Climate and the Pacific

Technocrat

Climate and the Pacific

zogger

Thu May 01 21:27:32 -0700 2008

Environment.

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There's more data now for the climate modelers with the release of a new study that outlines the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation. This correlates existing data with information on plankton, salinity, etc into a cycle that makes it easier to predict how changes will effect future conditions in the North Pacific.

..""Although the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation is part of a natural cycle of the climate system, we find evidence suggesting that its amplitude may increase as global warming progresses,” said Di Lorenzo."

Abstract only for the paper: "North Pacific Gyre Oscillation links ocean climate and ecosystem change"

Further study NPGO site

ed.z.: Always a good idea to know in advance where the food is going to be...

Climate and the Pacific

Spider

Sat May 03 00:49:21 -0700 2008
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This is probably important work considering fish stocks are dwindling world-wide. I wonder if information obtained by the study of the NPGO will be of assistance in the better understanding of the effects of La Nina and El Nino systems on the ecosystem of the Northern Pacific Ocean especially fish stocks.

Reported in the Daily Mail on the 30 April 2008 a study by Dr Noel Keenlyside, of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences in Germany, predicts that the temperature of the North Atlantic around Europe and North America will cool slightly because of a weaker Meridional Overturning Circulation, the "giant" conveyor belt of warm water from the south. This circulation weakens and then grows stronger every 80 years or so. When the circulation is strong temperatures are warmer. A "new model" of the circulation suggests that it will weaken over the next 10 years leading to cooler temperatures. It is reported in the journal Nature Today the scientist stated that "our results suggest that global surface temperature may not increase over the next decade". Dr Richard Wood of the Meteorological Office Hadley Centre (UK), said "such a cooling could temporarily offset the longterm warming from greenhouse gases".

Will the Northen Pacific warm and the North Atlantic cool ? That is the question. Can a NPGO study be applied to the North Atlantic? Interesting stuff.