Yesterday the scientific journal Nature published a brief but helpful summary of the state of research concerning the linkage between climate changes in the Arctic and mid-latitudes. For context, bear in mind that a popular hypothesis in recent years has been the idea that enhanced warming in the Arctic slows the jet stream and therefore creates more blocking and extreme weather at mid-latitudes. However, the real world may not have such a simple chain of causality; the article emphasizes how much there is yet to learn on this subject. Here's a key quote:
"...the connection is not one-way from the Arctic to the mid-latitudes but also works in reverse, and observations and climate models give differing estimates of the extent to which mid-latitude climate is influenced by Arctic warming". Also: "we have a poor grasp of how much of the Arctic amplification is caused by warm and moist transport from the mid-latitudes to the Arctic".
Update: see comments below for links to the workshop website, containing much more information.
