To improve atmospheric and oceanographic monitoring, a new type of autonomous marine vehicle, the Saildrone, has been developed and deployed in over 40 cruises from which data are publicly available. Coupled with data from other sources such as satellites, Saildrone measurements could be useful for future algorithm and numerical model improvements, particularly at the fine spatial scale and in complex and previously data-sparse ocean regions.
New research illustrates that the key to recognizing the influence of the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio Extension on the seasonal mean and longer-term climate is through a proper understanding of how the ocean influences atmospheric fronts.
In two papers, Jin and coauthors investigated how decadal variations of subsurface ocean heat content (50–300 m) in the Indian Ocean respond to conditions in the Pacific region.
A coupling in Pacific dynamics has been increasing in observational records between 1950–2017, leading to more frequent occurrences of multi-year warm events like the marine heatwave of 2014–15
Researchers found that atmospheric rivers that impact the West Coast contain more tropical moisture than average, indicating that long-distance transport of tropical moisture does occur.
ENSO experienced a regime shift in the late 1970s, after which events become stronger and less frequent. Researchers now conclude that the regime shift did not occur by chance but was due to a “real” change in the ENSO system.
Research shows that SST may explain a significantly smaller percentage of the variance in tropical cyclone intensification in the Atlantic as compared to the western North Pacific and eastern-central Pacific.
New research confirms that links between warm and cool years in the California Current System and El Niño are important but imperfect.
Researchers have developed a state-of-the-art drought and wildfire prediction system, showing the multi-year predictive skills of drought and wildfire conditions beyond the typical timescale of seasonal climate forecast models.
Approximately seven years of daily-averaged autonomous CO2 observations from NOAA’s Kuroshio Extension Observatory surface mooring were used to close the mixed-layer carbon budget, finding high rates of net community production during the spring bloom period.
Funding for US CLIVAR provided by
