A problem common to meteorological and climatological datasets is how to address missing data. The majority of multivariate analysis techniques require that all variables be represented for each observation; hence, some action is required in the presence of missing data. In cases where the individual observations are thought not important, deletion of every observation missing one or more piece...

We extend the method of recurrence plots to cross recurrence plots (CRP) which enables a nonlinear analysis of bivariate data. To quantify CRPs, we introduce three measures of complexity mainly basing on diagonal structures in CRPs. The CRP analysis of prototypical model systems with nonlinear interactions demonstrates that this technique enables to find these nonlinear interelations from bivar...

The potential for tropical cyclogenesis in a given ocean basin during its active season has been represented by genesis potential indices, empirically determined functions of large-scale environmental variables which influence tropical cyclone (TC) genesis. Here we examine the ability of some of today’s atmospheric climate models, forced with historical observed SST over a multidecadal hindcast...

On the mountainous slopes of tropical volcanic islands, steep topo-climatic gradients serve to compress distinctive ecosystems and local biodiversity into spatially restricted, vertically stratifi ed environmental zones. This physical heterogeneity also presents a diverse range of constraints and opportunities for human landscape use and transformation, leading, in the case of most Pacifi c hig...

With the advent of regional climate modelling, there are high–resolution data available for regional climatological change studies. Automatic tracking of cyclones in these datasets encounters problems with high spatial resolution due to cyclone substructure. Watershed segmentation, a technique from image analysis, has been used to obtain estimates for the spatial extent of cyclones, enabling be...