Search

The paper examines the relationships between ENSO events and tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) during the ENSO decaying phase of March to July [MAMJJ(1)]. It is shown that WNP TC response is asymmetric to ENSO warm and cold events during MAMJJ(1), associated with the asymmetric patterns of oceanic and atmospheric environmental variables. Eastern Pacific warm events correspond to a westward shift in TC genesis location and a significant decrease of the TC number in the southwest subregion of the WNP, which is consistent with unfavorable atmospheric and oceanic conditions for TC activity during MAMJJ(1). Correspondingly, there is a much less WNP TC number, a shorter TC duration, and a decreased tendency in all three primary TC tracks. During MAMJJ(1) of eastern Pacific cold events, an increased TC activity in the northeast subregion results in an enhanced TC genesis number in the WNP. Central Pacific ENSO events have little effect on WNP TC activity during MAMJJ(1), except that central Pacific warm events are unfavorable for TCs to form in the northwest subregion associated with atmospheric and oceanic conditions. The paper also compares and discusses the TC response to ENSO events during the ENSO developing year of March-July. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a comment on a 2017 paper by Cheung et al., Kravtsov states that the results of Cheung et al. are invalidated by errors in the method used to estimate internal variability in historical surface temperatures, which involves using the ensemble mean of simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to estimate the forced signal. Kravtsov claims that differences between the forced signals in the individual models and as defined by the multimodel ensemble mean lead to errors in the assessment of internal variability in both model simulations and the instrumental record. Kravtsov proposes a different method, which instead uses CMIP5 models with at least four realizations to define the forced component. Here, it is shown that the conclusions of Cheung et al. are valid regardless of whether the method of Cheung et al. or that of Kravtsov is applied. Furthermore, many of the points raised by Kravtsov are discussed in Cheung et al., and the disagreements of Kravtsov appear to be mainly due to a misunderstanding of the aims of Cheung et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statistical method, Average Predictability Time (APT) decomposition, is used in the present paper to estimate the decadal predictability of upper ocean heat content over the global ocean, North Pacific and North Atlantic, respectively. The twentieth century simulations from CMIP5 outputs are the main data sources in this study. On global scale, the leading predictable component is characterized by a warming trend over the majority of oceans, which is related to the anthropogenic forced response. The second predictable component has significant loadings in the North Atlantic, especially in the subtropical region, which originates from the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) predictability. To separate interactions among different ocean basins, we further maximize APT in individual North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. It is found that the second and the third predictable component in North Pacific are significantly correlated with the well-known North Pacific Gyre Oscillation mode and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation respectively. Upper limit prediction skill of these two components are on the order of 6 years. In contrast, the most predictable component derived from the North Atlantic features an AMO-like spatial structure with its prediction skill up to 18 years, while the basin mode due to global warming only exists as the third component. This indicates the interdecadal variability in the North Atlantic is strong enough to mask the anthropogenic climate signals. Furthermore, predictability in the real world is also investigated and compared with model results by using observation-based data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few if any high-resolution (annually resolved) paleoclimate records are available for the Hawaiian Islands prior to ~1850 CE, after which some instrumental records start to become available. This paper shows how atmospheric teleconnection patterns between North America and the northeastern North Pacific (NNP) allow for reconstruction of Hawaiian Islands rainfall using remote proxy information from North America. Based on a newly available precipitation dataset for the state of Hawaii and observed and reconstructed December-February (DJF) sea level pressures (SLPs) in the North Pacific Ocean, the authors make use of a strong relationship between winter SLP variability in the northeast Pacific and corresponding DJF Hawaii rainfall variations to reconstruct and evaluate that season's rainfall over the period 1500-2012 CE. A general drying trend, though with substantial decadal and longer-term variability, is evident, particularly during the last ~160 years. Hawaiian Islands rainfall exhibits strong modulation by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as well as in relation to Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO)-like variability. For significant periods of time, the reconstructed large-scale changes in the North Pacific SLP field described here and by construction the long-term decline in Hawaiian winter rainfall are broadly consistent with long-term changes in tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) based on ENSO reconstructions documented in several other studies, particularly over the last two centuries. Also noted are some rather large multidecadal fluctuations in rainfall (and hence in NNP SLP) in the eighteenth century of undetermined provenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inter-annual variability of the tropical Pacific Subsurface Ocean Temperature Anomaly (SOTA) and the associated anomalous atmospheric circulation over the Asian North Pacific during the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were investigated using National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) atmospheric reanalysis data and simple ocean data simulation (SODA). The relationship between the ENSO and the climate of China was revealed. The main results indicated the following: 1) there are two ENSO modes acting on the subsurface tropical Pacific. The first mode is related to the mature phase of ENSO, which mainly appears during winter. The second mode is associated with a transition stage of the ENSO developing or decaying, which mainly occurs during summer; 2) during the mature phase of El Niño, the meridionality of the atmosphere in the mid-high latitude increases, the Aleutian low and high pressure ridge over Lake Baikal strengthens, northerly winds prevail in northern China, and precipitation in northern China decreases significantly. The ridge of the Ural High strengthens during the decaying phase of El Niño, as atmospheric circulation is sustained during winter, and the northerly wind anomaly appears in northern China during summer. Due to the ascending branch of the Walker circulation over the western Pacific, the western Pacific Subtropical High becomes weaker, and south-southeasterly winds prevail over southern China. As a result, less rainfall occurs over northern China and more rainfall over the Changjiang River basin and the southwestern and eastern region of Inner Mongolia. The flood disaster that occurred south of Changjiang River can be attributed to this. The La Niña event causes an opposite, but weaker effect; 3) the ENSO cycle can influence climate anomalies within China via zonal and meridional heat transport. This is known as the 'atmospheric-bridge', where the energy anomaly within the tropical Pacific transfers to the mid-high latitude in the northern Pacific through Hadley cells and Rossby waves, and to the western Pacific-eastern Indian Ocean through Walker circulation. This research also discusses the special air-sea boundary processes during the ENSO events in the tropical Pacific, and indicates that the influence of the subsurface water of the tropical Pacific on the atmospheric circulation may be realized through the sea surface temperature anomalies of the mixed water, which contact the atmosphere and transfer the anomalous heat and moisture to the atmosphere directly. Moreover, the reason for the heavy flood within the Changjiang River during the summer of 1998 is reviewed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major difficulty in investigating the nature of interdecadal variability of climatic time series is their shortness. An approach to this problem is through comparison of models. In this paper a first-order autoregressive [AR(1)] model is contrasted with a fractionally differenced (FD) model as applied to the winter-averaged sea level pressure time series for the Aleutian low [the North Pacific (NP) index] and the Sitka winter air temperature record. Both models fit the same number of parameters. The AR(1) model is a “short-memory” model in that it has a rapidly decaying autocovariance sequence, whereas an FD model exhibits “long memory” because its autocovariance sequence decays more slowly. Statistical tests cannot distinguish the superiority of one model over the other when fit with 100 NP or 146 Sitka data points. The FD model does equally well for short-term prediction and has potentially important implications for long-term behavior. In particular, the zero crossings of the FD model tend to be farther apart, so they have more of a “regimelike” character; a quarter century interval between zero crossings is 4 times more likely with the FD than the AR(1) model. The long-memory parameter δ for the FD model can be used as a characterization of regimelike behavior. The estimated δs for the NP index (spanning 100 