1. The role of air-sea interaction in the precipitation variability of the Southern Black Sea coast
Ozan Mert Göktürk
Naki Akçar
Dominik Fleitmann
Institute of Geosciences,
University of Bern

2. Aim To explain what 'air-sea interaction' is
To demonstrate the role of air-sea interaction process in the present day precipitation variability of the southern Black Sea coast, by means of simple data analysis
Possible implications of this mechanism in the paleoclimate context ?

3. Low Air Temp + High Water Temp
Sea / lake effect Precipitation

4. Great Lakes of the North America
Sea of Japan
Black Sea ?
...

5. Sea / lake effect Precipitation
Hypothesis: The southern Black Sea area must be one of the “sea/lake effect” regions. Test: Calculate correlations of temperature and sea surface temperature with precipitation!
Low Air Temp + High Water Temp
Sea / lake effect Precipitation

6. Fall + Winter, 1951-1990 Correlations between air temperature and precipitation

7. November, 1951-1990 Correlations between air temperature and precipitation

8. February, 1951-1990 Correlations between temperature and precipitation

9. January+February vs February, 1951-1990 Correlations between temperature and precipitation
Sea Surface Temp
Air Temp - +
Precip

10. Conclusion
Air - sea interaction is possibly the dominant precipitation generator for the Southern Black Sea coast
This process can be quite independent from the large scale climate, for example cyclone frequency, Arctic-North Atlantic oscillation etc.

11. Implications - Questions
Warm and wet ? Or, cold and wet ?
Possible contrast between Mediterranean and southern Black Sea areas, in terms of rainfall?
Mountain glaciation mechanisms ?

12. Finally... Sea Surface Temp anomaly 25.09.2008 Radar image, 27.09.2008
Wind speed in Istanbul: 140 km / h (all-time record)‏

13. Sea Surface Temp anomaly 06.09.2009
Istanbul,

14. Thanks!