North Atlantic Oscillation Research at LDEO

The NAO is the dominant mode of winter climate variability in the North Atlantic region ranging from central North America to Europe and much into Northern Asia. The NAO is a large scale seesaw in atmospheric mass between the subtropical high and the polar low. The corresponding index varies from year to year, but also exhibits a tendency to remain in one phase for intervals lasting several years. The climate of the Atlantic sector and surrounding continents exhibits considerable variability on a wide range of time scales. Improved understanding of this variability is essential to assess the likely range of future climate fluctuations and the extent to which these fluctuations are predictable, and to assess the potential impact of climate change due to anthropogenic forcing.