Martin Visbeck

Bio: Martin Visbeck is an academic researcher from Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Water mass & North Atlantic oscillation. The author has an hindex of 58, co-authored 159 publications receiving 17822 citations. Previous affiliations of Martin Visbeck include Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology & Columbia University.

An overview of the North Atlantic Oscillation

Abstract: The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most prominent and recurrent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. It dictates climate variability from the eastern seaboard of the United States to Siberia and from the Arctic to the subtropical Atlantic, especially during boreal winter, so variations in the NAO are important to society and for the environment. Understanding the processes that govern this variability is, therefore, of high priority, especially in the context of global climate change. This review, aimed at a scientifically diverse audience, provides general background material for the other chapters in the monograph, and it synthesizes some of their central points. It begins with a description of the spatial structure of climate and climate variability, including how the NAO relates to other prominent patterns of atmospheric circulation variability. There is no unique way to define the spatial structure of the NAO, or thus its temporal evolution, but several common approaches are illustrated. The relationship between the NAO and variations in surface temperature, storms and precipitation, and thus the economy, as well as the ocean and ecosystem responses to NAO variability, are described. Although the NAO is a mode of variability internal to the atmosphere, indices of it exhibit decadal variability and trends. That not all of its variability can be attributed to intraseasonal stochastic atmospheric processes points to a role for external forcings and, perhaps, a small but useful amount of predictability. The surface, stratospheric and anthropogenic processes that may influence the phase and amplitude of the NAO are reviewed.

Policy: Map the interactions between Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract: Mans Nilsson, Dave Griggs and Martin Visbeck present a simple way of rating relationships between the targets to highlight priorities for integrated policy.

North atlantic climate variability: Phenomena, impacts and mechanisms

Abstract: Variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Tropical Atlantic dominate the climate of the North Atlantic sector, the underlying ocean and surrounding continents on interannual to decadal time scales. Here we review these phenomena, their climatic impacts and our present state of understanding of their underlying cause. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society.

Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.

Abstract: Cause, conseguenze e strategie di mitigazione Proponiamo il primo di una serie di articoli in cui affronteremo l’attuale problema dei mutamenti climatici. Presentiamo il documento redatto, votato e pubblicato dall’Ipcc - Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - che illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.

Climate change and water.

Abstract: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Technical Paper Climate Change and Water draws together and evaluates the information in IPCC Assessment and Special Reports concerning the impacts of climate change on hydrological processes and regimes, and on freshwater resources – their availability, quality, use and management. It takes into account current and projected regional key vulnerabilities, prospects for adaptation, and the relationships between climate change mitigation and water. Its objectives are:

Persistent Solar Influence on North Atlantic Climate During the Holocene

Abstract: Surface winds and surface ocean hydrography in the subpolar North Atlantic appear to have been influenced by variations in solar output through the entire Holocene. The evidence comes from a close correlation between inferred changes in production rates of the cosmogenic nuclides carbon-14 and beryllium-10 and centennial to millennial time scale changes in proxies of drift ice measured in deep-sea sediment cores. A solar forcing mechanism therefore may underlie at least the Holocene segment of the North Atlantic's "1500-year" cycle. The surface hydrographic changes may have affected production of North Atlantic Deep Water, potentially providing an additional mechanism for amplifying the solar signals and transmitting them globally.

The simulation of SST, sea ice extents and ocean heat transports in a version of the Hadley Centre coupled model without flux adjustments

Abstract: Results are presented from a new version of the Hadley Centre coupled model (HadCM3) that does not require flux adjustments to prevent large climate drifts in the simulation The model has both an improved atmosphere and ocean component In particular, the ocean has a 125° × 125° degree horizontal resolution and leads to a considerably improved simulation of ocean heat transports compared to earlier versions with a coarser resolution ocean component The model does not have any spin up procedure prior to coupling and the simulation has been run for over 400 years starting from observed initial conditions The sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice simulation are shown to be stable and realistic The trend in global mean SST is less than 0009 °C per century In part, the improved simulation is a consequence of a greater compatibility of the atmosphere and ocean model heat budgets The atmospheric model surface heat and momentum budget are evaluated by comparing with climatological ship-based estimates Similarly the ocean model simulation of poleward heat transports is compared with direct ship-based observations for a number of sections across the globe Despite the limitations of the observed datasets, it is shown that the coupled model is able to reproduce many aspects of the observed heat budget