scholarly journals The Modulating Influence of Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperatures on Australian Region Seasonal Tropical Cyclone Counts

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (13) ◽  
pp. 4843-4856 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Ramsay ◽  
M. B. Richman ◽  
L. M. Leslie

The Australian region seasonal tropical cyclone count (TCC) maintained a robust statistical relationship with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with skillful forecasts of above (below) average TCC during La Niña (El Niño) years from 1969 until about 1998, weakening thereafter. The current study identifies an additional climate driver that mitigates the loss of predictive skill for Australian TCC after about 1998. It is found that the seasonal Australian TCC is strongly modulated by a southwest-to-northeast-oriented dipole in Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs), referred to here as the transverse Indian Ocean dipole (TIOD). The TIOD emerges as the leading mode of detrended Indian Ocean SSTAs in the Southern Hemisphere during late winter and spring. Active (inactive) TC seasons are linked to positive (negative) TIOD phases, most notably during August–October immediately preceding the TC season, when SSTAs northwest of Australia, in the northeast pole of the TIOD, are positive (negative). To provide a physical interpretation of the TIOD–TCC relationship, 850-hPa zonal winds, 850-hPa relative vorticity, and 600-hPa relative humidity are composited for positive and negative TIOD phases, providing results consistent with observed TCC modulation. Correlations between ENSO and TCC weaken from 1998 onward, becoming statistically insignificant, whereas the TIOD–TCC correlation remains statistically significant until 2003. Overall, TIOD outperforms Niño-4 SSTA as a TCC predictor (46% skill increase since about 1998), when used individually or with Niño-4. The combination of TIOD and Niño 4 provide a skill increase (up to 33%) over climatology, demonstrating reliably accurate seasonal predictions of Australian region TCC.

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 2872-2880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Meyers ◽  
Peter McIntosh ◽  
Lidia Pigot ◽  
Mike Pook

Abstract The Indian Ocean zonal dipole is a mode of variability in sea surface temperature that seriously affects the climate of many nations around the Indian Ocean rim, as well as the global climate system. It has been the subject of increasing research, and sometimes of scientific debate concerning its existence/nonexistence and dependence/independence on/from the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, since it was first clearly identified in Nature in 1999. Much of the debate occurred because people did not agree on what years are the El Niño or La Niña years, not to mention the newly defined years of the positive or negative dipole. A method that identifies when the positive or negative extrema of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean dipole occur is proposed, and this method is used to classify each year from 1876 to 1999. The method is statistical in nature, but has a strong basis on the oceanic physical mechanisms that control the variability of the near-equatorial Indo-Pacific basin. Early in the study it was found that some years could not be clearly classified due to strong decadal variation; these years also must be recognized, along with the reason for their ambiguity. The sensitivity of the classification of years is tested by calculating composite maps of the Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature anomaly and the probability of below median Australian rainfall for different categories of the El Niño–Indian Ocean relationship.


2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 3877-3893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savin S. Chand ◽  
Kevin J. E. Walsh

Abstract This study examines the variations in tropical cyclone (TC) genesis positions and their subsequent tracks for different phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon in the Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga region (FST region) using Joint Typhoon Warning Center best-track data. Over the 36-yr period from 1970/71 to 2005/06, 122 cyclones are observed in the FST region. A large spread in the genesis positions is noted. During El Niño years, genesis is enhanced east of the date line, extending from north of Fiji to over Samoa, with the highest density centered around 10°S, 180°. During neutral years, maximum genesis occurs immediately north of Fiji with enhanced genesis south of Samoa. In La Niña years, there are fewer cyclones forming in the region than during El Niño and neutral years. During La Niña years, the genesis positions are displaced poleward of 12°S, with maximum density centered around 15°S, 170°E and south of Fiji. The cyclone tracks over the FST region are also investigated using cluster analysis. Tracks during the period 1970/71–2005/06 are conveniently described using three separate clusters, with distinct characteristics associated with different ENSO phases. Finally, the role of large-scale environmental factors affecting interannual variability of TC genesis positions and their subsequent tracks in the FST region are investigated. Favorable genesis positions are observed where large-scale environments have the following seasonal average thresholds: (i) 850-hPa cyclonic relative vorticity between −16 and −4 (×10−6 s−1), (ii) 200-hPa divergence between 2 and 8 (×10−6 s−1), and (iii) environmental vertical wind shear between 0 and 8 m s−1. The subsequent TC tracks are observed to be steered by mean 700–500-hPa winds.


