Atlantic-Pacific interactions and implications for Central American hydroclimate variability

Abstract:

Tropical interbasin gradients are increasingly recognized as key drivers of regional hydroclimate variability. In this talk, we advance the hypothesis that long-term fluctuations in Central American hydroclimate, recorded by a variety of proxy indicators of past hydroclimate, are driven by the gradient of temperature between the tropical Atlantic and the Pacific. We show that while models reproduce the correct pattern of hydroclimate on land, the relative importance of Pacific vs. Atlantic variability in driving differs across models, with direct implications for future climate projections. We conclude by using examples of paleoclimatic time intervals to identify potential sources of model spread in tropical Atlantic dynamics, with implications for interbasin interactions.