Decadal variability of upper ocean heat content in the Pacific: Responding to the 11-year solar cycle

Ocean heat content anomaly (OHCa) time series in some areas of the Pacific are significantly correlated with the total solar irradiance (TSI). Using the composite mean-difference method, we determined the mean response of OHCa in the upper-700 m of the ocean to the TSI. Among the high solar response areas, we figure out two regions, one in the tropical mid-Pacific and the other in the western Pacific, where the OHCa present decadal variations, but different phases. The variation in phase of the solar response indicates that there exists an agency for the OHCa's response to TSI.