Relationship between East Asian winter monsoon, warm pool situation and ENSO cycle

Abstract

Based on the observational data analyses and numerical simulations with the air-sea coupled model (CGCM), a new perspective on the occurrence mechanism of ENSO is advanced in this paper. The continuous strong (weak) East Asian winter monsoon will lead to continuous westerly (easterly) wind anomalies over the equatorial western Pacific region. The anomalous equatorial westerly (easterly) winds can cause eastward propagation of the subsurface ocean temperature anomalies (SOTA) in the warm pool region, the positive (negative) SOTA have been in the warm pool region for quite a long time. The eastward propagating of positive (negative) SOTA along the thermocline will lead to positive (negative) SSTA in the equatorial eastern Pacific and the occurrence of El Nino (La Nina) event. After the occurrence of ENSO, the winter monsoon in East Asia will be weak (strong) due to the influence of El Nino (La Nina).