Description
The Climate Variability and Predictability (CVP) program seeks to observe, model
and understand patterns of climate variability on intra-seasonal and longer time scales
and to assess predictability of such climate variability. The ultimate goal of the
program is to develop skilful predictions of climate variability and change on
intra-seasonal to multi-decadal time scales and regional spatial scales for optimal
use in resource planning and policy decision making. The program is designed to
understand global climate variability; to determine the spatial and temporal extent
to which this variability is predictable; to develop the observational, theoretical,
and computational means to predict variability; and to make enhanced predictions,
where feasible.
NOAA's CVP
research focuses on large-scale recurrent patterns of variability
that influence climate on the regional scale, particularly over the U.S. Among
these patterns are the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific
Decadal Variability (PDV), Tropical Atlantic Variability (TAV) and the North
Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). With the recent expansion of the TAO/TRITON array
(Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Project) into the Indian Ocean, the NOAA
CVP program
in FY 2006 will consider a few exploratory activities on the role of the
Indo-Pacific warm pool on U.S. climate variability and predictability.
High priority research topics in FY 2006 include the following:
Describing, modeling and predicting patterns of climate variability
and their teleconnections, including their role in influencing the likelihood
and occurrence of extreme events
Comparing and synthesizing of models and observations to develop the
capability to assess the status of decadal climate variability in the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans
Identifying sources of, and mechanisms that determine, predictability
in the coupled ocean-atmosphere-land climate system
NOAA's CVP program contributes to U.S. and International Climate Variability
and Predictability (CLIVAR) research.
CLIVAR Project Offices
U.S. CLIVAR: http://www.usclivar.org/
International CLIVAR: http://www.clivar.org/