著者

Gerald Holdsworth

雑誌

Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research. Special issue

巻号頁・発行日

vol.54, pp.161-168, 2001-03

---

Cross correlation between time series of (1) total precipitation for a combined four-station network in northern Japan and of (2) the net snow accumulation determined from an ice core obtained from Mount Logan (60.5°N, 5340m) situated in the Saint Elias Mountains, Yukon, reveals high, statistically significant, cross correlation coefficients of +0.38 for annual data increasing up to +0.71 for seven point smoothing of the two 89 year series. The distance between sites is about 7000km spanning the complete Pacific Ocean between latitudes of about 40°N and 60°N. A review of the extensive literature of oceanology and climatology for the North Pacific Ocean region indicates that a strong coupling exists between the ocean and the atmosphere especially up to and associated with the Polar Front Zone along which major cyclogenesis occurs during most months of the year. Cyclones track generally from west to east with a strong northerly component especially in the eastern (Gulf of Alaska) sector. Examination of these cyclones on GOES satellite images shows that weather systems can transport moisture from mid latitude ocean sources (<40°N) to high on Mount Logan over the top of the warm front zone and high above intervening coastal topography. Thus, the positive correlation between the two time series can be physically justified and qualifies the link as a genuine teleconnection.