Events

Title:

The "Pattern Effect": How surface warming patterns modulate atmospheric circulation, clouds, and climate sensitivity. 

Abstract:

In this talk I will highlight recent progress on understanding the impacts of sea surface temperature patterns on atmospheric circulation, clouds, and radiation: the so-called “the pattern effect”. 

I will discuss progress in understanding the impacts of the pattern effect, such as a temporary slowdown of global-mean warming, as well as the emerging paradigm for how surface warming pattern impact clouds and circulation.

Finally, I will discuss some pressing questions, such as gaps in our mechanistic understanding of the atmospheric response to SST patterns and the fact that the current generation of climate models fails to simulate recent trends in SSTs.