Prof. O'Brien and coworkers will develop a reduced gravity model for the Northeast Pacific Ocean and will run the model with observed winds for a period of 25 years. The annual and interannual variability of the upper ocean will be checked against current measurements, XBTs, and sea level observations. Of particular importance is the simulation of the anomalous conditions during the El Nino of 1982-1983. The model will elucidate the connections between equatorial forcing and subtropical and tropical response. This type of model is particularly suited to be coupled with atmospheric models for future climatic studies.
