Regular Article

The North Pacific High and wintertime pre-conditioning of California current productivity

  1. Isaac D. Schroeder1,*,
  2. Bryan A. Black2,
  3. William J. Sydeman3,
  4. Steven J. Bograd1,
  5. Elliott L. Hazen1,
  6. Jarrod A. Santora3,
  7. Brian K. Wells4

Article first published online: 14 FEB 2013

DOI: 10.1002/grl.50100

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume 40, Issue 3, pages 541–546, 16 February 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Schroeder, I. D., B. A. Black, W. J. Sydeman, S. J. Bograd, E. L. Hazen, J. A. Santora, and B. K. Wells (2013), The North Pacific High and wintertime pre-conditioning of California current productivity, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 541–546, doi:10.1002/grl.50100.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Environmental Research Division, SWFSC, NOAA, Pacific Grove, CA, USA

  2. 2

    Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX, USA

  3. 3

    Farallon Institute for Advanced Ecosystem Research, Petaluma, CA, USA

  4. 4

    Fisheries Ecology Division, SWFSC, NOAA, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

*Corresponding author: I. D. Schroeder, Environmental Research Division, SWFSC, NOAA, Pacific Grove, CA, USA. (isaac.schroeder@noaa.gov)

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 APR 2013
  2. Article first published online: 14 FEB 2013
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 4 JAN 2013 09:16PM EST
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 17 DEC 2012
  5. Manuscript Received: 15 DEC 2012

Funded by

  • National Science Foundation. Grant Number: 0929017

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Keywords:

  • upwelling;
  • wintertime;
  • biological productivity;
  • California Current;
  • North Pacific High

Abstract

[1] Variations in large-scale atmospheric forcing influence upwelling dynamics and ecosystem productivity in the California Current System (CCS). In this paper, we characterize interannual variability of the North Pacific High over 40 years and investigate how variation in its amplitude and position affect upwelling and biology. We develop a winter upwelling “pre-conditioning” index and demonstrate its utility to understanding biological processes. Variation in the winter NPH can be well described by its areal extent and maximum pressure, which in turn is predictive of winter upwelling. Our winter pre-conditioning index explained 64% of the variation in biological responses (fish and seabirds). Understanding characteristics of the NPH in winter is therefore critical to predicting biological responses in the CCS.

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