TY - JOUR A1 - Kornhuber, Kai A1 - Petoukhov, Vladimir A1 - Petri, Stefan A1 - Rahmstorf, Stefan A1 - Coumou, Dim T1 - Evidence for wave resonance as a key mechanism for generating high-amplitude quasi-stationary waves in boreal summer JF - Climate dynamics : observational, theoretical and computational research on the climate system N2 - Several recent northern hemisphere summer extremes have been linked to persistent high-amplitude wave patterns (e.g. heat waves in Europe 2003, Russia 2010 and in the US 2011, Floods in Pakistan 2010 and Europe 2013). Recently quasi-resonant amplification (QRA) was proposed as a mechanism that, when certain dynamical conditions are fulfilled, can lead to such high-amplitude wave events. Based on these resonance conditions a detection scheme to scan reanalysis data for QRA events in boreal summer months was implemented. With this objective detection scheme we analyzed the occurrence and duration of QRA events and the associated atmospheric flow patterns in 1979-2015 reanalysis data. We detect a total number of 178 events for wave 6, 7 and 8 and find that during roughly one-third of all high amplitude events QRA conditions were met for respective waves. Our analysis reveals a significant shift for quasi-stationary waves 6 and 7 towards high amplitudes during QRA events, lagging first QRA-detection by typically one week. The results provide further evidence for the validity of the QRA hypothesis and its important role in generating high amplitude waves in boreal summer. KW - Rossby waves KW - Wave resonance KW - Atmospheric dynamics KW - Extreme weather Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-3399-6 SN - 0930-7575 SN - 1432-0894 VL - 49 SP - 1961 EP - 1979 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mann, Michael E. A1 - Rahmstorf, Stefan A1 - Kornhuber, Kai A1 - Steinman, Byron A. A1 - Miller, Sonya K. A1 - Petri, Stefan A1 - Coumou, Dim T1 - Projected changes in persistent extreme summer weather events BT - The role of quasi-resonant amplification JF - Science Advances N2 - Persistent episodes of extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere summer have been associated with high-amplitude quasi-stationary atmospheric Rossby waves, with zonal wave numbers 6 to 8 resulting from the phenomenon of quasi-resonant amplification (QRA). A fingerprint for the occurrence of QRA can be defined in terms of the zonally averaged surface temperature field. Examining state-of-the-art [Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5)] climate model projections, we find that QRA events are likely to increase by similar to 50% this century under business-as-usual carbon emissions, but there is considerable variation among climate models. Some predict a near tripling of QRA events by the end of the century, while others predict a potential decrease. Models with amplified Arctic warming yield the most pronounced increase in QRA events. The projections are strongly dependent on assumptions regarding the nature of changes in radiative forcing associated with anthropogenic aerosols over the next century. One implication of our findings is that a reduction in midlatitude aerosol loading could actually lead to Arctic de-amplification this century, ameliorating potential increases in persistent extreme weather events. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat3272 SN - 2375-2548 VL - 4 IS - 10 PB - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science CY - Washington ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mann, Michael E. A1 - Rahmstorf, Stefan A1 - Kornhuber, Kai A1 - Steinman, Byron A. A1 - Miller, Sonya K. A1 - Petri, Stefan A1 - Coumou, Dim T1 - Projected changes in persistent extreme summer weather events BT - the role of quasi-resonant amplification T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Persistent episodes of extreme weather in the Northern Hemisphere summer have been associated with high-amplitude quasi-stationary atmospheric Rossby waves, with zonal wave numbers 6 to 8 resulting from the phenomenon of quasi-resonant amplification (QRA). A fingerprint for the occurrence of QRA can be defined in terms of the zonally averaged surface temperature field. Examining state-of-the-art [Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5)] climate model projections, we find that QRA events are likely to increase by similar to 50% this century under business-as-usual carbon emissions, but there is considerable variation among climate models. Some predict a near tripling of QRA events by the end of the century, while others predict a potential decrease. Models with amplified Arctic warming yield the most pronounced increase in QRA events. The projections are strongly dependent on assumptions regarding the nature of changes in radiative forcing associated with anthropogenic aerosols over the next century. One implication of our findings is that a reduction in midlatitude aerosol loading could actually lead to Arctic de-amplification this century, ameliorating potential increases in persistent extreme weather events. