scholarly journals Effects of Tropical Cyclones on ENSO

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (19) ◽  
pp. 6423-6443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Lian ◽  
Jun Ying ◽  
Hong-Li Ren ◽  
Chan Zhang ◽  
Ting Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Enso Event ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Final State ◽  
Enso Dynamics

AbstractNumerous studies have investigated the role of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in modulating the activity of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western Pacific on interannual time scales, but the effects of TCs on ENSO are less discussed. Some studies have found that TCs sharply increase surface westerly anomalies over the equatorial western–central Pacific and maintain them there for a few days. Given the strong influence of equatorial surface westerly wind bursts on ENSO, as confirmed by much recent literature, the effects of TCs on ENSO may be much greater than previously expected. Using recently released observations and reanalysis datasets, it is found that the majority of near-equatorial TCs (simply TCs hereafter) are associated with strong westerly anomalies at the equator, and the number and longitude of TCs are significantly correlated with ENSO strength. When TC-related wind stresses are added into an intermediate coupled model, the simulated ENSO becomes more irregular, and both ENSO magnitude and skewness approach those of observations, as compared with simulations without TCs. Adding TCs into the model system does not break the linkage between the heat content anomaly and subsequent ENSO event in the model, which manifest the classic recharge–discharge ENSO dynamics. However, the influence of TCs on ENSO is so strong that ENSO magnitude and sometimes its final state—that is, either El Niño or La Niña—largely depend on the number and timing of TCs during the event year. Our findings suggest that TCs play a prominent role in ENSO dynamics, and their effects must be considered in ENSO forecast models.

Effects of Tropical Cyclones on ENSO

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Lian ◽  
Jun Ying ◽  
Hong-Li Ren
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Enso Event ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Final State ◽  
Enso Dynamics ◽  
Forecast Models

<p>Numerous studies have investigated the role of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in modulating the activity of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western Pacific on interannual timescales, but the effects of TCs on ENSO are less discussed. Some studies have found that TCs sharply increase surface westerly anomalies over the equatorial western–central Pacific and maintain them there for a few days. Given the strong influence of equatorial surface westerly wind bursts on ENSO, as confirmed by many recent literatures, the effects of TCs on ENSO may be much greater than previously expected.</p><p>Using recently released observations and reanalysis datasets, it is found that the majority of near-equatorial TCs (TCs hereafter) are associated with strong westerly anomalies at the equator, and the number and longitude of TCs are significantly correlated with ENSO strength. When TC-related wind stresses are added into an intermediate coupled model, the simulated ENSO becomes more irregular, and both ENSO magnitude and skewness approach those of observations, as compared with simulations without TCs. Adding TCs into the model system does not break the linkage between the heat content anomaly and subsequent ENSO event in the model, which manifest the classic recharge–discharge ENSO dynamics. However, the influence of TCs on ENSO is so strong that ENSO magnitude and sometimes its final state—i.e. either an El Niño or a La Niña—largely depend on the number and timing of TCs during the event year. Our findings suggest that TCs play a prominent role in ENSO dynamics, and their effects must be considered in ENSO forecast models.</p>

The essential role of early-spring westerly wind burst in generating the centennial extreme 1997/98 El Niño

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Tao Lian ◽  
Dake Chen
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Strong Nonlinearity ◽  
Westerly Wind ◽  
Enso Dynamics

AbstractWhile both intrinsic low-frequency atmosphere–ocean interaction and multiplicative burst-like event affect the development of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the strong nonlinearity in ENSO dynamics has prevented us from separating their relative contributions. Here we propose an online filtering scheme to estimate the role of the westerly wind bursts (WWBs), a type of aperiodic burst-like atmospheric perturbation over the western-central tropical Pacific, in the genesis of the centennial extreme 1997/98 El Niño using the CESM coupled model. This scheme highlights the deterministic part of ENSO dynamics during model integration, and clearly demonstrates that the strong and long-lasting WWB in March 1997 was essential for generating the 1997/98 El Niño. Without this WWB, the intrinsic low-frequency coupling would have only produced a weak warm event in late 1997 similar to the 2014/15 El Niño.

scholarly journals Improvement of ENSO Simulation Based on Intermodel Diversity

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 998-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoo-Geun Ham ◽  
Jong-Seong Kug
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Climate Simulation ◽  
Central Pacific

