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SST anomalies in the north sea in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and the influence on the theoretical spawning time of fish

SST-anomalien in der nordsee, ihr bezug zur Nordatlantischen Oszillation und der einflu\ auf die theoretische laichzeit von fischen

  • Interannual and Decadal Variability
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Summary

The weekly sea surface temperature (SST) data of the whole North Sea and selected areas are analyzed using empirical orthogonal functions (EOF’s) and related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. With the exception of the inflow area of the Fair Isle current, the SST anomalies of the whole North Sea and the selected areas show a good correlation to the NAO index, which indicates that the North Sea SST is mainly controlled by direct atmospheric forcing. In the Fair Isle current or the Fladenground area the SST seems to be influenced by advection. The strong anomalies of the EOF pattern in shallow water close to the continental coast, especially in the German Bight, and the strong seasonality during winter time suggest that these areas could be very sensitive with respect to climate change. A theoretical computation shows that climate variability influences the spawning time of fish up to two month in the near coastal area.

Zusammenfassung

Die wöchentlichen OberflÄchentemperaturdaten (SST) der gesamten Nordsee und ausgewÄhlter Gebiete werden mit empirischen Orthogonalfunktionen (EOFs) analysiert und in Beziehung zum nordatlantischen Oszillationsindex (NAO) gesetzt. Die SST Anomalien der gesamten Nordsee und der ausgewÄhlten Gebiete zeigen gute Korrelation zum NAO-Index mit Ausnahme im Bereich des Fair Isle Einstromes. Dies deutet darauf hin, da\ die OberflÄchentemperaturen der Nordsee hauptsÄchlich durch den direkten atmosphÄrischen Antrieb kontrolliert werden. Im Bereich des Fair Isle Einstromes sowie im Fladengrund scheint hingegen die Advektion der kontrollierende Mechanismus zu sein. Die starken Anomalien in den EOF Mustern im küstennahen Flachwasser, besonders in der Deutschen Bucht, und die starke SaisonalitÄt im Winter deuten darauf hin, da\ diese Gebiete besonders empfindlich sind hinsichtlich möglicher KlimaÄnderungen. Die interannuale KlimavariabilitÄt kann im Küstenvorfeld die Laichzeit von Fischen um zwei Monate verzögern.

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  1. Joachim W. Dippner

    Present address: Institut für Ostseeforschung warmenünde, Seestra\e 15, D-18119, Rostock

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  1. Max-Planck-Institutt für Meteorologie, Bundesstra\e 55, D-20146, Hamburg

    Joachim W. Dippner

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Dippner, J.W. SST anomalies in the north sea in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and the influence on the theoretical spawning time of fish. Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift 49, 267–275 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02764038

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