yr) and the Sitka time series (168 yr) are virtually identical, and their size implies moderate long-memory behavior. Although the NP index and the Sitka series have broadband low-frequency variability and modest long-memory behavior, temporal irregularities in their zero crossings are still prevalent. Comparison of the FD and AR(1) models indicates that regimelike behavior cannot be ruled out for North Pacific processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has had large impacts on marine animals, including neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartramii (O. bartramii) in the North Pacific Ocean. O. bartramii statoliths from 2012, 2015, and 2016 were used to evaluate the variations in life cycle events. The relationship between mantle length and body weight showed significant differences between years and gender. The oldest squid was collected in 2016 at 271 days old, further proving that O. bartramii has nearly a 1-year life span. The hatching season ranged from December to May and the peak hatching time in 2015 was one-half month later than in 2012 and 2016. Growth rates varied with environmental factors such as sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a concentration (chl. a), indicating that higher SST and chl. a concentrations led to faster growth. An extreme El Niño event with lower SST in 2015 also led to younger age class and slower growth rates. The occurrence of differences in body size and growth rates between years, caused by the interannual variations of environmental factors, makes it necessary to use separate growth curves for different years when analyzing North Pacific O. Bartramii populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The western North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent (WSTCC), anchored by the western subtropical front (WSTF), varies from seasonal to multidecadal time scales and affects the climate variability in the North Pacific. However, conflicting views exist for physical mechanisms of the decadal to multidecadal variability of the WSTF/WSTCC. While many previous studies attribute the WSTF/WSTCC decadal variability to the anomalous wind forcing by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, by synthesizing observations, reanalysis products and the pre‐industrial model simulation experiment, the present study demonstrates that they are controlled by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) through the Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) variability. The AMO induced decadal temperature and volume anomalies of the STMW are stored in the subsurface ocean through the subduction process south of the Kuroshio Extension. Then these anomalies propagate southwestward along the thermocline circulation and reaches the northern flank of the WSTCC in about 5 years. During the AMO‐positive phase, the anomalous warm and thin STMW flattens the upper thermocline, reduces the meridional temperature gradient and weakens the WSTF intensity, lagging 5 years behind the AMO index. Subsequently, the WSTCC decreases and moves southward, and vice versa for the AMO‐negative phase. Our results provide a potential predictability for the WSTF and WSTCC decadal to multidecadal variability and are important for the North Pacific climate change and the biogeochemical processes. Plain Language Summary: The North Pacific subtropical countercurrent (STCC) is a shallow eastward jet stretching from the western Pacific to the north of Hawaii, accompanied by the subtropical front (STF) in the upper 200 m. Specifically, the western branch (western North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent [WSTCC] and western subtropical front [WSTF]) is much stronger and broader than the eastern part. Decadal to multidecadal variability of the WSTCC and WSTF is known to have significant effects on the North Pacific climate change and biogeochemical processes. However, conflicting views exist for physical mechanisms of the decadal to multidecadal variability of the WSTF/WSTCC. While many previous studies attribute the WSTF/WSTCC decadal to multidecadal variability to the anomalous wind forcing by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the present study demonstrates that they are controlled by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) through the Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) variability. The STMW anomalies caused by the AMO are stored in the subsurface ocean and would propagate southwestward along the circulation, reach the WSTF/WSTCC region in about 5 years and influence the current's decadal to multidecadal variations. Our results provide a potential predictability for the WSTF and WSTCC variability on decadal to multidecadal time scales and are important for the North Pacific climate change and the biogeochemical processes. Key Points: The decadal‐multidecadal variation of the western North Pacific subtropical front and countercurrent is controlled by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)The AMO modulates the Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) variability, which controls the upper pycnocline slope and dominates the intensity of the countercurrentIt takes ∼5 years for the STMW to reach the countercurrent region, corresponding to the time lag of the frontal changes with the AMO [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the multi-decadal variations of the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index were studied to determine their influence on tropical cyclones (TCs) using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method and Hilbert spectral analysis. The ENSO and PDO are closely associated with various oceanic and atmospheric factors that govern TC activities in the western North Pacific (WNP). From the analysis results, multi-decadal oscillations with characteristic periods of 13 and 32.5years from MEI, and about 16.7 and 32.8years from PDO, were obtained. These values showed good agreement with the values obtained in other studies. The results of category 4–5 TCs and category 5 TCs also showed possible multi-decadal oscillations of about 15- and 37-year timescales, indicating that low frequency multi-decadal oscillations of intense TC occurrence in the WNP is influenced by the multi-decadal oscillations of ENSO and PDO. When seeking adaptation and mitigation measures for future climate scenarios, the multi-decadal variations of climate and their impacts on extreme events such as TCs should be taken into account together with the background of the global warming trend. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Climate may affect marine fish populations through many different pathways, operating at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Climate impacts may work their way bottom up through the food web or affect higher trophic levels more directly. In this review we try to disentangle and summarize some of the current knowledge made available through the rapidly increasing literature on the topic, with particular emphasis on the work within the Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (GLOBEC) programme. We first consider different classification schemes and hypotheses relating climate through physical features of the ocean to population patterns. The response of a population or community to climate may be linear or non-linear, direct or indirect. The hypotheses may be classified according to the form of physical features in operation as being related to mixing, advection or temperature. The bulk of the paper is devoted to a region-by-region presentation and discussion of examples relating climate variability to marine fish populations. It is slanted towards the North Atlantic and North Pacific, but the tropical Pacific is also covered. By means of different categorization methods we compare climate responses between ecosystems. We conclude that the use of such classification schemes allows for a more precise description of the various ecosystems particular properties and facilitates inter-regional comparison. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The out of phase tropical cyclone (TC) formation in the subtropical and tropical western North Pacific associated with local low-level wind vorticity anomaly, driven by the remote central and eastern equatorial Pacific warming/cooling, is investigated based on the reanalysis and observational data in the period of 1979−2017. TC frequencies in the subtropical and tropical western North Pacific appear to be connected to different remote heating/cooling sources and are linked to eastern and central Pacific warming/cooling, which are in turn related to canonical El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and ENSO Modoki, respectively. TCs formed in subtropics (SfTC) are generally found to be associated with a dipole in wind vorticity anomaly, which is driven by the tropical eastern Pacific warming/cooling. Tropically formed TCs (TfTC) are seen to be triggered by the single-core of wind vorticity anomaly locally associated with the warming/cooling of central and eastern Pacific. The predicted ENSOs and ENSO Modokis, therefore, provide a potential source of seasonal predictability for SfTC and TfTC frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the mechanisms of interannual and decadal variability of dissolved oxygen (O2) in the North Pacific using historical observations and a hindcast simulation using the Community Earth System Model. The simulated variability of upper ocean (200 m) O2 is moderately correlated with observations where sampling density is relatively high. The dominant mode of O2 variability explains 24.8% of the variance and is significantly correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index (r = 0.68). Two primary mechanisms are hypothesized by which the PDO controls upper ocean O2 variability. Vertical movement of isopycnals ("heave") drives O2 variations