Abstract In this study, a new methodology is developed to improve the climate simulation of state-of-the-art coupled global climate models (GCMs), by a postprocessing based on the intermodel diversity. Based on the close connection between the interannual variability and climatological states, the distinctive relation between the intermodel diversity of the interannual variability and that of the basic state is found. Based on this relation, the simulated interannual variabilities can be improved, by correcting their climatological bias. To test this methodology, the dominant intermodel difference in precipitation responses during El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is investigated, and its relationship with climatological state. It is found that the dominant intermodel diversity of the ENSO precipitation in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) is associated with the zonal shift of the positive precipitation center during El Niño. This dominant intermodel difference is significantly correlated with the basic states. The models with wetter (dryer) climatology than the climatology of the multimodel ensemble (MME) over the central Pacific tend to shift positive ENSO precipitation anomalies to the east (west). Based on the model’s systematic errors in atmospheric ENSO response and bias, the models with better climatological state tend to simulate more realistic atmospheric ENSO responses. Therefore, the statistical method to correct the ENSO response mostly improves the ENSO response. After the statistical correction, simulating quality of the MME ENSO precipitation is distinctively improved. These results provide a possibility that the present methodology can be also applied to improving climate projection and seasonal climate prediction.

scholarly journals Impact of westerly wind burst on El Niño-sourthern oscillation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mohammad Alam
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Westerly Wind ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
The Tropical Pacific

Westerly wind bursts (WWBs), usually occurring in the tropical Pacific region, play a vital role in El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In this study, we use a hybrid coupled model (HCM) for the tropical Pacific Ocean-atmosphere system to investigate WWBs impact on ENSO. To achieve this goal, two experiments are performed: (a) first, the standard version of the HCM is integrated for years without prescribed WWBs events; and (b) second, the WWBs are added into the HCM (HCM-WWBs). Results show that HCM-WWBs can generate not only more realistic climatology of sea surface temperature (SST) in both spatial structure and temporal amplitudes, but also better ENSO features, than the HCM. In particular, the HCM-WWBs can capture the central Pacific (CP) ENSO events, which is absent in original HCM. Furthermore, the possible physical mechanisms responsible for these improvements by WWBs are discussed.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Multimodel Simulations for the Variability of Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclones and Its Association with ENSO

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (18) ◽  
pp. 6401-6423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongqing Han ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
Zeng-Zhen Hu ◽  
Arun Kumar ◽  
Weijing Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
El Niño ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Western North Pacific ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Annual Number ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Cp El Niño

Abstract An assessment of simulations of the interannual variability of tropical cyclones (TCs) over the western North Pacific (WNP) and its association with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as well as a subsequent diagnosis for possible causes of model biases generated from simulated large-scale climate conditions, are documented in the paper. The model experiments are carried out by the Hurricane Work Group under the U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Research Program (CLIVAR) using five global climate models (GCMs) with a total of 16 ensemble members forced by the observed sea surface temperature and spanning the 28-yr period from 1982 to 2009. The results show GISS and GFDL model ensemble means best simulate the interannual variability of TCs, and the multimodel ensemble mean (MME) follows. Also, the MME has the closest climate mean annual number of WNP TCs and the smallest root-mean-square error to the observation. Most GCMs can simulate the interannual variability of WNP TCs well, with stronger TC activities during two types of El Niño—namely, eastern Pacific (EP) and central Pacific (CP) El Niño—and weaker activity during La Niña. However, none of the models capture the differences in TC activity between EP and CP El Niño as are shown in observations. The inability of models to distinguish the differences in TC activities between the two types of El Niño events may be due to the bias of the models in response to the shift of tropical heating associated with CP El Niño.

scholarly journals The seasonal relationship between intraseasonal tropical variability and ENSO in CMIP5

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2373-2392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Matveeva ◽  
Daria Gushchina ◽  
Boris Dewitte
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Tropical Variability ◽  
Large Dispersion ◽  
Enso Diversity ◽  
Intraseasonal Tropical Variability

Abstract. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is tightly linked to the intraseasonal tropical variability (ITV) that contributes to energise the deterministic ocean dynamics during the development of El Niño. Here, the relationship between ITV and ENSO is assessed based on models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) phase 5 (CMIP5) taking into account the so-called diversity of ENSO, that is, the existence of two types of events (central Pacific versus eastern Pacific El Niño). As a first step, the models' skill in simulating ENSO diversity is assessed. The characteristics of the ITV are then documented revealing a large dispersion within an ensemble of 16 models. A total of 11 models exhibit some skill in simulating the key aspects of the ITV for ENSO: the total variance along the Equator, the seasonal cycle and the characteristics of the propagation along the Equator of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and the convectively coupled equatorial Rossby (ER) waves. Five models that account realistically for both the two types of El Niño events and ITV characteristics are used for the further analysis of seasonal ITV ∕ ENSO relationship. The results indicate a large dispersion among the models and an overall limited skill in accounting for the observed seasonal ITV ∕ ENSO relationship. Implications of our results are discussed in light of recent studies on the forcing mechanism of ENSO diversity.

scholarly journals A Coupled GCM Analysis of MJO Activity at the Onset of El Niño

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 966-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Marshall ◽  
O. Alves ◽  
H. H. Hendon
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Ocean Dynamics ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Kelvin Wave ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
The Western Pacific

