Evidence of Remote Forcing in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

An analysis of sea-surface temperature (SST) and surface winds in selected areas of the tropical Atlantic indicates that the nonseasonal variability of SST in the eastern equatorial Atlantic (Gulf of Guinea) is highly correlated with the nonseasonal variability of the zonal wind stress in the western equatorial Atlantic. A negative (positive) anomaly of the zonal wind stress near the north Brazilian coast is followed by a positive (negative) SST anomaly in the Gulf of Guinea about one month later. Furthermore, the correlation between the local wind stress anomaly and SST anomaly in the Gulf of Guinea is considerably smaller. These preliminary results indicate that remote forcing in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean is an important factor affecting the eastern equatorial Atlantic sea-surface temperature. Recent equatorial theories are consistent with these observations.