Role of equatorial Pacific variability in the Earth System dynamics

• Grant number: 21/11035-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: August 15, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Leite da Silva Dias
• Grantee: Gabriel Marques Pontes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/24946-9 - Sea-level changes and Global Monsoon System: clues from marine cores in Brazil, AP.PFPMCG.TEM

Abstract

Geological records indicate that abrupt climate changes have occurred repeatedly during Earth's history. Usually, small changes in external forcing results in large changes in Earth's climate, such as those from orbital and solar energy changes that led to glacial-interglacial cycles. Thus, there might have elements in the Earth System that amplify the initial small perturbation to generate such massive change in the climate system. These elements, one of which the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, have been hypothesized to oscillate between states and their abrupt transition associated with the crossing of tipping points. During times of accelerated warming due to human-emitted greenhouse gases, studies on tipping points of the Earth System have gained the attention of the scientific community and policymakers. Any abrupt change might result in large ecosystem losses. Improved understanding of the dynamics of the Earth System in terms of abrupt climate change will increase the lead time for mitigation and adaption. This way, the current project aims at understanding what the role of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, which is sourced in the world's largest ocean with global impacts, in abrupt climate change is.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PONTES, GABRIEL M.; TASCHETTO, ANDREA S.; SEN GUPTA, ALEX; SANTOSO, AGUS; WAINER, ILANA; HAYWOOD, ALAN M.; CHAN, WING-LE; ABE-OUCHI, AYAKO; STEPANEK, CHRISTIAN; LOHMANN, GERRIT; et al. Mid-Pliocene El Nino/Southern Oscillation suppressed by Pacific intertropical convergence zone shift. NATURE GEOSCIENCE, v. 15, n. 9, p. 22-pg., 2022-08-11. (16/23670-0, 21/11035-6)