Pacific Decadal Oscillation Indicator from Satellite Altimetry

This dataset provides a time series indicator for the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) derived from satellite radar altimeter observations. The indicator is calculated using cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions (CSEOFs) applied to gridded sea surface height anomalies from missions including TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason series, and Sentinel-6. It is produced and maintained by POCLOUD for NASA, with the file being updated to contain the most recent data.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term phase shifts of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation using the indicator time series.
• Correlating PDO indicator values with other climate phenomena like ENSO.
• Validating climate model simulations of Pacific basin decadal variability.
• Monitoring ongoing PDO state for seasonal to decadal climate forecasting.

Strengths

• Derived from a long-term, standardized record of satellite altimetry missions starting in 1993.
• Uses a peer-reviewed statistical method (CSEOFs) specifically designed to extract climate modes from cyclical data.
• The source file is explicitly noted as being updated to contain the most recent measurements.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file size are not provided by any source platform.
• Sources conflict on license information, with one specifying 'other-license-specified' and another listing 'None'.

Provenance

Source

POCLOUD for NASA, using data from the NASA-SSH Simple Gridded Sea Surface Height (REF SIMPLE GRID V1) dataset.

Collection Method

Indicator calculated by applying cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function (CSEOF) analysis to detrended, gridded sea surface height anomalies.

Time Range

Methodology developed using data from 1993 to 2019, with the time series extended to the present.

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:28:19.117278

Geography

Pacific Ocean region relevant to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.