Climate fluctuations on a range of time scales, ranging from intra-seasonal to intra-decadal, have been analyzed on the one hand in terms of fundamental oscillations, and on the other in terms of leading patterns of variability. Examples include the Madden-Julian Oscillation, the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation, the Arctic Oscillation, the El-Nino Southern Oscillation, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, although many other phenomena can be included. In each case, it is of great interest to understand how these two descriptions relate to each other. Do oscillations relate to unstable periodic orbits in some underlying phase space? How strongly would such trajectories affect to preferred patterns? Understanding how these two underlying paradigms (“waves” vs. “particles”) relate to each other will help us to better understand the variability of the climate.

This session seeks contributions on all aspects of climate variability that can be approached in the dual manner of oscillations and preferred patterns, and that try to relate the two approaches. This will lead to a fruitful and educational exchange for all researchers interested in climate variability.