Meridional Migration of ENSO Impact on Tropical Atlantic Precipitation Controlled by the Seasonal Cycle

Abstract

AbstractPrevious studies suggest that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impact on tropical Atlantic climate variability shows strong seasonal preference, manifesting itself primarily in the decaying boreal spring season. However, here we show that a robust ENSO signal in tropical Atlantic precipitation anomalies can be detected throughout ENSO’s whole lifecycle. We find that the ENSO impact on the tropical Atlantic precipitation migrates meridionally, following the seasonal migration of the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Taking into account the modulation of the local seasonal cycle, the full spatiotemporal characteristics of ENSO’s impact on tropical Atlantic precipitation are uncovered. Furthermore, we demonstrate that climate models can simulate the modulation of ENSO‐related precipitation over the tropical Atlantic by the local seasonal cycle despite the substantial mean state model bias in the Atlantic ITCZ. This extended perspective on ENSO’s impact on tropical Atlantic climate variability enhances prospects for skillful year‐round regional climate prediction.