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The Role of Aerosols in the Evolution of Tropical North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Anomalies

Authors:

A. Evan

Daniel Vimont

A. Heidinger

J. Kossin

R. Bennartz

Publication Type:
Journal Article
Year of Publication:
2009
Secondary Title:
Science
Pages:
778-781
Volume:
324
Year:
2009
Date:
05/2009

Abstract

Observations and models show that northern tropical Atlantic surface temperatures are sensitive to regional changes in stratospheric volcanic and tropospheric mineral aerosols. However, it is unknown whether the temporal variability of these aerosols is a key factor in the evolution of ocean temperature anomalies. We used a simple physical model, incorporating 26 years of satellite data, to estimate the temperature response of the ocean mixed layer to changes in aerosol loadings. Our results suggest that the mixed layer's response to regional variability in aerosols accounts for 69% of the recent upward trend, and 67% of the detrended and 5-year low pass–filtered variance, in northern tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures.