Climate varies on a wide range of time scales under the influence of external forcing and internal dynamics. During the last 150 years with instrumental records of global surface temperature, the strongest signals are the gradual warming and the decadal and multi-decadal variability, which are of crucial interest scientifically and social-economically. In view of the crucial role of decadal and multi-decadal variability in the climate system and marine ecosystem, fully understanding of the decadal and multi-decadal variability could assist authorities to make proper ecological policies to minimize the potential loss caused by related extreme events and fundamentally benefit social community.

However, our understanding and the predictability of decadal and multi-decadal variability are limited by the sparse observational data and our poor ocean dynamics knowledge. Our inadequate understanding of ocean's role in the global climate change has also limited our ability to predict the future of the global climate warming under the anthropogenic impacts.

This workshop will try to pool our knowledge on the decadal and multi-decadal variability of global ocean and climate, with the focus on that of Pacific and Indian Ocean, by investigating its governing dynamics and mechanisms, and assessing its impacts on the climate change on the other time scales. The main objects of the workshop are to estimate and identify the main issues to improve the predictability of decadal and multi-decadal variability with current observation and simulation systems, and potentially provide information in the decision-making process.