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 994 KW - planetary wave resonance KW - northern KW - atmosphere KW - attribution KW - circulation Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-446416 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 994 ER - TY - THES A1 - Kornhuber, Kai T1 - Rossby wave dynamics and changes in summertime weather extremes T1 - Rossby Wellendynamik und Veränderungen von Extremwetter im Sommer N2 - Extreme weather events like heatwaves and floods severely affect societies with impacts ranging from economic damages to losses in human lifes. Global warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is expected to increase their frequency and intensity, particularly in the warm season. Next to these thermodynamic changes, climate change might also impact the large scale atmospheric circulation.Such dynamic changes might additionally act on the occurence of extreme weather events, but involved mechanisms are often highly non-linear. Therefore, large uncertainty exists on the exact nature of these changes and the related risks to society. Particularly in the densely populated mid-latitudes weather patterns are governed by the large scale circulation like the jet-streams and storm tracks. Extreme weather in this region is often related to persistent weather systems associated with a strongly meandering jet-stream. Such meanders are called Rossby waves. Under specific conditions they can become slow moving, stretched around the entire hemisphere and generate simultaneaous heat- and rainfall extremes in far-away regions. This thesis aims at enhancing the understanding of synoptic-scale, circumglobal Rossby waves and the associated risks of dynamical changes to society. More specific, the analyses investigate their relation to extreme weather, regions at risk, under which conditions they are generated, and the influence of anthropogenic climate change on those conditions now, in the past and in the future. I find that circumglobal Rossby waves promoted simultaneous occuring weather extremes across the northern hemisphere in several recent summers. Further, I present evidence that they are often linked to quasiresonant-amplification of planetary waves. These events include the 2003 European heatwave and the Moscow heatwave of 2010. This non-linear mechanism acts on the upper level flow through trapping and amplification of stationary synoptic scale waves. I show that this resonance mechanism acts in both hemispheres and is related to extreme weather. A main finding is that circumglobal Rossby waves primarily occur as two specific teleconnection patterns associated with a wave 5 and wave 7 pattern in the northern hemisphere, likely due to the favourable longitudinal distance of prominent mountain ridges here. Furthermore, I identify those regions which are particularly at risk: The central United States, western Europe and the Ukraine/Russian region. Moreover, I present evidence that the wave 7 pattern has and extreme weather in these regions. My results suggest that the increase in frequency can be linked to favourable changes in large scale temperature gradients, which I show to be largely underestimated by model simulations. Using surface temperature fingerprint as proxy for investigating historic and future model ensembles, evidence is presented that anthropogenic warming has likely increased the probability for the occurence of circumglobal Rossby waves. Further it is shown that this might lead to a doubling of such events until the end of the century under a high-emission scenario. Overall, this thesis establishes several atmosphere-dynamical pathways by which changes in large scale temperature gradients might link to persistent boreal summer weather. It highlights the societal risks associated with the increasing occurence of a newly discovered Rossby wave teleconnection pattern, which has the potential to cause simultaneaous heat-extremes in the mid-latitudinal bread-basket regions. In addition, it provides further evidence that the traditional picture by which quasi-stationary Rossby waves occur only in the low wavenumber regime, should be reconsidered. N2 - Extreme Wetterereignisse haben oft katastrophale Folgen für Menschen und Umwelt. Die zuletzt beobachtete Zunahme von Hitzewellen und Überschwemmungen im Sommer lässt sich zum Teil mit dem Klimawandel, verursacht durch den Ausstoß von Treibhausgasen aus fossilen Brennstoffen, erkären. Allerdings übetrafen einige