A PROBABLE AVENUE TO EFFECT OF POLAR ICE ON NORTH PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH

This paper is based on the data for the period from 1953 to 1977, which are the monthly averaged ice cover in the Arctic area within 160°E-110°W and north of 50°N, the areal index of the North Pacific subtropical high and the monthly averaged sea surface temperature of the North Pacific. A statistical analysis of the lag correlations between the polar ice from November to July and the sea surface temperature from January to July, and the sea surface temperature from January to July and the subtropical high lagging zero through eleven months is performed.
The analysis shows that the lag correlation regions between the polar ice during spring and the sea surface temperature almost coincide with the regions of the California Current and the paitial north equatorial current, and the regions of the California Current and the partial north equatorial current coincide with the principal lag correlation regions between the sea surface temperature and the subtropical high. All the results suggest that the transfer action of the ocean current is a probable avenue of the effect to polar ice on North Pacific subtropical high.