International Pacific Research Center | People

Niklas Schneider

Director
Chair and Professor of Oceanography

International Pacific Research Center
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

Phone: (808) 956-8383
Fax: (808) 956-9425
Email:

Education

1992 - Ph.D. (Oceanography) University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
1983 - Vordiplom (B.S. equivalent) (Oceanography), Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany

Research Interests

Decadal climate variability
Tropical air-sea interaction
Coupled modeling

Professional Experience

Director, IPRC, June 2019 – present
Chair, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology, Department of Oceanography, July 2017 – present.
Professor of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology, International Pacific Research Center and Department of Oceanography, August 2013 – present.
Associate Professor of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology, International Pacific Research Center and Department of Oceanography, October 2002 – July 2013.
Associate Research Oceanographer, University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Climate Research Division, July 2001 – present.
Assistant Research Oceanographer, University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Climate Research Division, July 1995 – June 2001.
Visiting Scientist, Max-Planck-Institute of Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany, September 1997.
Postgraduate Research Oceanographer, University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Climate Research Division, May 1992 – June 1995.

Memberships

American Geophysical Union
American Meteorological Society

Refereed Publications

Masunaga, R., and N. Schneider, in press: Surface Wind Responses to Mesoscale Sea Surface Temperature over Western Boundary Current Regions Assessed by Spectral Transfer Functions. J. Atmos. Sci., IPRC-1566.
Seo, H., L.W. O’Neill, M.A. Bourassa, A. Czaja, K. Drushka, J.B. Edson, B. Fox-Kemper, I. Frenger, S.T. Gille, B.P. Kirtman, S. Minobe, A.G. Pendergrass, L. Renault, M.J. Roberts, N. Schneider, R.J. Small, A. Stoffelen, and Q. Wang, 2023: Ocean Mesoscale and Frontal-Scale Ocean–Atmosphere Interactions and Influence on Large-Scale Climate: A Review. J. Climate, 36 (7), 1981-2013, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0982.1. IPRC-1593.
Takahashi, N., K.J. Richards, N. Schneider, M.F. Stuecker, H. Annamalai, and M. Nonaka, 2023: Observed relative contributions of anomalous heat fluxes and effective heat capacity to sea surface temperature variability. Geophys. Res. Lett., 50 (17), e2023GL103165, doi:10.1029/2023GL103165. IPRC-1605.
Masunaga, R., and N. Schneider, 2022: Surface wind responses to mesoscale sea surface temperature over western boundary current regions assessed by spectral transfer Functions. J. Atmos. Sci., 79, 1549-1573, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-21-0125.1. IPRC-1594.
Richter, I., M.F. Stuecker, N. Takahashi, and N. Schneider, 2022: Disentangling the North Pacific Meridional Mode from tropical Pacific variability. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 5, 94, doi:10.1038/s41612-022-00317-8. IPRC-1578.
Oka, E., H. Nishikawa, S. Sugimoto, B. Qiu, and N. Schneider, 2021: Subtropical Mode Water in a recent persisting Kuroshio large-meander period. Part I: Formation and advection over the entire distribution region. J. Oceanogr., 77, 781-795, doi:10.1007/s10872-021-00608-3. IPRC-1534.
Sugimoto, S., B. Qiu, and N. Schneider, 2021: Local atmospheric response to the Kuroshio large meander path in summer and its remote influence on the climate of Japan. J. Climate, , 1-56, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0387.1. IPRC-1504.
