The importance of decadal climate variability
(DCV) research is being increasingly recognized,
including by international research programs
such as the World Climate Research Program
(WCRP) and the U.S. National Research Council.
This brief article (workshop presentations available
online at www.DecVar.org/auditorium.php) summarizes
a consensus view of a research community
workshop attended by approximately 45 scientists.
Gaps in our knowledge of DCV and its societal
impacts were identified, as were areas of needed
research and anticipated benefits of research. It is a
major challenge to implement recommendations of
this and other such workshops on climate research in
this era of declining earth science budgets. Therefore,
a phased implementation is recommended, with highest
priority recommendations outlined in a sidebar
to this summary.
