Equatorial Sea Surface Temperature Variability Research Articles

Is There Evidence of Changes in Tropical Atlantic Variability Modes under AMO Phases in the Observational Record?

The Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) is the leading mode of Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) variability at multidecadal time scales. Previous studies have shown that the AMO could modulate El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variance. However, the role played by the AMO in the tropical Atlantic variability (TAV) is still uncertain. Here, it is demonstrated that during negative AMO phases, associated with a shallower thermocline, the eastern equatorial Atlantic SST variability is enhanced by more than 150% in boreal summer. Consequently, the interannual TAV modes are modified. During negative AMO, the Atlantic Niño displays larger amplitude and a westward extension and it is preceded by a simultaneous weakening of both subtropical highs in winter and spring. In contrast, a meridional seesaw SLP pattern evolving into a zonal gradient leads the Atlantic Niño during positive AMO. The north tropical Atlantic (NTA) mode is related to a Scandinavian blocking pattern during winter and spring in negative AMO, while under positive AMO it is part of the SST tripole associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation. Interestingly, the emergence of an overlooked variability mode, here called the horseshoe (HS) pattern on account of its shape, is favored during negative AMO. This anomalous warm (cool) HS surrounding an eastern equatorial cooling (warming) is remotely forced by an ENSO phenomenon. During negative AMO, the tropical–extratropical teleconnections are enhanced and the Walker circulation is altered. This, together with the increased equatorial SST variability, could promote the ENSO impacts on TAV. The results herein give a step forward in the better understanding of TAV, which is essential to improving its modeling, impacts, and predictability.

El Niño influence on the mesosphere/lower thermosphere circulation at midlatitudes as seen by a VHF meteor radar at Collm (51.3 ° N, 13 ° E)

Abstract. Mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) zonal winds continuously measured by a VHF meteor radar at Collm, Germany (51.3° N, 13.0° E) in the height range 82 – 97 km from 2004 to date are analyzed with respect to the signature of El Niño. The comparison of Niño3 equatorial SST index and MLT wind time series shows that in January and especially in February zonal winds are positively correlated with the Niño3 index. We note a delay of about one month of the MLT zonal wind effect with respect to equatorial sea surface temperature variability. The signal is strong for the upper altitudes (above 90 km) accessible to the radar observations, but weakens with decreasing height. This reflects the fact that during El Niño years the westerly winter middle atmosphere wind jet is weaker, and this is also the case with the easterly lower thermospheric jet. Owing to the reversal of the absolute El Niño signal from negative to positive with altitude, at the height of the maximum meteor flux, which is around 90 km, the El Niño signal is weak. The experimental results can be qualitatively reproduced by numerical experiments using a mechanistic global circulation model with prescribed tropospheric temperatures and latent heat release for El Niño and La Niña conditions.

The Influence of Cloud Feedbacks on Equatorial Atlantic Variability

Abstract Observations show that cloud feedback over the Namibian stratocumulus region is positive because cloud cover is anticorrelated with local sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Moreover, regressions of observed atmospheric fields on equatorial Atlantic SST anomalies indicate that cloud feedbacks over the Namibian stratocumulus region covary with Atlantic Niño. However, from observations alone, it is not possible to quantify the influence of regional cloud feedbacks on equatorial climate variability. To address this question, a set of sensitivity experiments are conducted using an atmospheric general circulation model (ECHAM6) coupled to a slab ocean in which the strength of positive cloud feedback is enhanced over several regions in the South Atlantic basin. Enhanced positive cloud feedback over the Namibian stratocumulus region increases local as well as equatorial SST variability, whereas enhanced cloud feedback over other regions in the South Atlantic increases local SST variability but exhibits negligible responses at the equator. The authors’ results indicate that the Namibian region plays a central role in enhancing equatorial SST variability because it is located where the SST anomalies associated with the simulated Atlantic Niño in the slab-ocean model develop. These results highlight the important role of the regional coupling of cloud cover over the Namibian region with local SSTs and its effects on equatorial Atlantic climate variability.

Origins of Tropical Pacific Decadal Variability: Role of Stochastic Atmospheric Forcing from the South Pacific*

Abstract Based on the analysis of multicentury–millennium integrations of an atmospheric model coupled to the ocean with varying degrees, it is argued that ENSO-like decadal variability is primarily driven by stochastic atmospheric forcing. In particular, the leading mode of internal atmospheric variability over the South Pacific, which projects onto the Pacific–South American (PSA) pattern, plays an important role in modulating the trade winds and sea surface temperature (SST) in the southeast tropical Pacific. Subsequent ocean–atmosphere interactions organize a basinwide SST anomaly pattern in the tropics, which in turn forces atmospheric Rossby waves into the extratropics, reinforcing the PSA pattern and inducing coherent decadal changes in the North Pacific. In the absence of ocean dynamics, equatorial SST variability is reduced and the North Pacific exhibits decadal variability independent of the tropical–South Pacific. The strong tropical–South Pacific linkage may be attributed to the equatorially asymmetric nature of tropical Pacific climate.

Global climate signals and equatorial SST variability in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans during the 20th century

Oceanic global and individual basin (i.e., Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans) sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) are analyzed jointly, using MTM/SVD technique. Besides global and individual secular variability, differences in low‐frequency climate signals are evidenced: that is, an inter‐decadal signal dominates in the Indian and Pacific oceans, while a quasi‐decadal signal dominates in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Two inter‐annual global and individual climate signals dominate: i.e., ENSO and quasi‐biennial (QB). Moreover, significant correlations are found between three known equatorial SST indices (i.e., IO1 in Indian Ocean, NINO3 in Pacific Ocean, and ATL2 in Atlantic Ocean), and SST time‐series obtained by summing‐up only global lead‐frequency signals identified here: i.e., 0.74, 0.82, and 0.56 respectively. These results should help improving long‐term climate numerical forecasts and mitigating societal impacts by using observed specific equatorial SSTs time‐series, in a climate change context.

Decadal variations in the subtropical cells and equatorial pacific SST

A mechanism for generating decadal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the equatorial Pacific is investigated using an ocean general circulation model forced by observed wind stress. Equatorial SST variability is governed by different ocean dynamics on interannual and decadal time scales. At interannual time scales, equatorial SST anomalies are mainly driven by equatorial winds. At decadal time scales, on the other hand, they are forced both by equatorial winds and by off‐equatorial winds in the tropics, while the contribution from midlatitude winds poleward of 25° is negligible. Trade‐wind variations in the off‐equatorial tropics force equatorial SST variability by spinning up and down the subtropical cells that transport cold water into the equatorial upwelling zone. Equatorial SST anomalies induced by this mechanism lag behind the response to local equatorial winds by about two years.