New World Origins of Southwest Pacific Gesneriaceae: Multiple Movements Across and Within the South Pacific

Abstract The South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) is the largest rainfall feature in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a critical component of the climate for South Pacific island nations and territories. The small size and isolated nature of these islands leaves them vulnerable to short- and long-term changes in the position of the SPCZ. Its position and strength is strongly modulated by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), leading to large interannual variability in rainfall across the southwest Pacific including seasonal droughts and pluvials. Currently much of the analysis about SPCZ activity has been restricted to the satellite observation period starting in 1979. Here, the representation of the SPCZ in the Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR), which is a three-dimensional atmospheric reconstruction based only on surface observations, is discussed for the period since 1908. The performance of two versions of the 20CR (version 2 and version 2c) in the satellite era is compared with other reanalyses and climate observation products. The 20CR performs well in the satellite era. Extra surface observations spanning the SPCZ region from the longitude of the Cook Islands has improved the representation of the SPCZ during 1908–57 between 20CRv2 and 20CRv2c. The well-established relationship with ENSO is observed in both the representation of mean SPCZ position and intensity, and this relationship remains consistent through the entire 1908–2011 period. This suggests that the ENSO–SPCZ relationship has remained similar over the course of the past century, and gives further evidence that 20CRv2c performs well back to 1908 over the southwest Pacific region.

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The South Pacific Convergence Zone as Depicted in Reanalysis and Satellite Products

10.26686/wgtn.17134160.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Harvey Thomas Luke

Keyword(s):

Twentieth Century ◽

Southern Oscillation ◽

South Pacific ◽

South Pacific Convergence Zone ◽

Past Century ◽

Enso Cycle ◽

Convergence Zone ◽

The South ◽

Southwest Pacific ◽

Extended Analysis

<p>The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) is the largest rainfall feature in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a critical component of the climate of Southwest Pacific Island nations. The small size and isolated nature of these islands leaves them vulnerable to short and long term changes in the position of the SPCZ. Its location and strength is strongly modulated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), leading to large inter-annual and decadal variability in rainfall across the Southwest Pacific. Much of the analysis on the SPCZ has been restricted to the modern period, more specifically the “satellite era”, starting in 1979. Here, the representation of the SPCZ in the Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) product, which reconstructs the three-dimensional state of the atmosphere based only on surface observations is discussed. The performance of two versions of the 20CR (versions 2 and 2c) in the satellite era is tested via inter-comparison with other reanalysis and observational satellite products, before using 20CR version 2c (20CRv2c) to perform extended analysis back to the early twentieth century. This study demonstrates that 20CR performs well in the satellite era, and is considered suitable for extended analysis. It is established that extra data added in the SPCZ region between 20CR versions 2 and 2c has improved the representation of the SPCZ during 1908-1958. Well-established relationships between ENSO and the IPO with the SPCZ are shown to be present through the entire 1908-2011 period, although it is suggested that the physical link between the IPO and the SPCZ has changed between the first and second half of the twentieth century. Finally, evidence of a southward trend of the SPCZ over the past century is presented, potentially due to an expansion of the tropics as a result of climate change.</p>

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The South Pacific Convergence Zone as Depicted in Reanalysis and Satellite Products

10.26686/wgtn.17134160 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Harvey Thomas Luke

Keyword(s):

Twentieth Century ◽

Southern Oscillation ◽

South Pacific ◽

South Pacific Convergence Zone ◽

Past Century ◽

Enso Cycle ◽

Convergence Zone ◽

The South ◽

Southwest Pacific ◽

Extended Analysis

<p>The South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) is the largest rainfall feature in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a critical component of the climate of Southwest Pacific Island nations. The small size and isolated nature of these islands leaves them vulnerable to short and long term changes in the position of the SPCZ. Its location and strength is strongly modulated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), leading to large inter-annual and decadal variability in rainfall across the Southwest Pacific. Much of the analysis on the SPCZ has been restricted to the modern period, more specifically the “satellite era”, starting in 1979. Here, the representation of the SPCZ in the Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) product, which reconstructs the three-dimensional state of the atmosphere based only on surface observations is discussed. The performance of two versions of the 20CR (versions 2 and 2c) in the satellite era is tested via inter-comparison with other reanalysis and observational satellite products, before using 20CR version 2c (20CRv2c) to perform extended analysis back to the early twentieth century. This study demonstrates that 20CR performs well in the satellite era, and is considered suitable for extended analysis. It is established that extra data added in the SPCZ region between 20CR versions 2 and 2c has improved the representation of the SPCZ during 1908-1958. Well-established relationships between ENSO and the IPO with the SPCZ are shown to be present through the entire 1908-2011 period, although it is suggested that the physical link between the IPO and the SPCZ has changed between the first and second half of the twentieth century. Finally, evidence of a southward trend of the SPCZ over the past century is presented, potentially due to an expansion of the tropics as a result of climate change.</p>

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Tracing Southwest Pacific Bottom Water Using Potential Vorticity and Helium-3

Journal of Physical Oceanography ◽

10.1175/jpo-d-12-019.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (12) ◽

pp. 2153-2168 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Stephanie M. Downes ◽

