Pacific decadal variability associated with trade wind forcing: Evidence from tide gauge records

Decadal variations in the strength of Pacific trade winds impart a distinctive regional sea level pattern in the Indo-Pacific region. Long tide gauge records are used to investigate decadal fluctuations in this pattern, and by inference trade wind forcing. The trade wind variations closely align with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index since the 1950s, but differ considerably from the index in the early part of the century, suggesting a possible decoupling of tropical and extratropical forcing and/or sampling issues involved in the construction of the index. The tide gauge records highlight the relatively high amplitude of recent multidecadal shifts in trade wind strength. We consider whether these trade wind variations may account for a north-south sea level trend difference detected in the satellite altimeter record.