(4)Studies on decadal scale oceanic variabilities, and
(5)International cooperation.
In the first session, the status and plan of buoy development at JAMSTEC were reported from the viewpoints of scientific background, new technological development and buoy array design. The principal scientific objective was to understand the detailed ocean circulation and heat transports while directing attention to ENSO, Asian Monsoon and decadal scale oceanic variabilities that influence climate change in the Pacific rim and the whole world.
In the second session, experts from Korea, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei, and Japan reported national and regional activities with emphasis on the ocean climate studies. A representative from the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) introduced past research activities in the South Pacific region. In the second and third sessions, we had very interesting observational studies on the Indian Ocean, the Indonesian archipelago, the South China Sea, and the western Tropical Pacific describing the oceanic variabilities. In particular, the oceanic changes associated with Monsoonal forcing in those regions were discussed.
There were several reports on studies using different types of simulation and assimilation models for predicting oceanic anomalies on seasonal, inter annual, and ENSO scales. Some reports emphasized utilizing not only surface wind data but also subsurface temperature data obtained by buoy arrays to improve the prediction capability.
In the fourth session, statistical studies showed the decadal scale variabilities of the SST and subsurface temperature fields in the Pacific Ocean. It was pointed out that the intermediate water may play on the important role in the decadal scale variability, and that further observational studies should be conducted in the formation area of the intermediate water mass in the North Pacific and its marginal seas.
In the fifth session, the international cooperation programs of GOOS and CLIVAR were introduced by their respective representatives. Participants recognized that the Pacific Ocean Buoy Network should have a high priority.
On the last day, a conference statement was adopted. In the statement, the participants noted that a major new challenge is to extend our capability to predict