in the deep tropics; isopycnal surfaces are depressed in the eastern tropics under the positive (El Niño‐like) phase of PDO, leading to O2 increases in the upper water column. In contrast to the tropics, changes in subduction are the primary control on extratropical O2 variability. These hypotheses are tested by contrasting O2 anomalies with the heave‐induced component of variability calculated from potential density anomalies. Isopycnal heave is the leading control on O2 variability in the tropics, but heave alone cannot fully explain the amplitude of tropical O2 variability, likely indicating reinforcing changes from the biological O2 consumption. Midlatitude O2 variability indeed reflects ocean ventilation downstream of the subduction region where O2 anomalies are correlated with the depth of winter mixed layer. These mechanisms, synchronized with the PDO, yield a basin‐scale pattern of O2 variability that are comparable in magnitude to the projected rates of ocean deoxygenation in this century under "unchecked" emission scenario. Plain Language Summary: In the North Pacific, oxygen levels in the seawater show large‐scale patterns associated with the regional climate on the timescales of years to decades. We used a computational model of circulation and cycling of elements in the ocean to simulate these changes for the last approximately 70 years. Our aim is to better understand what causes these changes. First, the climate shifts can move large volume of seawater up and down in the ocean and redistribute dissolved oxygen due to the large‐scale water movement. Second, the climate shifts can alter the rate at which oxygen‐rich surface waters can mix into the subsurface ocean. We found that both mechanisms are important, but they occur in different regions; the first mechanism is particularly important in the tropics, and the second mechanism dominates in the subtropics. We further found that the climate‐driven changes in the biological processes tend to reinforce the physically driven oxygen changes of the tropics. These insights can help better understand and interpret existing and future observations of oxygen changes. Key Points: Two hypotheses are proposed for upper ocean oxygen variability that is synchronized with the Pacific Decadal OscillationTropical variability is primarily controlled by the heave of isopycnal surfaces, while the subtropics are controlled by the ventilationHistoric observations and a numerical model suggest additional, amplifying mechanisms that enhance tropical oxygen variability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to propose a novel prediction scheme of tropical cyclone frequency (TCF) over the Western North Pacific (WNP). We concerned the large-scale meteorological factors inclusive of the sea surface temperature, sea level pressure, the Niño-3.4 index, the wind shear, the vorticity, the subtropical high, and the sea ice cover, since the chronic change of these factors in the context of climate change would cause a gradual variation of the annual TCF. Specifically, we focus on the correlation between the year-to-year increment of these factors and TCF. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) method was used for variable selection and dimension reduction from 11 initial predictors. Then, a prediction model based on random forest (RF) was established by using the training samples (1978-2011) for calibration and the testing samples (2012-2016) for validation. The RF model presents a major variation and trend of TCF in the period of calibration, and also fitted well with the observed TCF in the period of validation though there were some deviations. The leave-one-out cross validation of the model exhibited most of the predicted TCF are in consistence with the observed TCF with a high correlation coefficient. A comparison between results of the RF model and the multiple linear regression (MLR) model suggested the RF is more practical and capable of giving reliable results of TCF prediction over the WNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meridional geostrophic transport (MGT) in the interior tropical North Pacific Ocean is estimated based on global ocean heat and salt content data. The decadal variations of the zonally and vertically integrated MGT in the tropical North Pacific Ocean are found to precede the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) by 1–3 years. The dynamics of the MGT are analyzed based on Sverdrup theory. It is found that the total meridional transport variability (MGT plus Ekman) is dominated by the MGT variability having positive correlations with the PDO index. The Sverdrup transports differ from the total meridional transport significantly and have insignificant correlations with PDO index, suggesting that the MGT variability is not controlled by the Sverdrup dynamics. In comparison, the simulated meridional transport variability in the models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and the Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator are dominated by the Sverdrup transports, having insignificant correlations with the simulated PDO indices. The comparison suggests that the non-Sverdrup component in the MGT is important for the predictability of PDO and that significant deficiencies exist in these models in simulating a realistic structure of the tropical ocean gyre variability and predicting the decadal climate variations associated with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of Open Science Meeting (OSM) Session on "Identifying multiple pressures and system responses in North Pacific marine ecosystems." Presentations discussed include all demonstrating commonness of multiple stressors and rarity of single stressors, description of multiple stressors in North Pacific marine ecosystems, and all stressors overwhelmed by climate change impacts. Conclusions reached at the session presented include non-uniform ecosystem responses.

Kelp forests and the many vital ecosystem services they provide are threatened as the severity of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors continues to mount. Particularly in the North Pacific, sea surface temperature is warming and glacial melt is decreasing salinity. This study explored the resiliency of early life-history stages of these foundation species through a factorial laboratory experiment. The effects of rising sea surface temperature under low salinity conditions on kelp spore settlement and initial gametophyte growth in Eualaria fistulosa, Nereocystis luetkeana, and Saccharina latissima were investigated. Decreased settlement and growth were observed in these species at elevated temperatures and at low salinity. Eualaria fistulosa spores and gametophytes were the most negatively impacted, compared to the more widely distributed N. luetkeana and S. latissima. These results suggest that N. luetkeana and S. latissima could potentially outperform E. fistulosa under projected conditions. However, despite decreased performance among all species, our findings indicate that these species are largely resilient to temperature changes when exposed to a low salinity, even when the temperature changes are immediate and extreme. By exploring how early life-history stages of several key kelp species are impacted by dual stressors, this research enhances our understanding of how kelp forests will respond to projected and extreme changes in temperature when already stressed by low salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Pacific exhibits patterns of low-frequency variability on the intra-annual to decadal time scales, which manifest themselves in both model data and the observational record, and prediction of such low-frequency modes of variability is of great interest to the community. While parametric models, such as stationary and non-stationary autoregressive models, possibly including external factors, may perform well in a data-fitting setting, they may perform poorly in a prediction setting. Ensemble analog forecasting, which relies on the historical record to provide estimates of the future based on past trajectories of those states similar to the initial state of interest, provides a promising, nonparametric approach to forecasting that makes no assumptions on the underlying dynamics or its statistics. We apply such forecasting to low-frequency modes of variability for the North Pacific sea surface temperature and sea ice concentration fields extracted through Nonlinear Laplacian Spectral Analysis, an algorithm which produces clean time-scale separation from data without pre-filtering. We find such methods may outperform parametric methods and simple persistence with increased predictive skill, and are more skillful when initialized in an active phase, rather than a quiescent phase. We also apply these methods to the predict integrated sea ice extent anomalies in the North Pacific from both models and observations, and find an increase of predictive skill over the persistence forecast by about 2 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The interdecadal changes in the frequency of tropical cyclone ( TC) genesis in the western North Pacific ( WNP) were examined for the epoch 1979-2013. There was an interdecadal increase in the frequency of TC genesis in the WNP in May during 1999-2013 than during 1979-1998, and such changes differed from those occurring between June and December. This interdecadal change is attributed to the early onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon ( SCSSM) during 1999-2013, when the southwesterly winds spread eastwards and the monsoon trough ( MT) moved into the WNP earlier. The MT favoured enhanced convection and anomalous low-level cyclonic vorticity, facilitating more TC genesis. During 1979-1998, in contrast, the onset of the SCSSM was delayed and the MT was confined to the west of the South China Sea. As a result, weakened convection and anomalous anticyclonic