Effects of West African air humidity on Atlantic sea surface temperature

Abstract

Simple models of both the atmospheric and oceanic sides of the ocean/atmosphere boundary are used to model the air specific humidity over the tropical Atlantic. It is shown that most of the climatological patterns of specific humidity can be reproduced with these fairly simple models. These models can then be used to predict the effects of changes in West African surface specific humidity on the sea surface temperature (SST) patterns of the tropical Atlantic. They suggest that small changes in specific humidity (1 g/kg) could result in significant SST changes (1°C) over the area which the land humidity influences. These SST changes in turn could effect West African climate, the Sahel in particular. -Author