Robert M. Key ◽

Alejandro H. Orsi ◽

Kevin G. Speer ◽

James H. Swift

Keyword(s):

Potential Vorticity ◽

Hydrothermal Vents ◽

Bottom Water ◽

Drake Passage ◽

South Pacific ◽

The South ◽

Southwest Pacific ◽

The Pacific ◽

Circumpolar Current ◽

The Antarctic

Abstract This study uses potential vorticity and other tracers to identify the pathways of the densest form of Circumpolar Deep Water in the South Pacific, termed “Southwest Pacific Bottom Water” (SPBW), along the 28.2 kg m−3 surface. This study focuses on the potential vorticity signals associated with three major dynamical processes occurring in the vicinity of the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge: 1) the strong flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), 2) lateral eddy stirring, and 3) heat and stratification changes in bottom waters induced by hydrothermal vents. These processes result in southward and downstream advection of low potential vorticity along rising isopycnal surfaces. Using δ3He released from the hydrothermal vents, the influence of volcanic activity on the SPBW may be traced across the South Pacific along the path of the ACC to Drake Passage. SPBW also flows within the southern limb of the Ross Gyre, reaching the Antarctic Slope in places and contributes via entrainment to the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water. Finally, it is shown that the magnitude and location of the potential vorticity signals associated with SPBW have endured over at least the last two decades, and that they are unique to the South Pacific sector.

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Evidence for transoceanic migrations by loggerhead sea turtles in the southern Pacific Ocean

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2008.1931 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 276 (1664) ◽

pp. 1993-1999 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

M.C. Boyle ◽

N.N. FitzSimmons ◽

C.J. Limpus ◽

S. Kelez ◽

X. Velez-Zuazo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

South Pacific ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

The South ◽

Southwest Pacific ◽

Juvenile Mortality ◽

South Pacific Ocean ◽

Southeastern Pacific ◽

Haplotype Frequencies ◽

Loggerhead Turtles

Post-hatchling loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta ) in the northern Pacific and northern Atlantic Oceans undertake transoceanic developmental migrations. Similar migratory behaviour is hypothesized in the South Pacific Ocean as post-hatchling loggerhead turtles are observed in Peruvian fisheries, yet no loggerhead rookeries occur along the coast of South America. This hypothesis was supported by analyses of the size-class distribution of 123 post-hatchling turtles in the South Pacific and genetic analysis of mtDNA haplotypes of 103 nesting females in the southwest Pacific, 19 post-hatchlings stranded on the southeastern Australian beaches and 22 post-hatchlings caught by Peruvian longline fisheries. Only two haplotypes (CCP1 93% and CCP5 7%) were observed across all samples, and there were no significant differences in haplotype frequencies between the southwest Pacific rookeries and the post-hatchlings. By contrast, the predominant CCP1 haplotype is rarely observed in North Pacific rookeries and haplotype frequencies were strongly differentiated between the two regions ( F st =0.82; p =<0.00001). These results suggest that post-hatchling loggerhead turtles emerging from the southwest Pacific rookeries are undertaking transoceanic migrations to the southeastern Pacific Ocean, thus emphasizing the need for a broader focus on juvenile mortality throughout the South Pacific to develop effective conservation strategies.

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Tradition versus Democracy in the South Pacific

10.1017/cbo9780511470165 ◽

1996 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Stephanie Lawson

Keyword(s):

South Pacific ◽

The South

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Culture and leadership: Project GLOBE in the South Pacific

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e518422013-044 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Anthony R. Paquin ◽

Reinout E. de Vries ◽

Raghuvar D. Pathak ◽

Rafia Naz

Keyword(s):

South Pacific ◽

The South

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Tourism Development in the South Pacific: The Cases of Nauru and Tuvalu

The Journal of Pacific Studies ◽

10.33318/10.33318/jpacs.2019.39(1)-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nick Towner ◽

Semisi Taumoepeau

Keyword(s):

Swot Analysis ◽

Tourism Development ◽

Geographic Location ◽

South Pacific ◽

The South ◽

South Pacific Ocean ◽

Economic Survival ◽

Processing Centre ◽

Remote Island ◽

The Impact

Abstract Tuvalu and Nauru are isolated developing island nations located in the South Pacific Ocean. In contrast to the established larger Pacific destinations such as Fiji and Tahiti, the tourism industries on both Tuvalu and Nauru are in their infancy. Tourism development in these remote island nations faces a myriad of challenges which include a lack of infrastructure, environmental susceptibility, economic vulnerability, difficulties with access and considerable distances from major tourist markets. This paper reviews tourism on Tuvalu and Nauru and evaluates their current situation regarding potential tourism development through workshops with relevant stakeholders, surveys and subsequent SWOT analysis. The results of the paper outlined a large number of challenges faced by Tuvalu and Nauru due to their geographic location but also highlighted that both Islands possess fascinating and unique features that have the potential to attract niche tourism markets. A key finding of this paper is that the tourism stimulus or potential attraction can also be the chief threat to the islands’ economic survival hence the two edges of the sword. Further research is required to assess the effect of the withdrawal of the Refugee Processing Centre on Nauru’s economy and to evaluate the impact of climate change on Tuvalu’s society and potential adaption strategies.

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