low-level vorticity are observed over the WNP, facilitating less TC genesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pacific ocean-atmosphere system exerts an important influence on the climate of Asia and North America, but the limited length of the observational record prevents a complete understanding of its bidecadal and multidecadal time scales. Paleoclimate reconstructions provide one source of information on longer time scales, although they differ in their estimation of the behavior of the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) prior to the instrumental period. Forced general circulation model simulations offer complementary long-term perspectives on both the history and dynamics of this important mode of variability. Here, we analyze the PDO in the ensemble of CMIP5/PMIP3 last millennium (past1000 + historical) simulations. We evaluate the modeled spatial, temporal, and spectral characteristics of this mode, as well as teleconnections between North Pacific variability and global climate. All models produce a mode of North Pacific variability over the last millennium with spatial patterns and spectral power density similar to observations. CCSM, FGOALS, and IPSL best reproduce observed spatial patterns, spectral characteristics, and teleconnections to terrestrial regions used in paleoclimate proxy reconstructions. In these simulations, the PDO shows no consistent response to solar or volcanic forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the possible linkage between the monsoon trough and the interannual variability of the activity of westward-propagating tropical waves (WTW) over the western North Pacific (WNP) during July-November for the period 1979-2007. It is shown that the interannual variability of WTW activity is closely related to the location of the monsoon trough. During the years when the enhanced (weakened) monsoon trough extends eastward (retreats westward), the lower-tropospheric WTW activity is above (below) normal within the southeastern quadrant of the WNP. Furthermore, this study evaluates different wave structures and dynamics of two types of WTWs, equatorial Rossby (ER) waves and mixed Rossby-gravity (MRG)-tropical depression (TD)-type waves, in strong monsoon trough (S-MT) and weak monsoon trough (W-MT) years over the WNP. There is a significant change in the three-dimensional structure as those waves propagate westward to the east of the monsoon trough. For the TD-MRG waves, an apparent transition from MRG waves to off-equatorial TD disturbances is identified in the region of the monsoon trough. For the ER waves, their amplitudes have a faster growth, but their structures and propagation characters have no marked change. Differences in the location of the monsoon trough may lead to an east-west contrast in the WTWs. In a companion study (Part II), diagnostics of energetics and numerical experiments are conducted to explain the observed results in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical cyclone heat potential (TCHP) is a measurable metric calculated by the summation of ocean heat content from the surface down to the depth of the 26 °C isotherm. TCHP calculated by the Meteorological Research Institute multivariate ocean variational estimation (MOVE) system is verified by using TCHP based on in situ observations by profiling floats during 2002-2012. After the verification, the threshold of MOVE-based TCHP before the passage of a tropical cyclone (TC) favorable for triggering TC deepening is determined by best-track central pressure drops for the nearest 6 hours from 1985 to 2012. The threshold is specified as the minimum range of TCHP when the ratio of the number of records for TC deepening to the total best-track number of records in a TCHP bin is significantly greater than the reference ratio determined for each domain at a significance level of 0.05. The threshold is relatively low (40-60 kJ cm) around 5-10°N, west of 120°E and east of 140°E, whereas it is relatively high (80-100 kJ cm) around 15-20°N. Around 5-10°N, the ratio for each moving speed shows two peaks: with moving speeds of 3-5 and 7-9 m s. The former case is exemplified by Typhoon Mike (1990) under relatively low TCHP (< 80 kJ cm), whereas the latter case is exemplified by Typhoon Haiyan (2013), which is more rapidly intensified and reaches a lower minimum central pressure under relatively high TCHP (>120 kJ cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in ocean surface waves elicit a variety of impacts on coastal environments. To assess the future changes in the ocean surface wave climate, several future projections of global wave climate have been simulated in previous studies. However, previously there has been little discussion about the causes behind changes in the future wave climate and the differences between projections. The objective of this study is to estimate the future changes in mean wave climate and the sensitivity of the wave climate to sea surface temperature (SST) conditions in an effort to understand the mechanism behind the wave climate changes by specifically looking at spatial SST variation. A series of wave climate projections forced by surface winds from the MRI-AGCM3.2 were conducted based on SST ensemble experiments. The results yield future changes in annual mean wave height that are within about ±0.3 m. The future changes in summertime wave height in the western North Pacific (WNP), which are influenced by tropical cyclone changes, are highly sensitive to SST conditions. To generalize the result, the wave climate change and SST relation found by this study was compared with multimodel wave ensemble products from the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLIP). The spatial variation of SST in the tropical Pacific Ocean is a major factor in the wave climate changes for the WNP during summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work examines the impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the prediction skill of North Pacific variability (NPV) in retrospective predictions of the NCEP Climate Forecast System, version 2. It is noted that the phase relationship between ENSO and NPV at initial conditions (ICs) affects the prediction skill of NPV. For average lead times of 0-6 months, the prediction skills of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in NPV (defined as the NPV index) increase from 0.42 to 0.63 from the cases of an out-of-phase relation between the Niño-3.4 and NPV indices in ICs to the cases of an in-phase relation. It is suggested that when ENSO and NPV are in phase in ICs, ENSO plays a constructive role in the NPV development and enhances its signals. Nevertheless, when ENSO and NPV are out of phase, some pronounced positive NPV events are still predictable. In these cases, the North Pacific is dominated by strong positive SSTAs, which may overcome the opposing influence from the tropical Pacific and display predictability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has investigated the possible relation between the Indian summer monsoon and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) observed in the sea surface temperature (SST) of the North Pacific Ocean. Using long records of observations and coupled model (NCAR CCSM4) simulation, this study has found that the warm (cold) phase of the PDO is associated with deficit (excess) rainfall over India. The PDO extends its influence to the tropical Pacific and modifies the relation between the monsoon rainfall and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). During the warm PDO period, the impact of El Niño (La Niña) on the monsoon rainfall is enhanced (reduced). A hypothesis put forward for the mechanism by which PDO affects the monsoon starts with the seasonal footprinting of SST from the North Pacific to the subtropical Pacific. This condition affects the trade winds, and either strengthens or weakens the Walker circulation over the Pacific and Indian Oceans depending on the phase of the PDO. The associated Hadley circulation in the monsoon region determines the impact of PDO on the monsoon rainfall. We suggest that knowing the phase of PDO may lead to better long-term prediction of the seasonal monsoon rainfall and the impact of ENSO on monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding the role of the oceans in the Earth's changing climate requires comprehension of the relevant metabolic pathways which produce climatically important trace gases. The global ocean represents one of the largest natural sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) that is produced by selected archaea and/or bacteria during nitrogen (N) metabolism. In this study, the role of nitrite (NO2 −) in the production of N2O in the upper water column of the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre was investigated, focusing primarily on the lower euphotic zone where NO2 − concentrations at the primary NO2 − maximum reached 195nmolL−1. Free-drifting sediment trap arrays were deployed to measure N cycle processes in sinking particulate material and the addition of selected N substrates to unpreserved sediment traps provided an experimental framework to test hypotheses regarding N2O production pathways and controls. Sinking particles collected using NO2 −-amended, unpreserved sediment traps exhibited significant production of N2O at depths between 100 and 200m. Subsequent stable isotope tracer measurements conducted on sediment trap material amended with 15NO2 − yielded elevated δ15N values of N2O, supporting N2O production via a NO2 − metabolism pathway. Experiments on seawater collected from 150m showed N2O production via NO2 − metabolism also occurs in the water-column and indicated that the concentration of NO2 − relative to NH4 + availability may be an important control. These findings provide evidence for the production of N2O via nitrifer-denitrification in the lower euphotic zone of