The researcher will examine western U.S. hydroclimatic variability and its relationship to El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) using synoptic dendroclimatology. Synoptic dendroclimatology integrates synoptic climatology and dendrochronology in a process-based approach linking large-scale circulation patterns to local tree-growth anomalies. The researcher contends that it has been difficult to apply existing ENSO reconstructions to assess ENSO impacts in extratropical regions due to the instability of the impact pattern and the influence of other atmospheric controls on climate patterns in the U.S. west.
There are three main objectives of the research: 1) develop a long-term record of atmospheric pressure patterns using existing tree-ring chronologies and gridded reanalysis data; 2) determine controls on persistent meridional and zonal atmospheric flow regimes using targeted field sampling and synoptic analysis; and 3) delineate the spatial footprint of past ENSO events by tying together data from the first two objectives with existing reconstructions of drought and ENSO.
The broader impacts include supporting a new female investigator early in her career, the education and training of a graduate student, and the inclusion of a number of undergraduates in field and lab research. The work would be relevant for water managers and others interested in the hydroclimate of the Western U.S. while the gridded pressure reconstruction would be of value to other climate researchers.
