Equivocal evidence for a thermostat and unusually low levels of coral bleaching in the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Details Equivocal evidence for a thermostat and unusually low levels of coral bleaching in the Western Pacific Warm Pool Equivocal evidence for a thermostat and unusually low levels of coral bleaching in the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Mar 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009georl..3606705v&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 36, Issue 6, CiteID L06705

Physics

2

Biogeosciences: Remote Sensing, Global Change: Impacts Of Global Change (1225), Global Change: Regional Climate Change, Atmospheric Processes: Climate Change And Variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513), Oceanography: General: Coral Reef Systems (4916)

Scientific paper

An ocean ``thermostat'' was recently proposed that limits Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) sea surface temperature (SST) causing anomalously low coral bleaching rates. We analyze WPWP SST trends and bleaching using HadISST data and a coral bleaching database and find no strong evidence for a thermostat or for anomalously low bleaching. A region within the WPWP has a trend of maximum SST near zero, but this signal is not robust - by using different data or periods the signal disappears. We do find a negative correlation between the average warmest month for the years 1950-1969 (average SST max) and the linear trend of maximum monthly temperatures for the years 1950-2006 (linear trend SST max). However this correlation is not unique to the WPWP, it is also observed in a cooler region. Consequently it can not be explained by a thermostat. The observed sparsity of bleaching observations in the WPWP is not in agreement with estimated bleaching likelihood. The sparsity of observations is more likely due to the WPWP's remoteness.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Equivocal evidence for a thermostat and unusually low levels of coral bleaching in the Western Pacific Warm Pool does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Equivocal evidence for a thermostat and unusually low levels of coral bleaching in the Western Pacific Warm Pool, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Equivocal evidence for a thermostat and unusually low levels of coral bleaching in the Western Pacific Warm Pool will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-976788