N. P. Gillett, P. A. Stott

Geophysical Research Letters

Published date December 10, 2009

Attribution of anthropogenic influence on seasonal sea level pressure

  • Demonstrates that externally‐forced sea level pressure (SLP) trends are observed in all four seasons, with simulated and observed decreases in SLP at high latitudes and increases elsewhere
  • Finds that the observed pattern of seasonal mean zonal mean SLP changes is inconsistent with simulated internal variability
  • Detects anthropogenic influence independently of natural influence on SLP
  • Divides the globe into the mid‐ and high‐latitude regions of both hemispheres and the tropics and subtropics and finds that external influence is only detectable in the low‐latitude region, where models and observations show increasing trends in SLP, and where internal variability is low, and not in the mid‐ and high‐latitude regions of either hemisphere
  • Concludes that low‐latitude increases in SLP, which are significant compared to internal variability, but which have previously received little attention, could have important regional climate impacts