Atmospheric Forcing Index for North Pacific Climate Analysis

The Atmospheric Forcing Index (AFI) is a climate index derived from a principal components analysis of the Aleutian Low Pressure Index, Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation Index, and northwesterly atmospheric circulation anomalies. It provides standardized scores representing the intensity of Aleutian lows and associated wind and sea surface temperature patterns in the North Pacific from December through March. The dataset is provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and includes CSV and JPG file formats.

Use Cases

• Analyze correlations between the AFI standardized scores and sea surface temperature warming in North American coastal waters.
• Model the relationship between the AFI and the frequency of westerly and southwesterly wind anomalies over the North Pacific.
• Investigate long-term climate variability by examining the AFI's principal components derived from the Aleutian Low Pressure Index and Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation Index.

Strengths

• Derived from established climate indices including the Aleutian Low Pressure Index and Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation Index.
• Focuses on the climatically significant December through March period for the North Pacific region.
• Provides a synthesized metric (AFI) representing multiple atmospheric and oceanic forcing variables.

Limitations

• Specific data volume, row count, and column details are unknown, limiting assessment of analytical scope.
• Temporal coverage and update frequency for the index values are not specified in the provided input.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Collection Method

Derived from principal components analysis on the Aleutian Low Pressure Index, Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation Index, and northwesterly atmospheric circulation anomalies.

Time Range

Covers the December through March period annually; specific year range is null.

Freshness

Metadata was last updated on 2026-03-24.

Geography

North Pacific region, with specific focus on Aleutian Low and North American coastal waters.