the open ocean, whereby NO2 − is reduced to N2O by ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The annual SST lag for the world ocean is obtained from a Fourier analysis of the HadISST (1870-2008) and NOAA WOA05 (1900-2005) monthly SST data series. The main properties are a mean of 73 days and a standard deviation of 16 days, with tongues of high SST lag extending poleward and eastward from the equatorial regions where a maximum in lag of about 110 days occurs. The SST lag is the sum of an atmospheric surface heat flux lag and an ocean heat storage lag which is the dominant contributor and provides direct estimates of the damping time for air/sea heat exchange, which are in good agreement with observations in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean, and also predictions of the phase lag of the mid-latitude ocean surface temperature field to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forcing. Hence, SST lag can be used to diagnose global climate variability. Local differences in lag of up to about 15 days occur between the 1991-2005 and 1976-1990 periods, which are accompanied by significant changes in regional climate. The lag time series for grid points in the eastern Indian Ocean, North Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean show that the variability can be interpreted in terms of bounded random walks of length about 20 years. The CSIRO Mk. 3.5 run for Scenario A2 over the period 1871-2100 has a similar random structure and also shows a secular increase in SST lag in the temperate oceans which is attributable to an expansion of the tropical belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key component of tropical atmospheric variability, intraseasonal variability (ISV) over the eastern North Pacific Ocean (ENP) exerts pronounced influences on regional weather and climate. Since general circulation models (GCMs) are essential tools for prediction and projection of future climate, current model deficiencies in representing this important variability leave us greatly disadvantaged in studies and prediction of climate change. In this study, the authors have assessed model fidelity in representing ENP ISV by analyzing 16 GCMs participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Among the 16 CMIP5 GCMs examined in this study, only seven GCMs capture the spatial pattern of the leading ENP ISV mode relatively well, although even these GCMs exhibit biases in simulating ISV amplitude. Analyses indicate that model fidelity in representing ENP ISV is closely associated with the ability to simulate a realistic summer mean state. The presence of westerly or weak mean easterly winds over the ENP warm pool region could be conducive to more realistic simulations of the ISV. One hypothesis to explain this relationship is that a realistic mean state could produce the correct sign of surface flux anomalies relative to the ISV convection, which helps to destabilize local intraseasonal disturbances. The projected changes in characteristics of ENP ISV under the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) projection scenario are also explored based on simulations from three CMIP5 GCMs. Results suggest that, in a future climate, the amplitude of ISV could be enhanced over the southern part of the ENP while reduced over the northern ENP off the coast of Mexico/Central America and the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flexible regional ocean-atmosphere-land system coupled model [Flexible Regional Ocean Atmosphere Land System (FROALS)] was developed through the Ocean Atmosphere Sea Ice Soil, version 3 (OASIS3), coupler to improve the simulation of the interannual variability of the western North Pacific summer monsoon (WNPSM). The regionally coupled model consists of a regional atmospheric model, the Regional Climate Model, version 3 (RegCM3), and a global climate ocean model, the National Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG)/Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) Climate Ocean Model (LICOM). The impacts of local air-sea interaction on the simulation of the interannual variability of the WNPSM are investigated through regionally ocean-atmosphere coupled and uncoupled simulations, with a focus on El Niño's decaying summer. Compared with the uncoupled simulation, the regionally coupled simulation exhibits improvements in both the climatology and the interannual variability of rainfall over the WNP. In El Niño's decaying summer, the WNP is dominated by an anomalous anticyclone, less rainfall, and enhanced subsidence, which lead to increases in the downward shortwave radiation flux, thereby warming sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Thus, the ocean appears as a slave to atmospheric forcing. In the uncoupled simulation, however, the atmosphere is a slave to oceanic SST forcing, with the warm SST anomalies located east of the Philippines unrealistically producing excessive rainfall. In the regionally coupled run, the unrealistic positive rainfall anomalies and the associated atmospheric circulations east of the Philippines are significantly improved, highlighting the importance of air-sea coupling in the simulation of the interannual variability of the WNPSM. One limitation of the model is that the anomalous anticyclone over the WNP is weaker than the observations in both the regionally coupled and the uncoupled simulations. This results from the weaker simulated climatological summer rainfall intensity over the monsoon trough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite its importance in regulating the global climate, the past deep ocean circulation in the western North Pacific has still been poorly understood. Nd isotopes of ferromanganese crusts have been proven to be a good proxy to monitor paleoceanic circulation changes. In this study, late Cenozoic Nd isotopic records are recovered from two ferromanganese crusts located near Mariana arc but at different water depths (MKD13: 1530 m, MDD53: 2700 m), and their implications for paleocirculation change in this area are explored. From the early to late Miocene, Nd isotopic compositions of MDD53 remained stable, and they were also characterized by the least radiogenic signatures (ɛ −4.0 to −5.0) compared to crusts of similar water depths in the Miocene North Pacific. Afterward, an abrupt increase in its ɛ value occurred in the Pliocene. In contrast, Nd isotopes of MKD13 became more radiogenic with time in the Miocene and were almost invariable thereafter. The continual increase in ɛ of shallower crust MKD13 is interpreted as reflecting progressive closure of Indonesian Seaway in the Miocene, while the deep western boundary current sourced from the Southern Pacific may have dominated Nd isotopes of deeper crust MDD53 during the same time interval. The lack of Nd isotopic variation of MKD13 in the Pliocene indicates that there were no changes in Nd sources in shallower waters and the final restriction between the Indian and Pacific may have only occurred since then. Therefore the observed large shift to more radiogenic Nd isotopes of MDD53 in the Pliocene should not be resulted from changes in vertical input from shallower to deeper water. Instead, a decreased ventilation of deep southern component current along the studied water depth range (∼2700 m) may have continued in the Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New versions of the high-resolution 20- and 60-km-mesh Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) atmospheric general circulation models (MRI-AGCM version 3.2) have been developed and used to investigate potential future changes in tropical cyclone (TC) activity. Compared with the previous version (version 3.1), version 3.2 yields a more realistic simulation of the present-day (1979-2003) global distribution of TCs. Moreover, the 20-km-mesh model version 3.2 is able to simulate extremely intense TCs (categories 4 and 5), which is the first time a global climate model has been able to simulate such extremely intense TCs through a multidecadal simulation. Future (2075-99) projections under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A1B scenario are conducted using versions 3.1 and 3.2, showing consistent decreases in the number of TCs globally and in both hemispheres as climate warms. Although projected future changes in basin-scale TC numbers show some differences between the two versions, the projected frequency of TC occurrence shows a consistent decrease in the western part of the western North Pacific (WNP) and in the South Pacific Ocean (SPO), while it shows a marked increase in the central Pacific. Both versions project a future increase in the frequency of intense TCs globally; however, the degree of increase is smaller in version 3.2 than in version 3.1. This difference arises partly because version 3.2 projects a pronounced decrease in mean TC intensity in the SPO. The 20-km-mesh model version 3.2 projects a northward shift in the most intense TCs (category 5) in the WNP, indicating an increasing potential for future catastrophic damage due to TCs in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) play an important role as a keystone species and provider of ecosystem services in the North Pacific ecosystem. We review our studies on recent production trends, marine carrying capacity, climate effects and biological interactions between wild and hatchery origin populations of Pacific salmon in the open sea, with a particular focus on Japanese chum salmon ( O. keta). Salmon catch data indicates that the abundance of Pacific salmon increased since the 1976/77 ocean regime shift. Chum and pink salmon ( O. gorbuscha) maintained high abundances with a sharp increase in hatchery-released populations since the late 1980s. Since the 1990s, the biomass contribution of hatchery returns to the total catch amounts to 50% for chum salmon, more than 10% for pink salmon, and less than 10% for sockeye