Climate dynamics

Abstract:

In a warming climate, storm tracks are projected to intensify on their poleward side. Here we use large ensemble CO₂ ramp-up and -down simulations to show that these changes are not reversed when CO₂ concentrations are reduced. If CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere following CO₂ increase, the North Atlantic storm track keeps strengthening until the middle of the CO₂ removal, while the recovery of the North Pacific storm track during ramp-down is stronger than its shift during ramp-up. In contrast, the Southern Hemisphere storm track weakens during ramp-down at a rate much faster than its strengthening in the warming period. Compared to the present climate, the Northern Hemisphere storm track becomes stronger and the Southern Hemisphere storm track becomes weaker at the end of CO₂ removal. These hemispherically-asymmetric storm track responses are attributable to the weakened Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and the delayed cooling of the Southern Ocean.