RECENT ADVANCES IN MARINE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY, pp. 139-150

The Hawaii Ocean Time-series Program: Resolving Variability in the North Pacific

C.D. Winn, R. Lukas, D. Hebel, C. Carrillo, R. Letelier, and D.M. Karl

University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

Time-series measurements of biological, chemical and physical parameters in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre have been made on a regular basis since October 1988. These observations now comprise one of the longest sets of time-series measurements in the central Pacific Ocean, and are the only time-series observations available for a variety of parameters in this ocean basin. The time-series observation program has provided a unique view of the extent of variability in the central Pacific, and has begun to improve our knowledge of the dynamics which take place there. The understanding which is emerging from the time-series dataset will be useful for interpreting the historical oceanographic database within the context of future environmental change.