salmon ( O. nerka). We show evidence of density-dependence of growth and survival at sea and how it might vary across spatial scales, and we provide some new information on foraging plasticity that may offer new insight into competitive interactions. The marine carrying capacity of these three species is synchronized with long-term patterns in climate change. At the present time, global warming has positively affected growth and survival of Hokkaido populations of chum salmon. In the future, however, global warming may decrease the marine carrying capacity and the area of suitable habitat for chum salmon in the North Pacific Ocean. We outline future challenges for salmon sustainable conservation management in Japan, and recommend fishery management reform to sustain the hatchery-supported salmon fishery while conserving natural spawning populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A climate network of six climate indices of the North Pacific air-sea system is constructed during the period of 1948-2009. In order to find out the inherent relationship between the intrinsic mechanism of climate index network and the important climate shift, the synchronization behaviour and the coupling behaviour of these indices are investigated. Results indicate that climate network synchronization happened around the beginning of the 1960s, in the middle of the 1970s and at the beginnings of the 1990s and the 2000s separately. These synchronization states were always followed by the decrease of the coupling coefficient. Each synchronization of the network was well associated with the abrupt phase or trend changes of annually accumulated abnormal values of North Pacific sea-surface temperature and 500-hPa height, among which the one that happened in the middle of the 1970s is the most noticeable climate shift. We can also obtain this mysterious shift from the first mode of the empirical orthogonal function of six indices. That is to say, abrupt climate shift in North Pacific air-sea system is not only shown by the phase or trend changes of climate indices, but also might be indicated by the synchronizing and the coupling of climate indices. Furthermore, at the turning point of 1975, there are also abrupt correlation changes in the yearly mode of spatial degree distribution of the sea surface temperature and 500-hPa height in the region of the North Pacific, which further proves the probability of climate index synchronization and coupling shift in air-sea systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some dominant spatial and temporal structures of the North Pacific air-sea CO2 fluxes in response to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are identified in three data products from three independent sources: an assimilated CO2 flux product and two forward model solutions. The interannual variability of CO2 flux is found to be an order of magnitude weaker compared to the seasonal cycle of CO2 flux in the North Pacific. A statistical approach is employed to quantify the signal-to-noise ratio in the reconstructed dataset to delineate the representativity errors. The dominant variability with a signal-to-noise ratio above one is identified and its correlations with PDO are examined. A tentative fourpole pattern in the North Pacific air-sea CO2 flux variability linked to PDO emerges in which two positively correlated poles are oriented in the northwest and southeast directions and contrarily, the negatively correlated poles are oriented in the northeast and southwest directions. This pattern is identified in three products, providing CO2 and pCO2. Its relations to the interannual El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and lower-frequency PDO are separately identified. A combined EOF analysis between air-sea CO2 flux and key variables representing ocean-atmosphere interactions is carried out to elicit robust oscillations in the North Pacific CO2 flux in response to the PDO. The proposed spatial and temporal structures of the North Pacific CO2 fluxes are insightful since they separate the secular trends of the surface ocean carbon from the interannual variability. The regional characterization of the North Pacific in terms of PDO and CO2 flux variability is also instructive for determining the homogeneous oceanic domains for the Regional Carbon Cycle and Assessment Processes (RECCAP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) is a mode of natural decadal climate variability, typically defined as the principal component of North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. To remove any global warming signal present in the data, the traditional definition specifies that monthly-mean, global-average SST anomalies are subtracted from the local anomalies. Differences in the warming rates over the globe and the PDO region may therefore be aliased into the PDO index. Here, we examine the possibility of a human component in the PDO, considering three different definitions. The implications of these definitions are explored using SSTs from both observations and simulations of historical and future climate, all projected onto (definition-dependent) observed PDO patterns. In the twenty first century scenarios, a systematic anthropogenic component is found in all three PDO indices. Under the first definition-in which no warming signal is removed-this component is so large that it is also statistically detectable in the observed PDO. Using the second/traditional definition, this component is also large, and arises primarily from the differential warming rates predicted in the North Pacific and over global oceans. Removing the spatial average SST signal in the PDO region (in the third definition) partially solves this problem, but a human signal persists because the predicted pattern of SST response to human forcing projects strongly onto the PDO pattern. This illustrates the importance of separating internally-generated and externally-forced components in the PDO, and suggests that caution should be exercised in using PDO indices for statistical removal of 'natural variability' effects from observational datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two leading modes of North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP), as well as their connections to tropical variability, are explored in the 24 coupled climate models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) to evaluate North Pacific decadal variability (NPDV) in the past [twentieth century; climate of the twentieth century (20C3M) scenario] and future [twenty-first century; Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B scenario] climate. Results indicate that the two dominant modes of North Pacific oceanic variability, the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), do not exhibit significant changes in their spatial and temporal characteristics under greenhouse warming. However, the ability of the models to capture the dynamics associated with the leading North Pacific oceanic modes, including their link to the corresponding atmospheric forcing patterns and to tropical variability, is questionable. The temporal and spatial statistics of the North Pacific Ocean modes exhibit significant discrepancies from observations in their twentieth-century climate, most visibly for the second mode, which has significantly more low-frequency power and higher variance than in observations. The dynamical coupling between the North Pacific Ocean and atmosphere modes evident in the observations is very strong in the models for the first atmosphere--ocean coupled mode, which represents covariability of the PDO pattern with the Aleutian low (AL). However, the link for the second atmosphere--ocean coupled mode, describing covariability of an NPGO-like SST pattern with the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO), is not as clearly reproduced, with some models showing no relationship between the two. Exploring the tropical Pacific--North Pacific teleconnections reveals more issues with the models. In contrast with observations, the atmospheric teleconnection excited by the El Niñño--Southern Oscillation in the models does not project strongly on the AL--PDO coupled mode because of the displacement of the center of action of the AL in most models. Moreover, most models fail to show the observational connection between El Niñño Modoki--central Pacific warming and NPO variability in the North Pacific. In fact, the atmospheric teleconnections associated with El Niñño Modoki in some models have a significant projection on, and excite the AL--PDO coupled mode instead. Because of the known links between tropical Pacific variability and NPDV, these analyses demonstrate that focus on the North Pacific variability of climate models in isolation from tropical dynamics is likely to lead to an incomplete view, and inadequate prediction, of NPDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time series of solar radiation and north Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) index were used to analyze their causality relationship with various periodic oscillations in reconstructed millennial global-mean temperature series. The three long-term periods of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), Little Ice Age (LIA) and recent Global Warming Period (GWP) were distinct in the temperature series. 