ESRL/PSD Seminar Series
Slow climate variability in South America: relationship with heat sources
Dr. Pedro L. Silva Dias
National Laboratory for Scientific Computing Petropolis - Brazil
Climate in South America shows significant decadal or multi-decadal variability. The interannual variability is also modulated by the decadal or longer time scales. Streamflow data shows marked indication of a dipole like structure in the Amazon Basin. The Plata Basin also shows significant signal, particularly in the Parana River where more the 100 years of data is available. There is an evident correlation with the Pacific Decadal Mode but there are also indications of connections with the Atlantic Ocean variability not clearly connected to the Pacific forcing. Although some climate models show significant energy in the decadal or longer time scales, in general these models significantly underestimate the power in the slow variability. The final part of the seminar deals with a mathematical analysis of possible causes of the lack of power in the decadal scale in climate models.
Wednesday, Sep 7 2011
SECURITY: If you are coming from outside the NOAA campus, you must stop at the Visitor Center to obtain a vistor badge. Please allow 10 extra minutes for this procedure. If you are a foreign national coming from outside the NOAA campus, please contact Barbara Herrli (303-497-3876) for information on access requirements.