Project: Dynamic properties of atmospheric circulation types and their relations with air temperature trends

Classification of atmospheric circulation types is an efficient tool to study climate at regional scales. However, little attention has been paid to the internal variability and changes of both the circulation characteristics and climatic manifestations of the individual circulation types. Previous studies revealed nonstationarities in the circulation-climate relationship, suggesting that within-type changes play a role in recent climate change. This project aims to quantify the influence of within-type changes of dynamic properties of circulation types (i.e. flow strength and direction, vorticity) on the observed within-type air temperature trends in Central Europe. Changing sequences of circulation types and autocorrelation of mean daily temperature will be analysed as other possible causes of the observed temperature trends. Century-long time series of daily circulation types and circulation indices, newly constructed also for other European regions, will be used to study long-term circulation variability and trends over the whole European continent.

Funded by: GA ČR. GPP209/12/P811

Duration: 2012-2014

Investigator: Kučerová, M.