Extremereignisse der jüngeren Vergangenheit in ihrer Intensität, das was allein durch die Erwärmung im globalen Mittel zu erwarten wäre. Der Klimawandel wirkt sich ebenfalls auf die atmosphärische Zirkulation, wie beispielsweise den Jetstream aus. Es wird hier vermutet, dass Änderungen in der Dynamik Extrem-Ereignisse verstärken, indem sie beispielsweise langanhaltender werden. Allerdings sind die entsprechenden Mechanismen komplex und stark nicht-linear, was die Unsicherheiten in Bezug auf zuünftige Risiken vergrößert. Ein Mechanismus der mit extremen Wetter in den mittleren Breiten in Verbindung gebracht wurde, ist ein stark mäandernder Jet-Stream. Dieser führt zu ungewöhnlichen Temperaturen in den mittleren Breiten weile dies Mänder, genannt Rossby-Wellen, den Transport von ungewöhnlich warmer beziehungsweise kalter Luft entlang der Breiten erlauben. Unter bestimmten Bedingungen erstrecken sich diese Rossby Wellen über die gesamte Hemisphäre und führen zum synchronen auftreten von Wetterextremen entlang den mittleren Breiten. Extreme treten insbesondere dann auf wenn sie lang über bestimmten Regionen verharren. Diese Dissertation erforscht den Zusammenhang dieser quasi-stationären Rossby-Wellen und Wetter-Extremen: In welchem Maße können diese durch Rossby-Wellen erklärt werden, welche Regionen sind besonders betroffen und welchen Bedingungen sind für ihr Entstehen förderlich und wie wirkt sich der Klimawandel auf diese Bedingungen aus? Ich zeige, dass einige der verheerendsten Wetterextreme der jüngeren Vergangenheit durch hemisphärische Rossby-Wellenmuster erzeugt wurden und dass diese zumeist synchron mit anderen ungewöhnlichen Wettersituationen in den mittleren Breiten auftraten. Desweiteren zeige ich, dass einige dieser Ereignisse mit dem resonanten Aufschaukeln einiger Wellenkomponenten erklärt werden könnnen (engl. Quasi-resonant Amplification of Planetary Waves, kurz: QRA). Diesem nicht-linearen Mechanismus zufolge verhindert ein starker Jet, dass bestimmte Wellen ihre Energie in Richung Äquator oder Pol verlieren und so förmlich in den mittleren Breiten gefangen werden. Diese Wellen können dann resonant mit dem stationären thermischen und orographischen Störungen interagieren und gewinnen so an Intensität. Ich zeige, dass dieser Mechanismus sowohl in der Nord- als auch in der Südhemisphäre wirkt. Desweiteren zeige ich, dass die Rossby-Wellen in der Nordhemisphäre als zwei wiederkehrende örtlich festgelegte Wellenmuster, charakterisiert durch Welle 5 und Welle 7, auftreten. Dies erkläre ich mit dem relativen Abstand markanter Gebirgskämme entlang der Längengrade in den mittleren Breiten. Dieses Ergebnis ermöglicht es jene Regionen zu identifizieren, welche während solcher Ereignisse besonders gefährdet sind: das Zentrum der USA, Westeuropa und die Region Ukraine / Russland. Ich zeige, dass das Welle-7-Muster in den letzten Jahrzehnten in seiner Häufigkeit zugenommen hat, was die beobachtete Zunahme von extremen Wetter in diesen Regionen erklären könnte. Diese Zunahme führe ich auf die Veränderungen der groß-skaligen Temperaturgradienten entlang der Längen und Breitengrade zurück. Ich zeige zudem, dass diese Veränderungen durch Modelle weitestgehend unterschätzt werden. Über ein charakteristisches Temperaturprofil als Proxy untersuchen wir Modeldaten von historische und Projektionen. Diese Analyse zeigt, dass die anthropogene Erwärmung mit einiger Wahrscheinlichkeit die Bedingungen für die erzeugung solcher Rossby-Wellen verändert hat. Desweiteren kommt es unter der Annahme ungestoppter Emissionen vermutlich zu einer Verdopplung dieser Ereignisse führen zum Ende des Jahrhunderts. In dieser Dissertation zeige ich auf wie die Veränderung großskaliger Oberflächen-Temperatur-Gradienten mit dem vermehrten Aufkommen langanhaltender und oft extremen Wetterereignisse zusammenhängt. Ich indentifiziere die Regionen, die durch das Welle 7 Muster besonders gefärdet sind. Desweiteren, geben meine Ergebnisse weitere Hinweise darauf, dass die traditionell Sicht, aus der quasi-stationäre-Rossby-Wellen nur in Form von niedrigen Wellenzahlen vorkommen, überdacht werden muss. KW - Telekonnektionen KW - Atmosphärendynamik KW - Jetstream KW - Klimawandel KW - Hitzewellen KW - teleconnections KW - atmosphere dynamics KW - jet stream KW - climate change KW - heatwaves Y1 - 2017 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kornhuber, Kai A1 - Petoukhov, Vladimir A1 - Karoly, D. A1 - Petri, Stefan A1 - Rahmstorf, Stefan A1 - Coumou, Dim T1 - Summertime Planetary Wave Resonance in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres JF - Journal of climate Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0703.1 SN - 0894-8755 SN - 1520-0442 VL - 30 SP - 6133 EP - 6150 PB - American Meteorological Soc. CY - Boston ER -