scholarly journals Strong influence of El Nino Southern Oscillation on flood risk around the world

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (44) ◽  
pp. 15659-15664 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Ward ◽  
B. Jongman ◽  
M. Kummu ◽  
M. D. Dettinger ◽  
F. C. Sperna Weiland ◽  
...  
2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 13201-13236 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Rieder ◽  
L. Frossard ◽  
M. Ribatet ◽  
J. Staehelin ◽  
J. A. Maeder ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the first spatial analysis of "fingerprints" of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and atmospheric aerosol load after major volcanic eruptions (El Chichón and Mt. Pinatubo) in extreme low and high (termed ELOs and EHOs, respectively) and mean values of total ozone for the northern and southern mid-latitudes (defined as the region between 30° and 60° north and south, respectively). Significant influence on ozone extremes was found for the warm ENSO phase in both hemispheres during spring, especially towards low latitudes, indicating the enhanced ozone transport from the tropics to the extra-tropics. Further, the results confirm findings of recent work on the connection between the ENSO phase and the strength and extent of the southern ozone "collar". For the volcanic eruptions the analysis confirms findings of earlier studies for the northern mid-latitudes and gives new insights for the Southern Hemisphere. The results provide evidence that the negative effect of the eruption of El Chichón might be partly compensated by a strong warm ENSO phase in 1982–83 at southern mid-latitudes. The strong west-east gradient in the coefficient estimates for the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the analysis of the relationship between the AAO and ENSO phase, the extent and the position of the southern ozone "collar" and the polar vortex structure provide clear evidence for a dynamical "masking" of the volcanic signal at southern mid-latitudes. The paper also analyses the contribution of atmospheric dynamics and chemistry to long-term total ozone changes. Here, quite heterogeneous results have been found on spatial scales. In general the results show that EESC and the 11-yr solar cycle can be identified as major contributors to long-term ozone changes. However, a strong contribution of dynamical features (El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO)) to ozone variability and trends is found at a regional level. For the QBO (at 30 and 50 hPa), strong influence on total ozone variability and trends is found over large parts of the northern and southern mid-latitudes, especially towards equatorial latitudes. Strong influence of ENSO is found over the Northern and Southern Pacific, Central Europe and central southern mid-latitudes. For the NAO, strong influence on column ozone is found over Labrador/Greenland, the Eastern United States, the Euro-Atlantic Sector and Central Europe. For the NAO's southern counterpart, the AAO, strong influence on ozone variability and long-term changes is found at lower southern mid-latitudes, including the southern parts of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, and central southern mid-latitudes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Rieder ◽  
L. Frossard ◽  
M. Ribatet ◽  
J. Staehelin ◽  
J. A. Maeder ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the first spatial analysis of "fingerprints" of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and atmospheric aerosol load after major volcanic eruptions (El Chichón and Mt. Pinatubo) in extreme low and high (termed ELOs and EHOs, respectively) and mean values of total ozone for the northern and southern mid-latitudes (defined as the region between 30° and 60° north and south, respectively). Significant influence on ozone extremes was found for the warm ENSO phase in both hemispheres during spring, especially towards low latitudes, indicating the enhanced ozone transport from the tropics to the extra-tropics. Further, the results confirm findings of recent work on the connection between the ENSO phase and the strength and extent of the southern ozone "collar". For the volcanic eruptions the analysis confirms findings of earlier studies for the northern mid-latitudes and gives new insights for the Southern Hemisphere. The results provide evidence that the negative effect of the eruption of El Chichón might be partly compensated by a strong warm ENSO phase in 1982–1983 at southern mid-latitudes. The strong west-east gradient in the coefficient estimates for the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the analysis of the relationship between the AAO and ENSO phase, the extent and the position of the southern ozone "collar" and the polar vortex structure provide clear evidence for a dynamical "masking" of the volcanic signal at southern mid-latitudes. The paper also analyses the contribution of atmospheric dynamics and chemistry to long-term total ozone changes. Here, quite heterogeneous results have been found on spatial scales. In general the results show that EESC and the 11-yr solar cycle can be identified as major contributors to long-term ozone changes. However, a strong contribution of dynamical features (El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO)) to ozone variability and trends is found at a regional level. For the QBO (at 30 and 50 hPa), strong influence on total ozone variability and trends is found over large parts of the northern and southern mid-latitudes, especially towards equatorial latitudes. Strong influence of ENSO is found over the Northern and Southern Pacific, Central Europe and central southern mid-latitudes. For the NAO, strong influence on column ozone is found over Labrador/Greenland, the Eastern United States, the Euro-Atlantic Sector, and Central Europe. For the NAO's southern counterpart, the AAO, strong influence on ozone variability and long-term changes is found at lower southern mid-latitudes, including the southern parts of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, and central southern mid-latitudes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  