Takahashi, N., K.J. Richards, N. Schneider, H. Annamalai, W.-C. Hsu, and M. Nonaka, 2021: Formation Mechanism of Warm SST Anomalies in 2010s Around Hawaii. J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, , e2021JC017763, doi:10.1029/2021JC017763. IPRC-1546.
Nonaka, M., H. Sasaki, B. Taguchi, and N. Schneider, 2020: Atmospheric-driven and intrinsic interannual-to-decadal variability in the Kuroshio Extension jet and eddy activities Intrinsic variability in Kuroshio Extension. Frontiers in Marine Science, section Physical Oceanography, , doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.547442. IPRC-1470.
Qiu, B., S. Chen, N. Schneider, E. Oka, and S. Sugimoto, 2020: On Reset of the Wind-Forced Decadal Kuroshio Extension Variability in Late 2017. J. Climate, , doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0237.1. IPRC-1479.
Schneider, N., 2020: Scale and Rossby Number dependence of observed wind responses to ocean-mesoscale sea surface temperatures. J. Atmos. Sci., 77 (9), 3171-3192, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-20-0154.1. IPRC-1448.
Takahashi N., T. Hayasaka, A. Manda, and N. Schneider, 2020: Impact of the Oyashio Extension SST Front on Synoptic Variability of Oceanic Low level Cloud in Summertime based on WRF Numerical Simulation. J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 125 (17), e2020JD032518, doi:10.1029/2020JD032518. IPRC-1467.
Letelier, R.M., K.M. Björkman, M.J. Church, D.S. Hamilton, N.M. Mahowald, R.A. Scanza, N. Schneider, A.E. White, and D.M. Karl, 2019: Climate-driven oscillation of phosphorus and iron limitation in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (26), 12720-12728, doi:10.1073/pnas.1900789116. IPRC-1383.
Furue, R., K. Takatama, H. Sasaki, N. Schneider, M. Nonaka, and B. Taguchi, 2018: Impacts of sea-surface salinity in an eddy-resolving semi-global OGCM. Ocean Modelling, 122, 36-56, doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2017.11.004. IPRC-1296.
Kilpatrick, T., S.-P. Xie, N. Schneider, and A.J. Miller, 2018: Satellite observations of enhanced chlorophyll variability in the Southern California Bight. J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 123 (10), 7550-7563, doi:10.1029/2018JC014248. IPRC-1384.
Minobe, S., M. Terada, B. Qiu, and N. Schneider, 2017: Western boundary sea-level: A theory, rule of thumb and application to climate models. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 47 (5), 957-977, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-16-0144.1. IPRC-1242.
Qiu, B., S. Chen, and N. Schneider, 2017: Dynamical links between the decadal variability of the Oyashio and Kuroshio Extensions. J. Climate, 30 (23), 9591-9605, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0397.1. IPRC-1295.
Taguchi, B., N. Schneider, M. Nonaka, and H. Sasaki, 2017: Decadal Variability of Upper-Ocean Heat Content Associated with Meridional Shifts of Western Boundary Current Extensions in the North Pacific. J. Climate, 30 (16), 6247-6264, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0779.1. IPRC-1260.
Takatama, K., and N. Schneider, 2017: The role of back-pressure in the atmospheric response to surface stress induced by the Kuroshio Current. J. Atmos. Sci., 74 (2), 597-615, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-16-0149.1. IPRC-1224.
Kilpatrick, T.J., N. Schneider, and B. Qiu, 2016: Atmospheric Response to a Midlatitude SST Front: Alongfront Winds. J. Atmos. Sci., 73 (9), 3489-3509, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-15-0312.1. IPRC-1195.
Qu, T., L. Zhang, and N. Schneider, 2016: North Atlantic Subtropical Underwater and its year-to-year variability in annual subduction rate during the Argo period. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 46 (6), 1901-1916, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-15-0246.1. IPRC-1183.
