On the observed relationship between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation

• Published in: Journal of Oceanography
• Main Authors: Wu, Shu, Liu, Zhengyu, Zhang, Rong, Delworth, Thomas L.
• Other Authors: Wu, S (reprint author), Univ Wisconsin, Ctr Climat Res, 1225 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53705 USA., Univ Wisconsin, Ctr Climat Res, Madison, WI 53705 USA., Univ Wisconsin, Dept Atmospher & Ocean Sci, Madison, WI 53705 USA., Peking Univ, Lab Climate, Dept Atmospher & Ocean Sci, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., NOAA, Geophys Fluid Dynam Lab, Princeton, NJ USA., Univ Wisconsin, Ctr Climat Res, 1225 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53705 USA.
• Format: Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Relationship; Pacific Decadal Oscillation; Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation; Monte Carlo test; Decadal prediction; SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURE; NORTH PACIFIC; SST ANOMALIES; CLIMATE OSCILLATION; SEASONAL DEPENDENCE; OCEAN VARIABILITY; TROPICAL PACIFIC; LEVEL PRESSURE; ENSO; TELECONNECTIONS; Pacific; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/241486; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-011-0003-x

We studied the relationship between the dominant patterns of sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. The patterns are known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO). In the analysis we used two different observational data sets for SST. Due to the high degree of serial correlation in the PDO and AMO time series, various tests were carried out to assess the significance of the correlations. The results demonstrated that the correlations are significant when the PDO leads the AMO by 1 year and when the AMO leads the PDO by 11-12 years. The possible physical processes involved are discussed, along with their potential implication for decadal prediction. Oceanography SCI(E) 7 ARTICLE 1 27-35 67