Identification

Title

Contributions of interdecadal Pacific oscillation and Atlantic multidecadal oscillation to global ocean heat content distribution

Abstract

Regional sea surface temperature (SST) mode variabilities, especially the La Nina-like Pacific Ocean temperature pattern known as the negative phase of the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) and the associated heat redistribution within the ocean, are the leading mechanisms explaining the recent global warming hiatus. Here version 1 of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) is used to examine how different phases of two leading decadal time scale SST modes, namely the IPO and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), contribute to heat redistribution in the global ocean in the absence of time-evolving external forcings. The results show that both the IPO and AMO contribute a similar magnitude to global mean surface temperature and ocean heat redistribution. Both modes contribute warmer surface temperature and higher upper ocean heat content in their positive phase, and the reverse in their negative phase. Regionally, patterns of ocean heat distribution in the upper few hundred meters of the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean depend highly on the IPO phase via the IPO-associated changes in the subtropical cell. In the Atlantic, ocean heat content is primarily associated with the state of the AMO. The interconnections between the IPO, AMO, and global ocean heat distribution are established through the atmospheric bridge and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. An in-phase variant of the IPO and AMO can lead to much higher surface temperatures and heat content changes than an out-of-phase variation. This result suggests that changes in the IPO and AMO are potentially capable of modulating externally forced SST and heat content trends.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7wh2sn5

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact