Proposal to CLIVARShoshiro Minobe (Hokkaido University, Japan)Emanuele Di Lorenzo (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)Mike Foreman (Institute of Ocean Science, Canada)Toshio Suga (Tohoku University, Japan, former CLIVAR Pacific Panel member)Hiroaki Saito (Tohoku National Fishery Research Institute, Japan, former IMBER SSC member)Hiroshi Ogawa (Tokyo University, Japan, IMBER SSC member)

Co-chairs of PICES WG “North Pacific Climate Variability and Change”

CLIVAR is a very successful project for physical climate. But for better and integrated climate/ocean sciences, three gaps should be narrowed for the era of next CLIVAR.

PICES is a multidisciplinary marine science organization run by six countries around the North Pacific .

Region gapCLIVAR is tropics oriented (most of

CLIVAR endorsed projects are in 30S-30N) reflecting strong air-sea interaction there, but mid-latitudes is important in marine ecosystems & biogeochemical cycles. Air-sea CO2 fluxes

Net Primary Production (1997-2003)

Ocean absorption emission.

Activity of PICES covers north of 30N.

Takahashi et al. (2009 DSR-II)NASA

Physical-process gapPhysical processes important in marine

ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles may not be important in physical climate.

These processes involves jets, striation, ventilation, water mass formation, meso-scale eddies, sub-mesocale phenomena, oceanic fronts, wave breakings etc.

Ocean acidification is brought by coastal upwelling to the surface.

Ocean deoxygenation is partly due to weakened ventilation & water mass formation.

Oxygen concentration at Station Papa in the North Pacific 26.5, 26.7, 26.9, 27.0

Expected ocean oligotrophication may involve meso-scale & submeso-scale phenomena. Falkowsky et al. (2011 EOS) Feely et al. (2008 Science) Resplandy et al. (2009 GBC)

Interesting GapThe current frontier & imperatives and the

endorsed projects gives an impression that CLIVAR is not interested in physical studies that contribute to marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. But importance of these fields are rapidly increasing, as well as interests of physical ocean/climate researchers.

Indeed, there are number of multidisciplinary projects in Japan, China, Korea, US, etc. for the North Pacific.

No. of paper per year for ocean acidification

Concept of Japanese INBOX (Integrated physical-biogeochemical ocean observation exp.) project

Proposal to CLIVARFor better marine/climate sciences,

international coordination are needed for physical studies that contribute to marine ecosystems & biogeochemical cycles.

We would like to suggest CLIVAR may address physical studies relating to these fields probably with a smaller weight than air-sea interaction and physical climate but in a more visible way than that today, so that PIs and governments may consider to communicate with CLIVAR for these studies.

We believe that PICES can collaborate with CLIVAR and CLIVAR Pacific Panel for integrating marine and climate sciences over the North Pacific.