Author(s):  
Edward Maru ◽  
Taiga Shibata ◽  
Kosuke Ito

This paper examines the tropical cyclone (TC) activity in Solomon Islands (SI) using the best track data from Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre Brisbane and Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre Nadi. The long-term trend analysis showed that the frequency of TCs has been decreasing in this region while average TC intensity becomes strong. Then, the datasets were classified according to the phase of Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and the index of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) provided by Bureau of Meteorology. The MJO has sufficiently influenced TC activity in the SI region with more genesis occurring in phases 6-8, in which the lower outgoing longwave radiation indicates enhanced convective activity. In contrast, TC genesis occurs less frequently in phases 1, 2, and 5. As for the influence of ENSO, more TCs are generated in El Nino period. The TC genesis locations during El Nino (La Nina) period were significantly displaced to the north (south) over SI region. TCs generated during El Nino condition tended to be strong. This paper also argues the modulation in terms of seasonal climatic variability of large-scale environmental conditions such as sea surface temperature, low level relative vorticity, vertical wind shear, and upper level divergence.


2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 1449-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenju Cai ◽  
Harry H. Hendon ◽  
Gary Meyers

Abstract Coupled ocean–atmosphere variability in the tropical Indian Ocean is explored with a multicentury integration of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Mark 3 climate model, which runs without flux adjustment. Despite the presence of some common deficiencies in this type of coupled model, zonal dipolelike variability is produced. During July through November, the dominant mode of variability of sea surface temperature resembles the observed zonal dipole and has out-of-phase rainfall variations across the Indian Ocean basin, which are as large as those associated with the model El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In the positive dipole phase, cold SST anomaly and suppressed rainfall south of the equator on the Sumatra–Java coast drives an anticyclonic circulation anomaly that is consistent with the steady response (Gill model) to a heat sink displaced south of the equator. The northwest–southeast tilting Sumatra–Java coast results in cold sea surface temperature (SST) centered south of the equator, which forces anticylonic winds that are southeasterly along the coast, which thus produces local upwelling, cool SSTs, and promotes more anticylonic winds; on the equator, the easterlies raise the thermocline to the east via upwelling Kelvin waves and deepen the off-equatorial thermocline to the west via off-equatorial downwelling Rossby waves. The model dipole mode exhibits little contemporaneous relationship with the model ENSO; however, this does not imply that it is independent of ENSO. The model dipole often (but not always) develops in the year following El Niño. It is triggered by an unrealistic transmission of the model’s ENSO discharge phase through the Indonesian passages. In the model, the ENSO discharge Rossby waves arrive at the Sumatra–Java coast some 6 to 9 months after an El Niño peaks, causing the majority of model dipole events to peak in the year after an ENSO warm event. In the observed ENSO discharge, Rossby waves arrive at the Australian northwest coast. Thus the model Indian Ocean dipolelike variability is triggered by an unrealistic mechanism. The result highlights the importance of properly representing the transmission of Pacific Rossby waves and Indonesian throughflow in the complex topography of the Indonesian region in coupled climate models.


Author(s):  
Candra Saputra ◽  
I Wayan Arthana ◽  
I Gede Hendrawan

The aim of this research is to know the relationship between lemuru fish catch to Sea Surface Temperature (SST), El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomenon in Bali Strait. The results showed, that in the period 2007 – 2016. fluctuations of catches lemuru tends to decline. Sea Surface Temperature (SST) distribution with the lowest temperature 25,28oC at 24,53oC - 27,16oC and the highest temperature is 29,31oC in the range of 28,730C – 30,490C. The lowest temperature occurred in July - September while the highest temperature occurred in January - April. Based on the calculation there is a linkage and relationship between catch and SST as shown on the value of determination and correlation reached 50,0% and 70,73%. Most of the catches occurred in the west season and then the transition II, transition I and East Season. The relationship of ENSO phenomenon to the catch during the El-Nino phase of lemuru catch will increase while in the phase of La-Nina the catch of lemuru will decrease, because time of El-Nino phase of the sea surface temperature (SST) relative low which results in the chlorophyll-a mean case which is a food sources of lemuru fish. Based on Trenberth's theory, (1997), the rise and fall of the ENSO Index of less than six months is not stated in ENSO. From the calculation results during the research of 2007 - 2016 happened three times ENSO phenomenon that is in 2009, 2010 and 2015. At the time of the IOD phenomenon, the IOD (+) phase will result in a decrease in catch while the normal IOD phase and (-) will increase the catch. From the results of this study can also be observed, in the year 2007 - 2011 phenomenon ENSO and IOD have a strong influence on the catch while in the year 2012 - 2016 the influence of the phenomenon of ENSO and IOD has no strong influence caused by the quantity of lemuru fish that have been over exploitation that resulted in the current Bali Strait on Over Fishing status.   Keywords : Fish Catch; El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO); Indian Ocean                    Dipole (IOD)


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 4949-4961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jau-Ming Chen ◽  
Ching-Hsuan Wu ◽  
Pei-Hsuan Chung ◽  
Chung-Hsiung Sui