21-year, 65-year, 115-year and 200-year oscillations were derived from the temperature series after removing three long-term climatic temperatures. The phases of temperature oscillations significantly lagged behind oceanic SST and solar radiation variability. The recent decadal warm period was caused by the quasi-21-year temperature oscillation. At this century-cross period, the four oscillations reached their peaks simultaneously, which did not occur during the last millennium. Based on the long-term trend during the GWP and the four periodic oscillations, global-mean temperature is expected to drop to a new cool period in the 2030s and then a rising trend would be towards to a new warm period in the 2060s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in the monthly-mean flow and storm track in the North Pacific basin is examined with a focus on the near-surface baroclinicity. Dominant patterns of anomalous near-surface baroclinicity found from empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses generally show mixed patterns of shift and changes in the strength of near-surface baroclinicity. Composited anomalies in the monthly-mean wind at various pressure levels based on the signals in the EOFs show accompanying anomalies in the mean flow up to 50 hPa in the winter and up to 100 hPa in other seasons. Anomalous eddy fields accompanying the anomalous near-surface baroclinicity patterns exhibit, broadly speaking, structures anticipated from simple linear theories of baroclinic instability, and suggest a tendency for anomalous wave fluxes to accelerate--decelerate the surface westerly accordingly. However, the relationship between anomalous eddy fields and anomalous near-surface baroclinicity in the midwinter is not consistent with the simple linear baroclinic instability theories. Composited anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) accompanying anomalous near-surface baroclinicity often exhibits moderate values and large spatial scales in the basin, rather than large values concentrated near the oceanic fronts. In the midsummer and in some cases in cold months, however, large SST anomalies are found around the Kuroshio--Oyashio Extensions. Accompanying anomalies in the net surface heat flux, SST in the preceding and following months, and meridional eddy heat flux in the lower troposphere suggest active roles played by the ocean in generating the concomitant anomalous large-scale atmospheric state in some of these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in surface seawater has been measured in the northeastern Pacific Ocean at Station P and along Line P since 1973. These data have been divided into ‘oceanic’ and ‘coastal/transition’ zones, and the seasonal and interannual variability and the long-term trends for each zone have been examined. The oceanic zone shows little seasonality in surface seawater pCO2, with undersaturation throughout the year. A strong, biologically-driven seasonal cycle is offset by variation in temperature-dependent solubility of CO2. The coastal/transition zone shows a decline in pCO2 from winter–spring through summer and fall that is likely the result of seasonal stratification and convection rather than coastal upwelling. Interannual variability all along Line P is correlated with the multivariate ENSO index (MEI), with lower seawater pCO2 associated with El Niño conditions. Correlations with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index are similar but weaker, in part because there are few data prior to the 1976 regime shift. The long-term trend in seawater pCO2 in the oceanic zone is +1.36±0.16μatmyear−1, indistinguishable from the atmospheric growth rate, and varies little among the seasons. In the coastal/transition zone a slow increase in the pCO2 of surface seawater relative to that of the atmosphere has led to increasing undersaturation, particularly in spring. Aliasing of the seasonal and interannual variability due to sampling frequency may explain part of the observed trend in the coastal/transition zone, but real changes in physical or biological processes are also possible and require more detailed study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) consortium provides a framework in which the adjoint method of data assimilation is applied to a general circulation model to provide a dynamically self-consistent estimate of the time-varying ocean state, which is constrained by observations. In this study, the sensitivity of the solution to the constraints provided by various datasets is investigated in a regional setting in the North Pacific. Four assimilation experiments are performed, which vary by the data used as constraints and the relative weights associated with these data. The resulting estimates are compared to two of the assimilated datasets as well as to data from two time series stations not used as constraints. These comparisons demonstrate that increasing the weights of the subsurface data provides overall improvement in the model–data consistency of the estimate of the state of the North Pacific Ocean. However, some elements of the solution are degraded. This could result from incompatibility between datasets, possibly because of hidden biases, or from errors in the model physics made more evident by the increased weight on subsurface data. The adjustments to the control parameters of surface forcing and initial conditions necessary to obtain the more accurate fit to the data are found to be within prior error bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determinants of sex ratios in animal populations have been of general interest to ecologists for decades. We tested the hypothesis that offspring sex ratio in a population of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) was related to large-scale environmental indices reflecting ocean climate and productivity that affected the condition of reproductive females over 31 years (1976-2006). More males were produced during years of weaker pressure differences and warmer sea surface temperature anomalies in the northeastern Pacific, conditions that reduce or disperse prey resources for gestating females in the North Pacific Ocean. For this species, sexually distinct forage resources exist, so competition for food resources occurs predominately within sex. These results are consistent with the resource competition model for facultative adjustments of offspring sex ratio. Anthropogenic global warming is predicted to warm the North Pacific. This could result in altered basin-scale ocean productivity, increased nutritional stress, and an overabundance of males that may adversely affect this and other similarly regulated mammalian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New observations of oxygen variability in the North Pacific Ocean are reported on the basis of comparison of the U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability and Carbon (CLIVARICO[sub2]) Repeat Hydrography sections conducted along 30°N (2004) and 152°W (2006) with the earlier World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) data and other cruises along these sections. The largest changes in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) continue to occur, as found in earlier North Pacific repeat section analyses, within the thermocline on σ[subθ] = 26.6 kg m[sup-3], which is the densest isopycnal to outcrop in the open North Pacific in climatological data. In the northeastern North Pacific along 152°W, where a total of five cruises (1980, 1984, 1991, 1997, and 2006) spanning a period of 26 years are available, the AOU changes correspond to an overall increase in AOU on σ[subθ] = 26.6 kg m[sup-3] from the 1980s/early 1990s to 2006. However, from 1997 to 2006 a decrease in AOU is observed within the boundary region between the subtropical and subpolar gyres at 40°-45°N. Along the center axis of the subtropical gyre at 30°N, where two cruises are available (1994 and 2004), AOU has also substantially increased on = 26.6 kg m[sup-3] from 1994 to 2004 in the eastern part of the section. The repeat section data along 1 52°W and 30°N are consistent with a pattern of decadal-scale ventilation anomalies that originate in the northwestern Pacific, possibly through variability (including cessation) of the σ[subθ] = 26.6 kg m[sup-3] outcrop, travel eastward along the subtropical-subpolar gyre boundary, and enter the northern portion of the subtropical gyre along the way. For the 1 52°W AOU data within the gyre boundary region (40°-45°N), good agreement exists with the close-by time series data from Ocean Station P (50°N, 145°W) where a bidecadal cycle in AOU has been observed. In contrast, a sensible correlation with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation could not be found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of changes are occurring in the ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, but information about the mechanisms of change has been relatively limited, due in part to the region’s remoteness and subarctic conditions. Any number of ecosystem components or indicators could be used to exemplify this dilemma, but here we point to the salmon shark ( Lamna ditropis, Lamnidae) as an example of a species that can potentially mediate considerable ecosystem change due to its high trophic level, but for which some basic information is lacking despite attracting some interesting research and widespread rumours and anecdotal evidence of increased abundance. Increases in the abundance of sharks such as salmon sharks in this region during the 1990s, if true, may help explain other observed changes such as declines in ocean survival rates of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp., Salmonidae) in the region and declines in some wild salmon stocks. Mechanisms that could cause salmon shark increases in Alaskan coastal waters include: (i) increases in sea temperature since the 1970s allowing distributional shifts of this species and changes in the abundance or distribution of their prey; (ii) the 1992 banning of high seas drift gillnets; and (iii) indirect fisheries effects such as competitive release of salmon sharks in the North Pacific transition region and towards the more southern geographic extent of their annual migration as the result of fishery-related reductions in blue sharks ( Prionace glauca, Carcharhinidae) and other pelagic predators. The relative plausibility of these alternative explanations can be evaluated using combinations of existing ecosystem models and