Our research is focused on understanding the circulation patterns in the atmosphere on different time scales and how they are driven through different processes. Some of the processes driving the circulation patterns are internal to the atmospheric circulation and therefore cannot be predicted. Some processes arise through interactions with other parts of the climate system such as the ocean (for example as manifested through sea surface temperature anomalies), sea ice anomalies, snow cover anomalies as well as through coupling to the circulation in the stratosphere. External processes such as the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases and variability due to volcanic eruptions are also important for driving variability in atmospheric circulation patterns.
The atmospheric and oceanic circulations are vital for heat transport in the climate system. On an annual basis the surplus of energy received at low latitudes must be transferred to the high-latitude areas that have a deficit of energy. Associated with our work on atmospheric circulation patterns we are studying energy transport in the earth system and the transport of water in the atmosphere on different time and space scales.
In our work we use observations as well as a hierarchy of numerical models to study dynamical processes in the atmosphere, and climate variability.