Observations of atmosphere/ocean interaction in the Southern Ocean region

In this contribution I will review observational evidence of coupling between large-scale atmospheric variability and sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Southern Ocean region. I will first overview the most important patterns of large-scale atmospheric variability in the high latitude Southern Hemisphere, and will then demonstrate how these structures impact the SST field. I will examine the coupling as a function of season, will examine the physical mechanisms that drive the observed coupling, and will explore lead/lag relationships between the SST field and the atmospheric flow on weekly time scales. I will close with a brief discussion of the processes which give rise to the observed persistence in Southern Ocean SSTs.