empirical research and monitoring programmes including local and indigenous observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  We have investigated interannual-scale variations of oceanic and atmospheric anomaly fields, such as upper ocean heat content (OHC), sea surface temperature (SST), latent heat flux (LHF) through the sea surface, sea level pressure (SLP) and wind stress curl (WSC) in the tropical Pacific and their relationships to El Ni�o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The results reported here show that the OHC and SST anomalies are almost in phase and lead LHF anomalies in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) region, which are preferable to the generation of subsequent atmospheric anomalies in the WTP. We also describe linear relationships between the amplitudes of these variables in the WTP. In addition, the results show that the both WSC and LHF anomalies are in phase with the temporal trend of OHC anomalies in the WTP, and suggest a combined effect of the local WSC and LHF anomaly in the WTP and ENSO-related, off-equatorial, westward propagating OHC anomaly to generate a large OHC anomaly in the WTP. In contrast to the WTP, OHC and SST anomalies are not in phase to the east of the WTP. The results also indicate that OHC anomalies in the WTP have a potential effect on the generation of an equatorial OHC anomaly via both a reflection of waves at the western boundary and atmospheric variations, which force the enhancement of western equatorial OHC anomaly. Therefore, the WTP is a key region where ENSO events are significantly modulated, and OHC anomalies in the WTP play an important role in the subsequent ENSO event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Following our previous study (Sugimoto and Hanawa, 2005b), we further investigate the reason why reemergence of winter sea surface temperature anomalies does not occur in the North Pacific eastern subtropical mode water (NPESTMW) area, despite its occurrence in the North Pacific subtropical mode water and North Pacific central mode water areas. We use vertical temperature and salinity profiles of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program and Argo floats with high vertical and temporal resolution, together with heat flux data through the sea surface. We point out first that one of the causes for non-occurrence of reemergence is that the thickness of NPESTMW is very thin. In addition to this basic cause, two major reasons are found: a vigorous mixing in the lower portion of NPESTMW and less heat input from the atmosphere in the warming season. Since, in the lower portion of NPESTMW and deeper, the stratification is favorable for salt-finger type convection to occur compared with the other mode water areas, vigorous mixing takes place. This is confirmed by both a large Turner Angle there and the existence of staircase structures in vertical temperature and salinity profiles. From the viewpoint of heat input, the NPESTMW area gradually gains heat in the warming season compared with other mode water areas. As a result, NPESTMW cannot be capped so quickly by the shallow summer mixed layer, and water properties of NPESTMW are to be gradually modified, even in the upper portion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical processes associated with the ∼70-yr period climate mode, known as the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), are examined. Based on analyses of observational data, a deterministic mechanism relying on atmosphere–ocean–sea ice interactions is proposed for the AMO. Variations in the thermohaline circulation are reflected as uniform sea surface temperature anomalies in the North Atlantic. These anomalies are associated with a hemispheric wavenumber-1 sea level pressure (SLP) structure in the atmosphere that is amplified through atmosphere–ocean interactions in the North Pacific. The SLP pattern and its associated wind field affect the sea ice export through Fram Strait, the freshwater balance in the northern North Atlantic, and consequently the strength of the large-scale ocean circulation. It generates sea surface temperature anomalies with opposite signs in the North Atlantic and completes a negative feedback. The authors find that the time scale of the cycle is associated with the thermohaline circulation adjustment to freshwater forcing, the SST response to it, the oceanic adjustment in the North Pacific, and the sea ice response to the wind forcing. Finally, it is argued that the Great Salinity Anomaly in the late 1960s and 1970s is part of AMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the contribution of tropical sea surface temperature (SST) forcing to the 1976/77 climate transition of the winter atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific using a combined observational and modeling approach. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmospheric Model version 3 (CAM3) simulates approximately 75% of the observed 4-hPa deepening of the wintertime Aleutian low from 1950–76 to 1977–2000 when forced with the observed evolution of tropical SSTs in a 10-member ensemble average. This response is driven by precipitation increases over the western half of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. In contrast, the NCAR Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3), the predecessor to CAM3, simulates no significant change in the strength of the Aleutian low when forced with the same tropical SSTs in a 12-member ensemble average. The lack of response in CCM3 is traced to an erroneously large precipitation increase over the tropical Indian Ocean whose dynamical impact is to weaken the Aleutian low; this, when combined with the response to rainfall increases over the western and central equatorial Pacific, results in near-zero net change in the strength of the Aleutian low. The observed distribution of tropical precipitation anomalies associated with the 1976/77 transition, estimated from a combination of direct measurements at land stations and indirect information from surface marine cloudiness and wind divergence fields, supports the models’ simulated rainfall increases over the western half of the Pacific but not the magnitude of CCM3’s rainfall increase over the Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the North Pacific, the wintertime sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA), which is represented by March (SSTAMar), when the upper-ocean mixed layer depth (hMar) reaches its maximum, is formed by the anomalous surface forcing from fall to winter (S′). As a parameter of volume, hMar has a potential to modify the impact of S′ on SSTAMar. Introducing an upper-ocean heat budget equation, the present study identifies the physical relationship among the spatial distributions of hMar, S′, and SSTAMar. The long-term mean of hMar adjusts the spatial distribution of SSTAMar. Without the adjustment, the impact of S′ on SSTAMar is overestimated where the hMar mean is deep. Since hMar is partially due to seawater temperature, it leads to nonlinearity between the S′ and the SSTAMar. When the SSTAMar is negative (positive), the sensitivity to S′ is impervious (responsive) with the deepening (shoaling) of the hMar compared to the linear sensitivity. The thermal impacts from the ocean to the atmosphere might be underestimated under the assumption of the linear relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrographic data from the World Ocean Database 2001 and Argo profiling floats were analyzed to study temperature inversions in the subarctic North Pacific Ocean. The frequency distribution of temperature inversions [F(t-inv)] at a resolution of 1° (latitude) × 3° (longitude) was calculated. Temperature inversions seldom occurred around 50°N in the eastern subarctic North Pacific but were more common in the northern Gulf of Alaska and the southeastern subarctic North Pacific (42°–48°N, 140°–170°W). Large temperature inversions occurred throughout the year in the western and central subarctic North Pacific (north of 42°N and west of 180°) except near the Aleutian and Kuril Islands. Near those islands, F(t-inv) was characterized by pronounced seasonal variations forced by surface heating/cooling and strong tidal mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As part of the research program Western Pacific Environment Study on CO2 Ocean Sequestration for Mitigation of Climate Change (WEST-COSMIC), plankton sampling was carried out down to great depths (maximum: 5800m) at four stations (44°N, 155°E; 39°N, 147°E; 30°N, 147°E and 25°N, 137°E) located in the western North Pacific Ocean. Ranges of plankton standing stock integrated over the water columns were wet mass (WM) 22–256gm-2, dry mass (DM) 1.3–27.4gm-2, carbon (C) 0.4–12.3gCm-2, nitrogen (N) 0.10–2.44gNm-2, ash (ash) 0.43–4.35gm-2, ash-free dry mass (AFDM) 0.9–21.8gm-2 and energy 20–582kJm-2. Log-linear equations were computed to allow interconversions among measurements in different mass units. Plankton mass was greater at higher latitudes. At each station, plankton mass decreased exponentially with increasing depth. This decrease was greater at subarctic (44°N) and subtropical (30°N and 25°N) stations than that at the transitional station (39°N) due to high amounts of diapausing copepods in meso- and bathypelagic depths at the latter station. Water content (% of WM), C:N ratios and ash (% of DM) increased with increasing depth, while C, N, AFDM (% of DM) and energy contents (Jmg-1 DM) showed an opposite pattern. Extremely low C (24–25% of DM), N (3.2–4.4% of DM), AFDM (48–56% of DM) and energy contents (10–12Jmg-1 DM), accompanied by high C:N ratios (5.7–8.0 by weight), of plankton samples from depths below 3000m suggest possible dominance of detritus in samples from that layer. The overall effect of detritus in measuring chemical composition of plankton samples is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]