Time Series of the Eastern Pacific

Time Series of the Eastern Pacific
Name	Time Series of the Eastern Pacific
Region	Eastern Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	0°–60°N, 80°W–140°W
Type	Oceanographic time series
Main subjects	Sea surface temperature, salinity, currents, chlorophyll, sea level

Contents

Time Series of the Eastern Pacific provides long-term records of oceanographic variables in the eastern North and tropical Pacific that inform understanding of climate variability, ecosystem change, and socioeconomic impacts. These records are compiled from observations and reconstructions tied to institutions and programs that include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, PANGEA, and International Oceanographic Commission. Time series link physical drivers such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and North Pacific Gyre Oscillation to biological responses relevant to stakeholders like Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and regional management bodies.

Introduction

Time series in the eastern Pacific synthesize measurements from platforms and projects including ARGO, TAO/TRITON, Jason missions, SeaWiFS, and MODIS to resolve variability at seasonal to multidecadal scales. They support analyses by research centers such as Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and policy assessments by NOAA Fisheries, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and international commissions like Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. Time series facilitate attribution studies involving agencies like National Science Foundation and initiatives such as Global Ocean Observing System.

The eastern Pacific domain covers coastal upwelling zones off California, Baja California, and Peru, tropical regions near Galápagos Islands, and subtropical gyres influenced by currents like the California Current, Humboldt Current, and equatorial North Equatorial Current. Bathymetric features such as the East Pacific Rise and continental shelves shape nutrient dynamics observed in time series collected by institutes including Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Instituto del Mar del Perú. Teleconnection pathways link the eastern Pacific to basins monitored by programs like Argo and satellites from European Space Agency.

Primary datasets derive from moorings (e.g., TAO/TRITON), floats (Argo), research cruises by vessels such as RV Roger Revelle and RV Atlantis, satellites from NOAA, NASA, and ESA, and historical archives maintained by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. In situ sensors measure sea surface temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll with instruments developed at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, while paleoceanographic reconstructions use cores analyzed at institutions like Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and University of Oxford. Data stewardship and metadata standards follow guidelines from World Meteorological Organization, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and repositories such as PANGEA and Global Change Master Directory.

Analytical techniques applied to eastern Pacific time series include spectral analysis used in studies by NOAA, empirical orthogonal functions applied by researchers at WHOI, wavelet analysis used in publications from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and advanced statistical models developed at Columbia University and University of California, San Diego. Climate indices like ENSO, PDO, and Multivariate ENSO Index are derived using methods standardized by groups including International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Machine learning approaches implemented at Google DeepMind collaborators and universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University complement traditional time series models like ARIMA and state-space frameworks used by National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Time series reveal warming trends in sea surface temperature consistent with analyses by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, episodic cooling linked to strong La Niña events documented by NOAA and CSIRO, long-term shifts associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and changes in upwelling intensity documented off California and Peru by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Instituto del Mar del Perú. Other observed signals include sea level rise measured by Jason altimetry, acidification trends monitored by programs at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, and variability in primary productivity recorded by SeaWiFS and coastal time series maintained by University of Washington.

Major climate drivers affecting eastern Pacific time series include El Niño–Southern Oscillation phenomena that interact with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and atmospheric patterns like the Aleutian Low and North Pacific High. Teleconnections link the basin to remote regions via ridges and troughs studied by NOAA and NCAR, and influence weather extremes related to agencies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency and national meteorological services including Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Mexico). Research collaborations involving IPCC authors and centers like Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory elucidate mechanisms connecting tropical forcing to midlatitude responses.

Changes documented in eastern Pacific time series affect fisheries managed by Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, coastal communities from California to Peru, aquaculture sectors regulated by entities like Food and Agriculture Organization and national agencies such as NOAA Fisheries. Biological responses include shifts in distributions of species targeted by commercial fleets associated with organizations like Pacific Fishery Management Council and impacts on protected areas overseen by National Park Service and national ministries. Time series inform adaptation planning by World Bank, disaster preparedness by FEMA, and conservation programs led by The Nature Conservancy and regional NGOs.