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Atmospheric circulation over Europe during the Younger Dryas

Rea, Brice R. ; Pellitero, Ramón ; Spagnolo, Matteo ; Hughes, Philip ; Ivy-Ochs, Susan ; Renssen, Hans ; Ribolini, Adriano ; Bakke, Jostein ; Lukas, Sven LU and Braithwaite, Roger J. (2020) In Science Advances 6(50).
Abstract

The Younger Dryas (YD) was a period of rapid climate cooling that occurred at the end of the last glaciation. Here, we present the first palaeoglacier-derived reconstruction of YD precipitation across Europe, determined from 122 reconstructed glaciers and proxy atmospheric temperatures. Positive precipitation anomalies (YD versus modern) are found along much of the western seaboard of Europe and across the Mediterranean. Negative precipitation anomalies occur over the Fennoscandian ice sheet, the North European Plain, and as far south as the Alps. This is consistent with a more southerly and zonal storm track, which is linked to a concomitant southern location of the Polar Frontal Jet Stream, generating cold air outbreaks and enhanced... (More)

The Younger Dryas (YD) was a period of rapid climate cooling that occurred at the end of the last glaciation. Here, we present the first palaeoglacier-derived reconstruction of YD precipitation across Europe, determined from 122 reconstructed glaciers and proxy atmospheric temperatures. Positive precipitation anomalies (YD versus modern) are found along much of the western seaboard of Europe and across the Mediterranean. Negative precipitation anomalies occur over the Fennoscandian ice sheet, the North European Plain, and as far south as the Alps. This is consistent with a more southerly and zonal storm track, which is linked to a concomitant southern location of the Polar Frontal Jet Stream, generating cold air outbreaks and enhanced cyclogenesis, especially over the eastern Mediterranean. This atmospheric configuration resembles the modern Scandinavian (SCAND) circulation over Europe (a blocking high pressure over Scandinavia pushing storm tracks south and east), and by analogy, a seasonally varying palaeoprecipitation pattern is interpreted.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Science Advances
volume
6
issue
50
article number
eaba4844
publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:33310841
  • scopus:85097943362
ISSN
2375-2548
DOI
10.1126/sciadv.aba4844
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
68135580-ff5a-412c-af93-758c02ef8cc9
date added to LUP
2021-01-05 12:54:10
date last changed
2024-06-13 03:31:40
@article{68135580-ff5a-412c-af93-758c02ef8cc9,
  abstract     = {{<p>The Younger Dryas (YD) was a period of rapid climate cooling that occurred at the end of the last glaciation. Here, we present the first palaeoglacier-derived reconstruction of YD precipitation across Europe, determined from 122 reconstructed glaciers and proxy atmospheric temperatures. Positive precipitation anomalies (YD versus modern) are found along much of the western seaboard of Europe and across the Mediterranean. Negative precipitation anomalies occur over the Fennoscandian ice sheet, the North European Plain, and as far south as the Alps. This is consistent with a more southerly and zonal storm track, which is linked to a concomitant southern location of the Polar Frontal Jet Stream, generating cold air outbreaks and enhanced cyclogenesis, especially over the eastern Mediterranean. This atmospheric configuration resembles the modern Scandinavian (SCAND) circulation over Europe (a blocking high pressure over Scandinavia pushing storm tracks south and east), and by analogy, a seasonally varying palaeoprecipitation pattern is interpreted.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rea, Brice R. and Pellitero, Ramón and Spagnolo, Matteo and Hughes, Philip and Ivy-Ochs, Susan and Renssen, Hans and Ribolini, Adriano and Bakke, Jostein and Lukas, Sven and Braithwaite, Roger J.}},
  issn         = {{2375-2548}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{50}},
  publisher    = {{American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}},
  series       = {{Science Advances}},
  title        = {{Atmospheric circulation over Europe during the Younger Dryas}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba4844}},
  doi          = {{10.1126/sciadv.aba4844}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}