Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

The Global 3-Dimensional Structure of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Atmospheric Sciences.

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is a dominant mode of decadal variability in the global climate system. Decadal variability is important in terms of global warming projections as it can mix with human-induced climate change signals. Therefore, getting a better description and understanding of decadal variability can help to separate human-induced signals from natural variability. Most of the previous studies of PDO focused on its two-dimensional structure at the surface. This study examines the global three-dimensional structure of the PDO using 62 years (1948-2009) of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The warm phase of the PDO is characterized by tropospheric warming around the world, especially between 30°N and 90°S. There is high pressure anomaly throughout the troposphere in the tropics and midlatitudes, but low pressure anomaly in the two polar regions, leading to enhanced polar jet streams in both hemispheres. The Hadley circulation, Ferrel circulation and polar circulation are all intensified. The Walker circulation, on the other hand, is weakened. The wintertime polar vortex is intensified from the surface all the way up to 10mb in the northern hemisphere, but only up to 100mb in the southern hemisphere.

Most of the previous studies of PDO focused on its extreme phases (i.e. the warm phase and cold phase), but not the transition phases in between. This study further examines the transition phases of the PDO using the 62 year dataset. The cold to warm transition phase of the PDO is characterized by a cold SST anomaly in the North Atlantic subtropics, which is associated with a significantly high SLP anomaly and weakened precipitation.

Jialin Lin, PhD (Advisor)
Jay S Hobgood (Committee Member)
Jeffrey C Rogers (Committee Member)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fraza, E. (2010). The Global 3-Dimensional Structure of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281395658

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fraza, Erik. The Global 3-Dimensional Structure of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. 2010. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281395658.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fraza, Erik. "The Global 3-Dimensional Structure of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1281395658

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)