Project CLIVAR

Project CLIVAR
Name	Project CLIVAR
Acronym	CLIVAR
Established	1990s
Focus	Climate variability and predictability
Parent organization	World Climate Research Programme

Project CLIVAR Project CLIVAR is an international research program focusing on climate variability and predictability driven by ocean–atmosphere interactions and modes of variability. The program coordinates scientific efforts among agencies such as the World Meteorological Organization, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and research centers including Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Met Office, CSIRO and Max Planck Institute for Meteorology.

Overview

Project CLIVAR brings together researchers from institutions such as Princeton University, University of Reading, ETH Zurich, University of Tokyo, University of Cape Town and University of São Paulo to study climate phenomena like El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole and Southern Annular Mode. The program interfaces with modeling centers such as European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Hadley Centre, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, NCAR and Japan Meteorological Agency to coordinate experiments, observations and synthesis for assessment bodies including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional initiatives such as CLIVAR Atlantic Regional Panel and CLIVAR Pacific Panel.

History and development

CLIVAR was established during the 1990s as a core project of the World Climate Research Programme following predecessors like the TOGA program and WOCE, with planning involving stakeholders from International Oceanographic Commission, Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, UK Natural Environment Research Council and National Science Foundation. Early leadership included scientists affiliated with NOAA, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and CSIRO, and development was influenced by major field programs such as the 1997–98 El Niño campaign, the 1991–92 WOCE hydrographic program and coordinated model intercomparison projects like CMIP and AMIP. Over successive phases CLIVAR expanded panels, endorsed sustained observing networks such as TAO/TRITON array, Argo float program and GRACE satellite missions, and coordinated with policy-relevant assessments by groups linked to IPCC and regional bodies including IOC.

Scientific goals and research themes

CLIVAR’s primary goals include understanding mechanisms of climate variability across timescales, improving seasonal-to-decadal prediction, and quantifying changes in teleconnections and extreme events. Research themes span interactions among the Tropical Pacific, North Atlantic, Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean and Arctic Ocean basins, with emphasis on phenomena such as Madden–Julian Oscillation, Rossby waves, Kelvin waves, Atlantic Multidecadal Variability and coupled feedbacks involving sea ice extent, ocean heat content and stratosphere–troposphere coupling. Themes also address impacts on sectors represented by institutions like World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank and regional climate services such as Met Office Hadley Centre.

Observing systems and experiments

CLIVAR has coordinated observing systems including the TAO/TRITON array, PIRATA, RAMA, the global Argo array, and satellite missions such as TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, Jason-2, ICESat, SMOS and GRACE. Field experiments supported by CLIVAR collaborations include intensive campaigns linked to WHOI, MBARI, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Scripps research cruises, alongside model experiments run at ECMWF, GFDL, NCAR CCSM, HadGEM and MPI-ESM for coordinated comparisons analogous to CMIP5 and CMIP6. Observing system experiments and observing system simulation experiments have been performed with data assimilation systems at ECMWF, NOAA/NCEP and JMA.

Major findings and contributions

CLIVAR-supported research refined understanding of mechanisms behind El Niño–Southern Oscillation, clarified the role of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in regional climate, documented decadal variability such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and provided insights into predictability limits for seasonal-to-decadal forecasts. Contributions include improvements in ocean heat content estimates from Argo and satellite altimetry, enhanced process understanding of the Madden–Julian Oscillation and identification of teleconnection patterns affecting the Sahel and Australian rainfall regimes. These advances informed assessments by the IPCC and supported operational prediction systems at NOAA, Met Office and Japan Meteorological Agency.

International organization and collaborations

CLIVAR operated through panels and working groups that linked national programs including NOAA, NASA, European Space Agency, CSIRO, DFID, NSF and research centers such as Scripps, Lamont–Doherty, NCAR, ECMWF and Max Planck Institute. Collaborations extended to regional bodies like IOC, CEOS, WMO Regional Association offices and partnerships with initiatives such as GEWEX, SOLAS, SPARC and GLOSS. Governance included scientific steering committees with representatives from universities including Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, University of Tokyo and agencies such as NOAA and Met Office.

Data management and legacy projects

CLIVAR promoted data sharing through archives and portals at institutions such as NOAA/NCEI, World Data Center for Climate, EMODnet, PANGAEA and national repositories maintained by ECMWF, NASA, JPL and CSIR. Legacy projects include synthesis datasets combining ARGO profiles, satellite altimetry records from TOPEX/Jason series, reanalysis products from ERA-Interim and ERA5, and coordinated model ensembles used in CMIP6 and IPCC AR6 investigations. CLIVAR’s coordination fostered long-term observing commitments and open-data practices adopted by agencies like NOAA, NASA and ESA that continue to support climate science and services.

Category:Climate research programs