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Despite the fact that the Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed sea of the North Atlantic Ocean, it is characterized by variability of different hydrophysical and hydrochemical parameters according to the recent studies. Over one hundred years of observations of water temperature and salinity variations have shown that thermohaline regime (circulation, system) has begun to change: trends of increasing water temperature and decreasing water salinity were determined. Scientists from the Baltic countries seek to attract societies' attention to the possible structures of the Baltic Sea hydrology and changes in water balance associated with climate change. This paper searches for the impact of low-frequency atmospheric fluctuations in Atlantic and Pacific surface temperature on water temperature and salinity changes in the Baltic Proper in 1960-2009. The previous studies have shown that there are weak links between the Baltic Sea water temperature, salinity and NAO (North Atlantic oscillation) and AO (Arctic oscillation) that affect the Baltic region. Recently, it was also found that the Baltic Sea hydrophysical and chemical parameters depend on large distance relationships between climate anomalies teleconnection. The determined relationships between the multi-annual average temperature and salinity of the Baltic Sea water column and seasonal, annual indices of the Atlantic Ocean (AMO, AMM, Atlantic Tripole) are weak, whereas links between the Baltic Sea investigated parameters and Pacific index: ONI (Oceanic Nino Index) are very weak (r = -0.32). The strongest correlation exists between water temperature and the NAO (0.36 = r = 0.45), AMM (0.37 = r = 0.40) and between water salinity and NAO (-0.38 = r = -0.51), PNA (Pacific- North American index) (0.27 = r = 0.34). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the integrated water vapor content (IVG) variability in the southern Baltic Sea during the period 1988-2005 using Special Sensor Microwave (SSM/I) data. IVG means were obtained from satellite-based database applications (CM SAF) archives. It was found that the mean of IVG was 13.58 kg/m2 in analyzed area. IVG fluctuations are seasonal. The driest climate in the southern Baltic Sea is in period of December-March (cold period) and the wettest -- June-September (warm period). IVG reached mean maximum in July (21.45 kg/m2) and minimum -- in March (8.59 kg/m2). 1993 and 1996 were anomaly years. In those years IVG means were lower than the observed long-term mean. In 1993 IVG mean was 12.8 kg/m2 and in 1996 - 12.9 kg/m2. The analysis showed that IVG means values were higher than the long-term mean in 1999 (0.72 kg/m2). IVG means were higher than the multiannual average values (respectively 0.67, 0.58 and 0.59 kg/m2) in 1999--2000 and 2002. The main reasons leading to IVG anomalies are SST variations over the period, excluding the year 1999. The eastern Baltic Sea surface temperature positive deviations of October-December months affected positive anomalies of IVG. Sea surface temperature fluctuations of July-September months affected IVG negative variations, excluding the year 1999. In April 1999 the positive temperatures anomalies were higher more than +4.0 °C in the Baltic states (Annual Bulletin…, 2000). It was found that the highest IVG values in warm period (July-September) were in regions closer to the coast (55°-57° N and 19°- 21° E), and in the period of January-March the lowest IVG means were in 56°-57° N and 17°-21° E area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]