Spatiotemporal variation of continentality in the mediterranean region and its connection to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2025
Yazarlar: Ecmel ERLAT, Doğukan Doğu Yavaşlı
Theoretical and Applied Climatology, SCI İndekslerine Giren Dergi, Uluslararası, Wos, 2025, cilt 156, ss 1-16
DOI: 10.1007/s00704-025-05436-9
Özet
<p>This study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of continentality across the Mediterranean region over the period</p><p>1950–2023 and explores the relationship between continentality and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Using</p><p>monthly data from the ERA5-Land reanalysis, three distinct continentality indices (Ivanov, Simple, and Sezer) were calculated</p><p>to capture regional climate dynamics. The results show a generally insignificant increasing trend in continentality for</p><p>the entire Mediterranean, driven predominantly by the faster rise in summer maximum temperatures compared to winter</p><p>minimum temperatures in the western sector. In contrast, slight declines occur in parts of the eastern Mediterranean, where</p><p>winter warming rates partially offset or balance summer warming. Spatial patterns indicate that continentality increases</p><p>most prominently in areas such as the interior of the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean islands, where intensified</p><p>summer temperature anomalies contribute to larger annual temperature ranges. Conversely, the Balkan region, coastal</p><p>zones of North Africa, and northeastern Türkiye exhibit decreased continentality linked to stronger winter warming. On</p><p>a multidecadal scale, positive AMO phases generally coincide with higher continentality values, highlighting the influence</p><p>of large-scale ocean–atmosphere interactions on temperature seasonality in the Mediterranean. Overall, the study</p><p>underscores the critical role of interseasonal warming trends and atmospheric teleconnections of variability in shaping the</p><p>region’s continentality, with implications for future climate risk assessments and resource management.</p>