Spall, M.A., and N. Schneider, 2016: Coupled ocean/atmosphere offshore decay scale of cold SST signals along upwelling eastern boundaries. J. Climate, 29 (24), 8317-8331, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0109.1. IPRC-1206.
Di Lorenzo, E., G. Liguori, N. Schneider, J.C. Furtado, B.T. Anderson, and M.A. Alexander, 2015: ENSO and Meridional Modes: A null hypothesis for Pacific climate variability. Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 9440-9448, doi:10.1002/2015GL066281. IPRC-1158.
Furue, R., Y. Jia, J.P. McCreary, N. Schneider, K.J. Richards, P. Müller, B.D. Cornuelle, N. Martinez Avellaneda, D. Stammer, C. Liu, and A. Köhl, 2015: Impacts of regional mixing on the temperature structure of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Part 1: vertically uniform vertical diffusion. Ocean Modelling, 91, 91-111, doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2014.10.002. IPRC-1081.
Schneider, N., and B. Qiu, 2015: The atmospheric response to weak sea surface temperature fronts. J. Atmos. Sci., 72 (9), 3356-3377, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-14-0212.1. IPRC-1119.
Davis, A., E. Di Lorenzo, H. Luo, A. Belmadani, N.A. Maximenko, O.V. Melnichenko, and N. Schneider, 2014: Mechanisms for the emergence of ocean striations in the North Pacific. Geophys. Res. Lett., 41 (3), 948-953, doi:10.1002/2013GL057956. IPRC-1044.
Kilpatrick, T.J., N. Schneider, and B. Qiu, 2014: Boundary layer convergence induced by strong winds across a midlatitude SST front. J. Climate, 27 (4), 1698-1718, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00101.1. IPRC-1034.
Stein, K., A. Timmermann, N. Schneider, F.-F. Jin, and M. Stuecker, 2014: ENSO seasonal synchronization theory. J. Climate, 27 (14), 5285-5310, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00525.1. IPRC-1051.
Taguchi, B., and N. Schneider, 2014: Origin of Decadal-Scale, Eastward-Propagating Heat Content Anomalies in the North Pacific. J. Climate, 27 (20), 7568-7586, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00102.1. IPRC-1072.
Belmadani, A., N.A. Maximenko, J.P. McCreary, R. Furue, O.V. Melnichenko, N. Schneider, and E. Di Lorenzo, 2013: Linear wind-forced beta-plumes with application to the Hawaiian Lee Countercurrent. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 43 (10), 2071-2094, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-12-0194.1. IPRC-990.
Park, J.-H., S.-I. An, S.-W. Yeh, and N. Schneider, 2013: Quantitative assessment of the climate components driving the Pacific decadal oscillation in climate models. Theor. Appl. Climatol., 112 (3-4), 431-445, doi:10.1007/s00704-012-0730-y. IPRC-1285.
Furtado, J.C., E. Di Lorenzo, N. Schneider, N. Bond, and J. Overland, 2011: North Pacific Decadal Variability and Climate Change in the IPCC AR4 Models. J. Climate, 24, 3049-3067.
Kilpatrick, T., N. Schneider, and E. Di Lorenzo, 2011: Generation of low-frequency spiciness variability in the thermocline. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 41, 365-377.
Sasaki, Y., and N. Schneider, 2011: Decadal shifts of the Kuroshio Extension jet: Application of thin-jet theory. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 41, 979-993.
Sasaki, Y. and N. Schneider, 2011: Interannual to decadal Gulf Stream variability in an eddy-resolving ocean model. Ocean Modelling, 39, 209-219.
Sasaki, Y., S. Minobe, and N. Schneider, 2011: Decadal response of the Kuroshio Extension jet to Rossby waves: Observation and thin-jet theory. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 41 (5), 979-993.
Stein, K., A. Timmermann, and N. Schneider, 2011: Phase synchronization of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation with the annual cycle. Phys. Rev. Lett., 107 (12), doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.128501.
