9711750 Houghton The PIs will conduct focused studies to advance our understanding of climate variability in the extratropics. The primary emphasis will be on the seasonal variability in the atmospheric annual cycle. The seasonal variability research will focus on large-scale aspects for the onset and ending of the fall and spring transition seasons, length of the seasons, and other relevant variability in the annual cycle. Description of seasonal variability and understanding of the relevant dynamics that will be gained in this research is essential for advancing knowledge of the ocean-atmospheric climate system in aspects such as: Understanding transitions in atmospheric circulation states Giving a basis for developing seasonal forecasting in the extratropics Understanding the net atmospheric events on the ocean over the full annual cycle (i.e., forcing of interannual and decadal variability signals). This research is important because it has the potential to advance the understanding of seasonal climate variability, its causes and physics.
