Multiscale atmospheric dynamics: cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling in the air temperature

Area of Science:

• Climate Science
• Data Analysis
• Statistical Physics

Background:

• Understanding climate dynamics across different timescales is crucial for accurate temperature variability analysis.
• European temperature records provide valuable data for studying long-term climate patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate interactions between different temporal scales in European surface air temperature data.
• To identify influences of slow oscillatory phenomena on interannual temperature variability.

Main Methods:

• Conditional mutual information was used to detect interactions between temporal scales.
• Fourier-transform and multifractal surrogate data methods were employed for statistical testing.

Main Results:

• Information transfer from larger to smaller time scales was observed.
• The phase of 6-11 year oscillations influences variability amplitudes on scales of months to 4-5 years.
• Slow oscillations affect interannual temperature variability by 1-2°C across large European areas.

Conclusions:

• Long-term climate oscillations significantly impact shorter-term temperature variability in Europe.
• The findings highlight the interconnectedness of climate dynamics across various timescales.