Manifestations and Characteristics of Marine Heat Waves in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

I. D. Rostov✉, E. V. Dmitrieva

V. I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russian Federation

✉ e-mail: rostov@poi.dvo.ru

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to determine the characteristics and trends of interannual variability of marine heat wave (MHW) parameters in the northwestern Pacific Ocean over the past two decades, as well as to analyze their causal-and-effect relationships with large-scale and regional processes in the ocean and atmosphere.

Methods and Results. Analysis in the study was done using the NOAA climate datasets. Standard methods for identifying marine heat waves and assessing their amplitude-frequency characteristics at the regular grid points were applied. The obtained results made it possible to characterize in detail the spatial-temporal variability of marine heat waves including their frequency, duration, intensity, and integral parameters (cumulative intensity and composite intensity index). Besides, they permitted to reveal the interannual and seasonal trends in three denoted regions located in different latitudinal zones of the area under study, and to determine statistical relations between the marine heat wave characteristics and the large-scale and regional processes in the ocean and atmosphere.

Conclusions. The study area of the Pacific Ocean shows a stable increase in sea surface temperature, namely on average by ~ 0.5 °C over 10 years with a growing trend from south to north (from 0.3 to 2 °C). The interannual fluctuations of sea surface temperature (periodicity is 2–5 years) are related to the changes of ENSO (NINO.W) index. Over the past two decades, the annual average frequency of marine heat waves was ~ 3 events per year increasing by 1.8 events per decade, and its average duration was ~ 14 days, with a positive trend of 5.9 days/10 years. The performed investigations have made it possible to reveal statistically significant relations between the marine heat wave parameters and the large-scale climatic modes, as well as a close correlation (R > 0.7) with the changes in surface air and ocean surface temperatures in the region.

Keywords

northwestern Pacific Ocean, climate changes, marine heat waves, climate indices, correlation relationships

Acknowledgements

The study was carried out within the framework of theme of state assignment of V. I. Ilychev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB of RAS No. 124022100079-4 “Study of structure and dynamics of the World Ocean waters under conditions of modern climate changes”.

About the authors

Igor D. Rostov, Leading Researcher, Laboratory of Informatics and Ocean Monitoring, V. I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (43 Baltiyskaya Str., Vladivostok, 690041, Russian Federation), CSc. (Geogr.), ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5081-7279, SCOPUS Author ID: 6603588318, SPIN-code: 2329-0391, ResearcherID: AAG-5614-2021, rostov@poi.dvo.ru

Elena V. Dmitrieva, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Informatics and Ocean Monitoring, V. I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (43 Baltiyskaya Str., Vladivostok, 690041, Russian Federation), CSc. (Tech.), ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0094-5296, Scopus Author ID: 36788322900, SPIN-code: 6818-1898, e_dmitrieva@poi.dvo.ru

Original russian text

Original Russian Text © I. D. Rostov, E. V. Dmitrieva, 2026, published in MORSKOY GIDROFIZICHESKIY ZHURNAL, Vol. 42, Iss. 3, pp. 347–364 (2026)

For citation

Rostov, I.D. and Dmitrieva, E.V., 2026. Manifestations and Characteristics of Marine Heat Waves in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Physical Oceanography, 33(3), pp. 387–403.

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