Influences of intraseasonal–interannual oscillations on tropical cyclone (TC) genesis are evaluated by productivity of TC genesis ( PTCG) from the developing (TC d) and nondeveloping (TC n) precursory tropical disturbances (PTDs). A PTD is identified by a cyclonic tropical disturbance with a strong-enough intensity, a large-enough maximum center, and a long-enough lifespan. The percentage value of PTDs evolving into TC d is defined as PTCG. The analysis is performed over the western North Pacific (WNP) basin during the 1990–2014 warm season (May–September). The climatological PTCG in the WNP basin is 0.35. Counted in a common period, mean numbers of PTDs in the favorable and unfavorable conditions of climate oscillations for TC genesis [such as equatorial Rossby waves (ERWs), the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)], all exhibit a stable value close to the climatological mean [~31 (100 days)−1]. However, PTCG increases (decreases) during the phases of positive-vorticity (negative-vorticity) ERWs, the active (inactive) MJO, and El Niño (La Niña) years. PTCG varies from 0.17 in the most unfavorable environment (La Niña, inactive MJO, and negative-vorticity ERW) to 0.56 in the most favorable environment (El Niño, active MJO, and positive-vorticity ERW). ERWs are most effective in modulating TC genesis, especially in the negative-vorticity phases. Overall, increased PTCG is facilitated with strong and elongated 850-hPa relative vorticity overlapping a cyclonic shear line pattern, while decreased PTCG is related to weak relative vorticity. Relative vorticity acts as the most important factor to modulate PTCG, when compared with vertical wind shear and 700-hPa relative humidity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-170
Author(s):  
Maike Leupold ◽  
Miriam Pfeiffer ◽  
Takaaki K. Watanabe ◽  
Lars Reuning ◽  
Dieter Garbe-Schönberg ◽  
...  

Abstract. The dominant modes of climate variability on interannual timescales in the tropical Indian Ocean are the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole. El Niño events have occurred more frequently during recent decades, and it has been suggested that an asymmetric ENSO teleconnection (warming during El Niño events is stronger than cooling during La Niña events) caused the pronounced warming of the western Indian Ocean. In this study, we test this hypothesis using coral Sr∕Ca records from the central Indian Ocean (Chagos Archipelago) to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in time windows from the mid-Little Ice Age (1675–1716) to the present. Three sub-fossil massive Porites corals were dated to the 17–18th century (one coral) and the 19–20th century (two corals). Their records were compared with a published modern coral Sr∕Ca record from the same site. All corals were subsampled at a monthly resolution for Sr∕Ca measurements, which were measured using a simultaneous inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Wavelet coherence analysis shows that interannual variability in the four coral records is driven by ENSO, suggesting that the ENSO–SST teleconnection in the central Indian Ocean has been stationary since the 17th century. To determine the symmetry of El Niño and La Niña events, we compiled composite records of positive and negative ENSO-driven SST anomaly events. We find similar magnitudes of warm and cold anomalies, indicating a symmetric ENSO response in the tropical Indian Ocean. This suggests that ENSO is not the main driver of central Indian Ocean warming.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mayer ◽  
Magdalena Alonso Balmaseda

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of the anomalously warm Indian Ocean state on the unprecedentedly weak Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) and the unexpected evolution of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during 2014–2016. It uses 25-month-long coupled twin forecast experiments with modified Indian Ocean initial conditions sampling observed decadal variations. An unperturbed experiment initialized in Feb 2014 forecasts moderately warm ENSO conditions in year 1 and year 2 and an anomalously weak ITF throughout, which acts to keep tropical Pacific ocean heat content (OHC) anomalously high. Changing only the Indian Ocean to cooler 1997 conditions substantially alters the 2-year forecast of Tropical Pacific conditions. Differences include (i) increased probability of strong El Niño in 2014 and La Niña in 2015, (ii) significantly increased ITF transports and (iii), as a consequence, stronger Pacific ocean heat divergence and thus a reduction of Pacific OHC over the two years. The Indian Ocean’s impact in year 1 is via the atmospheric bridge arising from altered Indian Ocean Dipole conditions. Effects of altered ITF and associated ocean heat divergence (oceanic tunnel) become apparent by year 2, including modified ENSO probabilities and Tropical Pacific OHC. A mirrored twin experiment starting from unperturbed 1997 conditions and several sensitivity experiments corroborate these findings. This work demonstrates the importance of the Indian Ocean’s decadal variations on ENSO and highlights the previously underappreciated role of the oceanic tunnel. Results also indicate that, given the physical links between year-to-year ENSO variations, 2-year-long forecasts can provide additional guidance for interpretation of forecasted year-1 ENSO probabilities.


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