A TEMPORAL EXTENSION TO TRADITIONAL EMPIRICAL ORTHOGONAL FUNCTION ANALYSIS

摘要

This paper describes the application of temporal maximum autocorrelation factor analysis to global monthly mean values of 1996-1997 sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) data. This type of analysis can be considered as an extension of traditional empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, which provides a non-temporal analysis of one variable over time. The temporal extension proves its strength in separating the signals at different periods in an analysis of relevant oceanographic properties related to one of the largest El Nino events ever recorded.