Chen, J., T. Qu, Y.N. Sasaki, and N. Schneider, 2010: Anti-correlated variability in subduction rate of the western and eastern North Pacific Oceans identified by an eddy-resolving ocean GCM. Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L23608, doi:10.1029/2010GL045239.
Di Lorenzo, E., K. M. Cobb, J. C. Furtado, N. Schneider, B. Anderson, A. Bracco, M. A. Alexander and D. Vimont, 2010: Central Pacific El Nino and decadal climate change in the North Pacific. Nature Geoscience, 3 (11), 762-765.
Melnichenko, O.V., N.A. Maximenko, N. Schneider, and H. Sasaki, 2010: Quasi-stationary striations in basin-scale oceanic circulation: Vorticity balance from observations and eddy-resolving model. Ocean Dynamics, 60 (3), 653-666.
Sasaki,Y., N. Schneider, N. Maximenko, and K. Lebedev, 2010: Observational evidence for propagation of decadal spiciness anomalies in the North Pacific. Geophys. Res. Lett., 37 L07708, doi:10.1029/2010GL042716.
Stein, K., N. Schneider, A. Timmermann, and F.-F. Jin, 2010: Seasonal synchronization of ENSO events in a linear stochastic model. J. Climate, 23, 5629-5643. doi: 10.1175/2010JCLI3292.1.
Taguchi, B., B. Qiu, M. Nonaka, H. Sasaki, N. Schneider, and S.-P. Xie, 2010: Decadal variability of the Kuroshio Extension: Mesoscale eddies and recirculations. Ocean Dynamics, 60 (3), 673-691.
Ceballos, L.I., E. Di Lorenzo, C.D. Hoyos, N. Schneider, and B. Taguchi, 2009: North Pacific Gyre Oscillation synchronizes climate fluctuations in the eastern and western boundary systems. J. Climate, 22 (19), 5163-5174.
Chhak, K.C., E. Di Lorenzo, P. Cummins, and N. Schneider, 2009: Forcing of low-frequency ocean variability in the Northeast Pacific. J. Climate, 22 (5), 1255-1276.
Di Lorenzo, E., J. Fiechter, N. Schneider, A. Bracco, P.J.S. Franks, S.J. Bograd, A.M. Moore, A. Thomas, W. Crawford, A. Pena, and A. Herman, 2009: Nutrient and salinity decadal variations in the central and eastern North Pacific. Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, doi:10.1029/2009GL038261.
Sasaki, Y.N., S. Minobe, N. Schneider, T. Kagimoto, M. Nonaka, and H. Sasaki, 2008: Decadal sea level variability in the South Pacific in a global eddy-resolving ocean model hindcast. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 38, 1764-1779.
Di Lorenzo, E., N. Schneider, K.M. Cobb, P.J.S. Franks, K. Chhak, A. J. Miller, J.C. McWilliams, S.J. Bograd , H. Arango, E. Curchitser, T.M. Powell, and P. Riviere, 2008: North Pacific Gyre Oscillation links ocean climate and ecosystem change. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L08607, doi:10.1029/2007GL032838.
Potemra, J.T., and N. Schneider, 2007: Influence of low-frequency Indonesian throughflow transport on temperatures in the Indian Ocean in a coupled model. J. Climate, 20, 1339-1352.
Potemra, J. T., and N. Schneider, 2007: Interannual variations of the Indonesian throughflow. J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 112, C05035, doi:10.1029/2006JC003808.
Qiu, B., N. Schneider, and S. Chen, 2007: Coupled decadal variability in the North Pacific: An observationally-constrained idealized model. J. Climate, 20, 3602-3620.
Taguchi, B., S.-P. Xie, N. Schneider, M. Nonaka, H. Sasaki, and Y. Sasai, 2007: Decadal variability of the Kuroshio Extension: Observations and an eddy-resolving model hindcast. J. Climate, 20 (11), 2357-2377.
Di Lorenzo, E., A.J. Miller, N. Schneider, and J.C. McWilliams, 2005: The warming of the California Current: Dynamics and ecosystem implications. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 35, 336-362.
Huang, B., V. Mehta, and N. Schneider, 2005: Oceanic response to idealized net atmospheric freshwater in the Pacific at decadal timescale. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 35, 2467-2486.
Schneider, N., and B.D. Cornuelle, 2005: The forcing of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. J. Climate, 18 (21), 4355-4373.
