Book chapter
English

Influence of Winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on climate and snow accumulation in the Mediterranean mountains

PublisherDordrecht/NL : Springer
Collection
  • Advances in Global Change Research; 46
Publication date2011
Abstract

This chapter shows the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on droughts in the entire Mediterranean region between 1901 and 2006. The analysis has been based on identification of positive and negative NAO winters and also detection of the anomalies of drought severity by means of the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The analysis is focussed on the winter NAO. Nevertheless, given that the SPEI drought indicator can be obtained at different time-scales, the study shows how the effects of the winter NAO on droughts are propagated for the following months when long time scales are considered. In general, during the positive phases, the negative SPEI averages are recorded in Southern Europe (the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and the Balkans), areas of Turkey and northwest Africa. On the contrary, the SPEI averages are found positive in northeast Africa. The opposite configuration, but with some differences in the spatial patterns and the magnitude of the SPEI averages, is found during the negative NAO years. The findings of this study should be of great applicability in terms of developing early warning systems. The established relationships between NAO phases and drought indices seem appropriate for drought prediction over large areas of the Mediterranean basin.

Citation (ISO format)
LOPEZ-MORENO, J. I. et al. Influence of Winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on climate and snow accumulation in the Mediterranean mountains. In: Hydrological, Socioeconomic and Ecological Impacts of the North Atlantic Oscillation in the Mediterranean Region. Vicente-Serano, M. and Trigo, R. (Ed.). Dordrecht/NL : Springer, 2011. p. 73–89. (Advances in Global Change Research) doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-1372-7_6
Identifiers
630views
0downloads

Technical informations

Creation23/02/2012 16:59:00
First validation23/02/2012 16:59:00
Update14/03/2023 17:08:51
Status update14/03/2023 17:08:51
Last indexation29/10/2024 19:01:41
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack