The subtropical gyre of the North Pacific Ocean displays prominent inter-decadal variability in its sea surface temperatures (SST) and heat content. This variability is denoted the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The South Pacific subtropical gyre has received much less attention. The PI's previous analyses of paleoclimatic records from the South Pacific motivate this study of its variability using historical climate records. SST data will be analyzed, together with precipitation data, to determine the principal modes of variability of SST in the South Pacific, to assess the robustness of these modes, and to examine their temporal behavior and their possible links with precipitation and with climate variability in remote regions.
A graduate student will be trained in the methods of statistical analysis of climate data. Improved knowledge of the variability of the South Pacific may prove useful in evaluating the quality of climate model simulations in this region.
