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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • paleoclimatology
  • phenology
  • autumn 2006
  • winter 2007

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Processes: Paleoclimatology
  • Atmospheric Processes: Climate change and variability
  • Global Change: Regional climate change
  • Global Change: Impacts of global change
  • Biogeosciences: Plant ecology

Abstract

Exceptional European warmth of autumn 2006 and winter 2007: Historical context, the underlying dynamics, and its phenological impacts

Jürg Luterbacher

National Centre of Competence in Research on Climate (NCCR) and Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Mark A. Liniger

Climate Services, Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss), Zurich, Switzerland

Annette Menzel

Chair of Ecoclimatology, Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany

Nicole Estrella

Chair of Ecoclimatology, Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany

Paul M. Della-Marta

Climate Services, Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss), Zurich, Switzerland

Christian Pfister

National Centre of Competence in Research on Climate (NCCR) and Institute of History, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

This Rutishauser

National Centre of Competence in Research on Climate (NCCR) and Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Elena Xoplaki

National Centre of Competence in Research on Climate (NCCR) and Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Updated European averaged autumn and winter surface air temperature (SAT) timeseries indicate that the autumn 2006 and winter 2007 were extremely likely (>95%) the warmest for more than 500 years. In both seasons, the European SAT anomaly is widespread with anomalies up to three standard deviations from normal. The anomalous warmth is associated with strong anticyclonic conditions and warm air advection from south west. Phenological impacts related to this warmth included some plant species having a partial second flowering or extended flowering till the beginning of winter. Species that typically flower in early spring were found to have a distinct earlier flowering after winter 2007.

Received 9 March 2007; accepted 15 May 2007; published 19 June 2007.

Citation: Luterbacher, J., M. A. Liniger, A. Menzel, N. Estrella, P. M. Della-Marta, C. Pfister, T. Rutishauser, and E. Xoplaki (2007), Exceptional European warmth of autumn 2006 and winter 2007: Historical context, the underlying dynamics, and its phenological impacts, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L12704, doi:10.1029/2007GL029951.

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