Schneider, N., E. Di Lorenzo, and P.P. Niiler, 2005: Salinity variations in the Southern California Current. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 35 (8), 1421-1436.
Schneider, N., 2004: The response of tropical climate to the equatorial emergence of spiciness anomalies. J. Climate, 17 (3), 1083-1095.
Miller, A.J., M.A. Alexander, G.J. Boer, F. Chai, K. Denman, D.J. Erickson, R. Frouin, A.J. Gabric, E.A. Laws, M.R. Lewis, Z. Liu, R. Murtugudde, S. Nakamoto, D.J. Neilson, J R. Norris, J.C. Ohlmann, R.I. Perry, N. Schneider, K.M. Shell, and A. Timmermann, 2003: Potential feedbacks between Pacific Ocean ecosystems and interdecadal climate variations. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 84 (5), 617-633.
Schneider, N., A.J. Miller, and D.W. Pierce, 2002: Anatomy of North Pacific decadal variability. J. Climate, 15, 586-605.
Gershunov, A., N. Schneider, and T. Barnett, 2001: Low frequency modulation of ENSO-Indian Monsoon rainfall relationship: Signal or noise? J. Climate, 14, 2486-2492.
Pierce, D.W., T.P. Barnett, N. Schneider, R. Saravanan, D. Dommenget, and M. Latif, 2001: The role of ocean dynamics in producing decadal climate variability in the North Pacific. Clim. Dyn., 18, 51-70.
Schneider, N., and A.J. Miller, 2001: Predicting western North Pacific ocean climate. J. Climate, 14, 3997-4002.
Yulaeva, E., N. Schneider, D.W. Pierce, and T. Barnett, 2001: Modeling of North Pacific climate variability forced by oceanic heat fluxes anomalies. J. Climate, 14, 4027-4046.
Miller, A.J., and N. Schneider, 2000: Interdecadal climate regime dynamics in the North Pacific Ocean: Theories, observations and ecosystem impacts. Prog. Oceanogr., 47 (2-4), 355-379.
Schneider, N., 2000: A decadal spiciness mode in the tropics. Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 257-260.
Barnett, T.P., D.W. Pierce, R. Saravanan, N. Schneider, D. Dommenget, and M. Latif, 1999: Origins of the midlatitude Pacific decadal variability. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 1453-1456.
Miller, A.J., J.C. McWilliams, N. Schneider, J.S. Allen, J.A. Barth, R.C. Beardsley, T.K. Chereskin, C.A. Edwards, R.L. Haney, K.A. Kelly, J.C. Kindle, L.N. Ly, J.R. Moisan, M.A. Noble, P.P. Niiler, L.Y. Oey, F.B. Schwing, R.K. Shearman, and M.S. Swenson, 1999: Observing and modeling the California Current system: Purposes, achievements and aspirations. EOS Trans. AGU, 80, 533ff.
Schneider, N., A.J. Miller, M.A. Alexander, and C. Deser, 1999: Subduction of decadal north Pacific temperature anomalies: Observations and dynamics. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 29, 1056-1070.
Schneider, N., S. Venzke, A.J. Miller, D.W. Pierce, T.P. Barnett, C. Deser, and M. Latif, 1999: Pacific thermocline bridge revisited. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 1329-1332.
Schneider, N., 1998: The Indonesian throughflow and the global climate system. J. Climate, 11, 676-689.
Schneider, N., and T. Barnett, 1997: Indonesian throughflow in a coupled general circulation model. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 12,341-12,358.
Schneider, N., T. Barnett, M. Latif, and T. Stockdale, 1996: Warm pool physics in a coupled GCM. J. Climate, 9, 219-239.
Schneider, N., and T. Barnett, 1995: The competition of fresh water and radiation in forcing the ocean during El Nino. J. Climate, 8, 980-992.
Schneider, N., and P. Muller, 1994: Sensitivity of the surface equatorial ocean to the parameterization of vertical mixing. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 24 (7),1623-1640.
Schneider, N., and P. Muller, 1990: The meridional and seasonal structures of the mixed-layer depth and its diurnal amplitude observed during the Hawaii-to-Tahiti Shuttle experiment. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 20, 1395-1404.