The El Nino-Southern Oscillation is the dominant pattern of short-term climate variation, and is therefore of great importance in climate studies. Some recent studies showed the teleconnection between stream flow and the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This paper presents an overview of the relationship between ENSO and stream flow in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the potential for wet season flow forecasting. This seasonal forecast of stream flow is very invaluable to the management of land and water resources, particularly in Bangladesh to improve the predictability of severe flooding. Over the years, large investments have been made to build physical infrastructure for flood protection, but it has been proved that it is not feasible, both economically and technically, to adopt solely structural mitigation approach. The choice of non-structural measures in this country focused mainly on flood forecasting because many of the nonstructural measures including flood plain zoning, compulsory acquisition of flood prone land, relocation etc have also been proved inappropriate for Bangladesh. The aim of this research is to find out an effective and long-lead flow forecasting method with lead time greater than hydrological time scale, using El Nino-Southern Oscillation index. Some studies indicate that SST can be predicted one to two years in advance using several ocean/ coupled ocean atmosphere models, therefore the ability to predict flow patterns in rivers will be highly enhanced if a strong relationship between river discharge and ENSO exists, and is quantified. With this view, to assess the strength of teleconnection between river flow and ENSO, at first correlation analyses between ENSO indices of any year and wet season flow of that year have been done. Here sea surface temperature (SST) has been used as ENSO index. This correlation analysis demonstrates a noteworthy relationship between natural variability of average flow of the months July-August-September (JAS) of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna River with SST of the corresponding months. Then discriminant prediction approach, also known as “Categoric Prediction” has been used here for the assessment of long range flood forecasting possibilities. This approach will be able to forecast the category of flow (high, average or low) using the category of predictor (predicted SST) at a sufficient lead time. In order to judge the forecast skill, a synoptic parameter “Forecasting Index” has also been used. This discriminant approach will improve the forecasting lead-time while the hydrologic forecast through rainfall-runoff modeling could provide a lead time on the order of the basin response time, which is several days or so. As the Ganges–Brahmaputra river basin is one of the most populous river basins of the world and is occupied by some developing countries of the world like Bangladesh, any reduction in the uncertainty about the flood in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna River would contribute a lot to the improvement in flow forecasting as well as to the economic development of the country.


2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (6) ◽  
pp. 1947-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary S. Bruick ◽  
Kristen L. Rasmussen ◽  
Angela K. Rowe ◽  
Lynn A. McMurdie

Abstract El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is known to have teleconnections to atmospheric circulations and weather patterns around the world. Previous studies have examined connections between ENSO and rainfall in tropical South America, but little work has been done connecting ENSO phases with convection in subtropical South America. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) has provided novel observations of convection in this region, including that convection in the lee of the Andes Mountains is among the deepest and most intense in the world with frequent upscale growth into mesoscale convective systems. A 16-yr dataset from the TRMM PR is used to analyze deep and wide convection in combination with ERA-Interim reanalysis storm composites. Results from the study show that deep and wide convection occurs in all phases of ENSO, with only some modest variations in frequency between ENSO phases. However, the most statistically significant differences between ENSO phases occur in the three-dimensional storm structure. Deep and wide convection during El Niño tends to be taller and contain stronger convection, while La Niña storms contain stronger stratiform echoes. The synoptic and thermodynamic conditions supporting the deeper storms during El Niño is related to increased convective available potential energy, a strengthening of the South American low-level jet (SALLJ), and a stronger upper-level jet stream, often with the equatorward-entrance region of the jet stream directly over the convective storm locations. These enhanced synoptic and thermodynamic conditions provide insight into how the structure of some of the most intense convection on Earth varies with phases of ENSO.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnny Chavarría Viteri ◽  
Dennis Tomalá Solano

La variabilidad climática es la norma que ha modulado la vida en el planeta. Este trabajo demuestra que las pesquerías y acuicultura costera ecuatorianas no son la excepción, puesto que tales actividades están fuertemente influenciadas por la variabilidad ENSO (El Niño-Oscilación del Sur) y PDO (Oscilación Decadal del Pacífico), planteándose que la señal del cambio climático debe contribuir a esta influencia. Se destaca también que, en el análisis de los efectos de la variabilidad climática sobre los recursos pesqueros, el esfuerzo extractivo también debe ser considerado. Por su parte, la acción actual de la PDO está afectando la señal del cambio climático, encontrándose actualmente en fases opuestas. Se espera que estas señales entren en fase a finales de esta década, y principalmente durante la década de los 20 y consecuentemente se evidencien con mayor fuerza los efectos del Cambio Climático. Palabras Clave: Variabilidad Climática, Cambio Climático, ENSO, PDO, Pesquerías, Ecuador. ABSTRACT Climate variability is the standard that has modulated life in the planet. This work shows that the Ecuadorian  fisheries and aquaculture are not the exception, since such activities are strongly influenced by ENSO variability (El Niño - Southern Oscillation) and PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation), considering that the signal of climate change should contribute to this influence. It also emphasizes that in the analysis of the effects of climate variability on the fishing resources, the extractive effort must also be considered. For its part, the current action of the PDO is affecting the signal of climate change, now found on opposite phases. It is hoped that these signals come into phase at the end of this decade, and especially during the decade of the 20’s and more strongly evidencing the effects of climate change. Keywords: Climate variability, climate change, ENSO (El Niño - Southern Oscillation) and PDO  (Pacific Decadal Oscillation); fisheries, Ecuador. Recibido: mayo, 2012Aprobado: agosto, 2012


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