Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What on Earth is the IPO?
TL;DR
• The IPO is a multi-decadal pressure pattern that influences weather
• It varies over long timescales
• It may have played a role in the so-called global warming “hiatus”
The IPO is a complex climate pattern that involves interactions between the atmosphere and ocean, similar to ENSO, but less well understood. It's also related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which occurs over a different part of the Pacific Ocean.
But how is it related to climate change? Can it explain the global 'pause' in warming? Is it even a thing???
... watch on to find out.
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If you like these videos and would like to help me make more of them, please consider supporting me on Patreon: patreon.com/Dr_Gilbz
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References and further reading
Henley et al. (2017) ESL iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5cc8 (open access)
Andrew Watkins & Karl Braganza, 2012 article - theconversation.com/decade-to-decade-changes-in-our-climate-whats-really-going-on-7226 (article)
Benjamin Henley et al., 2017 article - theconversation.com/meet-el-ninos-cranky-uncle-that-could-send-global-warming-into-hyperdrive-72360 (article)
Hua et al. (2018) agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1029/2018GL079033 (open access)
Meehl et al. (2016) Nature Comms nature.com/articles/ncomms11718 (open access)
Newman et al. (2016) J. Clim. journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/29/12/jcli-d-15-0508.1.xml (open access)
Dong & Dai (2015) J. Clim. Dyn. https://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/adai/papers/DongDai-CD2015-IPO.pdf (open access)
Mann et al., (2020) Nature nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13823-w
Meehl et al. (2013) J. Clim. journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/26/18/jcli-d-12-00548.1.xml (open access)
Roz Pidcock, 2013 article ttps://carbonbrief.org/new-study-pacific-ocean-holds-the-key-to-surface-warming-hiatus (article)
Verdon & Franks (2006) Long‐term behaviour of ENSO: Interactions with the PDO over the past 400 years inferred from paleoclimate records agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2005GL025052
What on Earth is the IPO?
TL;DR
• The IPO is a multi-decadal pressure pattern that influences weather
• It varies over long timescales
• It may have played a role in the so-called global warming “hiatus”
The IPO is a complex climate pattern that involves interactions between the atmosphere and ocean, similar to ENSO, but less well understood. It's also related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which occurs over a different part of the Pacific Ocean.
But how is it related to climate change? Can it explain the global 'pause' in warming? Is it even a thing???
... watch on to find out.
=============================================================
If you like these videos and would like to help me make more of them, please consider supporting me on Patreon: patreon.com/Dr_Gilbz
=============================================================
References and further reading
Henley et al. (2017) ESL iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5cc8 (open access)
Andrew Watkins & Karl Braganza, 2012 article - theconversation.com/decade-to-decade-changes-in-our-climate-whats-really-going-on-7226 (article)
Benjamin Henley et al., 2017 article - theconversation.com/meet-el-ninos-cranky-uncle-that-could-send-global-warming-into-hyperdrive-72360 (article)
Hua et al. (2018) agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1029/2018GL079033 (open access)
Meehl et al. (2016) Nature Comms nature.com/articles/ncomms11718 (open access)
Newman et al. (2016) J. Clim. journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/29/12/jcli-d-15-0508.1.xml (open access)
Dong & Dai (2015) J. Clim. Dyn. https://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/adai/papers/DongDai-CD2015-IPO.pdf (open access)
Mann et al., (2020) Nature nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13823-w
Meehl et al. (2013) J. Clim. journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/26/18/jcli-d-12-00548.1.xml (open access)
Roz Pidcock, 2013 article ttps://carbonbrief.org/new-study-pacific-ocean-holds-the-key-to-surface-warming-hiatus (article)
Verdon & Franks (2006) Long‐term behaviour of ENSO: Interactions with the PDO over the past 400 years inferred from paleoclimate records agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2005GL025052
