Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation Index according to the methodology proposed by van Oldenborgh et al. 1880–2018.
Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index computed as the linearly detrended North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies 1856–2022.

The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), also known as Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV),[1] is the theorized variability of the sea surface temperature (SST) of the North Atlantic Ocean on the timescale of several decades.[2]

While there is some support for this mode in models and in historical observations, controversy exists with regard to its amplitude, and whether it has a typical timescale and can be classified as an oscillation. There is also discussion on the attribution of sea surface temperature change to natural or anthropogenic causes, especially in tropical Atlantic areas important for hurricane development.[3] The Atlantic multidecadal oscillation is also connected with shifts in hurricane activity, rainfall patterns and intensity, and changes in fish populations.[4]

  1. ^ "Multidecadal Climate Changes". Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.
  2. ^ Gerard D. McCarthy; Ivan D. Haigh; Joël J.M. Hirschi; Jeremy P. Grist & David A. Smeed (27 May 2015). "Ocean impact on decadal Atlantic climate variability revealed by sea-level observations" (PDF). Nature. 521 (7553): 508–510. Bibcode:2015Natur.521..508M. doi:10.1038/nature14491. PMID 26017453. S2CID 4399436.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ting 2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Eleanor Frajka-Williams; Claudie Beaulieu; Aurelie Duchez (2017). "Emerging negative Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index in spite of warm subtropics". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 11224. Bibcode:2017NatSR...711224F. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-11046-x. PMC 5593924. PMID 28894211.