Abstract
Recent previous research has established the “sharpest gradient”
approach to defining the circumpolar vortex and has identified
correlations of the area and circularity of the Northern Hemisphere’s
circumpolar vortex (NHCPV) to important atmospheric-oceanic
teleconnections. However, because geographical shifts in the NHCPV,
independent of area or circularity changes, could affect surface
environmental conditions, this research addresses the question of the
extent to which the NHCPV centroid undergoes such shifts, both intra-
and inter-annually. Results show that during the 1979–2017 period, the
centroid has moved less on a daily basis in more recent years, perhaps
indicative of a stabilization in circulation, with semi-annual and
seasonal periodicities in the daily distance moved. A consistent
preference toward the Eastern Hemisphere is evident by the displacement
of the centroids toward the Pacific basin throughout the study period.
Collectively, these results indicate the mid-tropospheric response to
the near-surface warming.