Modulation of the southern Indian Ocean dipole on the impact of El Niño–Southern Oscillation on Australian summer rainfall

Abstract

This study investigates the modulation of the southern Indian Ocean dipole (SIOD) upon the impacts of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Australian summer rainfall (ASR) on an inter‐annual timescale. First the SIOD is identified as an important factor influencing rainfall anomalies over northeastern Australia via a zonal vertical circulation spanning from the southern Indian Ocean (SIO) to northern Australia. When ENSO and the SIOD are out of phase, the El Niño‐induced anticyclonic and convection anomalies shift eastwards to Australia and induce pronounced negative rainfall anomalies in northern Australia. When ENSO and the SIOD are in phase, the anticyclonic and convection anomalies extend westwards and generate an anomalous zonal vertical circulation, inducing positive rainfall anomalies in northeastern Australia. These different shifts in the circulation and rainfall anomalies with the two types of ENSO–SIOD occurrences are essentially attributed to the opposite effects of the different phases of SIOD events. The out‐of‐phase and in‐phase combinations of ENSO and the SIOD also largely form the dominant patterns of ASR variation. The significant influence of the SIOD on ASR indicates that the phase of the SIOD should be taken into account in the prediction of austral summer climate over Australia.