The role of air-sea interaction in the precipitation variability of the Southern Black Sea coast

The role of air-sea interaction in the precipitation variability of the Southern Black Sea coast

Ozan Mert GöktürkNaki AkçarDominik Fleitmann

Institute of Geosciences, University of Bern

Aim

To explain what 'air-sea interaction' is To demonstrate the role of air-sea interaction

process in the present day precipitation variability of the southern Black Sea coast, by means of simple data analysis

Possible implications of this mechanism in the paleoclimate context ?

Low Air Temp + High Water Temp Sea / lake effect Precipitation

Great Lakes of the North America

Sea of Japan Black Sea ? ...

Sea / lake effect Precipitation

Hypothesis: The southern Black Sea area must be one of the “sea/lake effect” regions.

Test: Calculate correlations of temperature and sea surface temperature with precipitation!

Low Air Temp + High Water Temp

Fall + Winter, 1951-1990Correlations between air temperature and precipitation

TempPrecip

Temp -Precip +

++

November, 1951-1990 Correlations between air temperature and precipitation

February, 1951-1990Correlations between temperature and precipitation

January+February vs February, 1951-1990Correlations between temperature and precipitation

Air Temp -

Precip

Sea Surface Temp

+

+

Conclusion

Air - sea interaction is possibly the dominant precipitation generator for the Southern Black Sea coast

This process can be quite independent from the large scale climate, for example cyclone frequency, Arctic-North Atlantic oscillation etc.

Implications - Questions

Warm and wet ? Or, cold and wet ? Possible contrast between Mediterranean and

southern Black Sea areas, in terms of rainfall? Mountain glaciation mechanisms ?

Finally...

Sea Surface Temp anomaly 25.09.2008

Radar image, 27.09.2008

Wind speed in Istanbul: 140 km / h (all-time record)

Sea Surface Temp anomaly 06.09.2009

08.09.2009

Istanbul, 09.09.2009

Thanks!