Page 46 - HydrographyReadMe

Best Apparent Correlations

In order to make predictions about future conditions, we want. to find how Strait of Georgia
conditions are linked to different climate indicators.

Comparing to the PSF data (2015-2023), the Strait of Georgia's Temperature anomalies has
the most apparent correlations with ENSO data, especially in the lower 50-150 m, with a lag
of about half a year. This probably reflects differences in upwelling conditions on the outer
coast, delayed by the residence time for water in the Strait.

Salinity and dissolved oxygen anomalies (and to a lesser degree Chlorophyll amounts), on the
other hand, seem most strongly correlated with the NPGO.

Although the CSOP dataset only began in 2015, temperature and salinity variations in the
central Strait from 2000-2022 can be investigated using the long-term monitoring at the
Nanoose Test Range. While the temperature from 2015-2023 correlates better with ENSO,
PDO fits better with the temperature in the longer period of time, especially when the
temperature anomalies were shifted approximately half year earlier. For salinity, while -NPGO
fits well for data in 2015-2023, there isn't an apparent correlation with data earlier in 2000-
2015.

Best apparent correlations between Strait of Georgia Best apparent correlations between Nanoose conditions
conditions (2015-2023) and climate indicators. (2000-2023) and climate indicators.