Arctic Oscillation Research Paper

Arctic Oscillation Weather Anomaly The Arctic Oscillation (AO) is a two-phase climate pattern circulating in the Artic region and the mid-latitude regions of Earth. This oscillation pattern is the second largest on Earth, with the El Niño/La Niña cycle being the largest. While these weather patterns are a normal part of the Earth’s climate system, scientists continually monitor fluctuations in the AO to determine its natural state versus the man-made impact through global warming. The effects can be mild to extreme, producing blizzards, drought, or floods, which affects global economies and infrastructures. Northern to mid-latitude hot weather extremes involving the AO positive phase can occur naturally, but man-made global warming produces erratic weather anomalies, which vary in frequency, length, and severity.
Arctic Oscillation
The AO air circulation moves in a counterclockwise direction, circulating around the Arctic at 55 degrees North latitude (NOAA, 2016a). NOAA (2016a) further explains, the positive AO phase produces strong winds, which rotate around the North Pole to restrict cold air from exiting these northern Polar Regions. This positive phase produces warmer winters for the United States and northern Europe. High pressure at the pole …show more content…
Conversely, what survives continues to accumulate more ice, referred to as multiyear ice. As the National Snow & Ice Data Center (2013) reports, multiyear ice covers only 30 percent of the Arctic Ocean, as opposed to the historic 60 percent. The oldest ice was reported at 5 percent in 2013, which has dramatically reduced from the 25 percent recorded in the 1980’s (National Snow & Ice Data Center, 2013). The National Snow & Ice Data Center (2013) also reports that the thickest Arctic ice along the coast of Greenland has thinned due to warming trends with extended periods of the AO negative