Abstract The ocean dynamics of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and its interaction with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are assessed using a flux-corrected coupled model experiment from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The model demonstrates the correct oceanic Kelvin wave response to the MJO-related westerly winds in the western Pacific. Although there may be a role for the MJO in influencing the strength of El Niño, its impact is difficult to separate from that of strong heat content preconditioning of ENSO. Hence, the MJO–ENSO relationship is assessed starting from a background state of low heat content anomalies in the western Pacific that are also characteristic of recent observed El Niño events. The model shows a strong relationship between ENSO and the MJO near the peak of El Niño. At this time, the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly is largest in the central Pacific, and it is difficult to separate cause and effect. Near the onset of El Niño, however, when Pacific Ocean SST anomalies are near zero, an increase in MJO activity is associated with Kelvin wave activity and stronger subsequent ENSO warming. A significant increase in the number of MJO events, rather than the strength of individual MJO events, leads to stronger eastern Pacific warming; the MJO appears not to be responsible for the occurrence of El Niño itself, but, rather, is important for influencing its development thus. This research supports a role for downwelling oceanic Kelvin waves and subsequent deepening of the thermocline in contributing to eastern Pacific warming during the onset of El Niño.

scholarly journals Two Leading ENSO Modes and El Niño Types in the Zebiak–Cane Model

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1943-1962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruihuang Xie ◽  
Fei-Fei Jin
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Heat Budget ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Warm Pool ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
El Niño Events ◽  
Instrumental Records ◽  
El Nino Events

Modern instrumental records reveal that El Niño events differ in their spatial patterns and temporal evolutions. Attempts have been made to categorize them roughly into two main types: eastern Pacific (EP; or cold tongue) and central Pacific (CP; or warm pool) El Niño events. In this study, a modified version of the Zebiak–Cane (MZC) coupled model is used to examine the dynamics of these two types of El Niño events. Linear eigenanalysis of the model is conducted to show that there are two leading El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) modes with their SST patterns resembling those of two types of El Niño. Thus, they are referred to as the EP and CP ENSO modes. These two modes are sensitive to changes in the mean states. The heat budget analyses demonstrate that the EP (CP) mode is dominated by thermocline (zonal advective) feedback. Therefore, the weak (strong) mean wind stress and deep (shallow) mean thermocline prefer the EP (CP) ENSO mode because of the relative dominance of thermocline (zonal advective) feedback under such a mean state. Consistent with the linear stability analysis, the occurrence ratio of CP/EP El Niño events in the nonlinear simulations generally increases toward the regime where the linear CP ENSO mode has relatively higher growth rate. These analyses suggest that the coexistence of two leading ENSO modes is responsible for two types of El Niño simulated in the MZC model. This model result may provide a plausible scenario for the observed ENSO diversity.

scholarly journals Influence of Pacific Meridional Mode on ENSO evolution and predictability: Asymmetric modulation and ocean preconditioning

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-61
Author(s):  
Hanjie Fan ◽  
Bohua Huang ◽  
Song Yang ◽  
Wenjie Dong
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Heat Content ◽  
Enso Event ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Enso Events ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Meridional Mode ◽  
Pacific Meridional Mode

AbstractThis study investigates the mechanisms behind the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) in influencing the development of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event and its seasonal predictability. To examine the relative importance of various factors that may modulate the efficiency of the PMM influence, a series of experiments are conducted for selected ENSO events with different intensity using the Community Earth System Model, in which ensemble predictions are made from slightly different ocean initial states but under a common prescribed PMM surface heat flux forcing. Overall, the matched PMM forcing to ENSO, i.e., a positive (negative) PMM prior to an El Niño (a La Niña), plays an enhancing role, while a mismatched PMM forcing plays a damping role. For the matched cases, a positive PMM event enhances an El Niño more strongly than a negative PMM event enhances a La Niña. This asymmetry in influencing ENSO largely originates from the asymmetry in intensity between the positive and negative PMM events in the tropics, which can be explained by the nonlinearity in the growth and equatorward propagation of the PMM-related anomalies of sea surface temperature (SST) and surface zonal wind through both wind-evaporation-SST feedback and summer deep convection response. Our model results also indicate that the PMM acts as a modulator rather than a trigger for the occurrence of ENSO event. Furthermore, the response of ENSO to an imposed PMM forcing is modulated by the preconditioning of the upper-ocean heat content, which provides the memory for the coupled low-frequency evolution in the tropical Pacific.

scholarly journals Simple stochastic dynamical models capturing the statistical diversity of El Niño Southern Oscillation

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (7) ◽  
pp. 1468-1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Chen ◽  
Andrew J. Majda
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
La Niña ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
El Nino Southern Oscillation ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
La Nina ◽  
Super El Niño

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has significant impact on global climate and seasonal prediction. A simple modeling framework is developed here that automatically captures the statistical diversity of ENSO. First, a stochastic parameterization of the wind bursts including both westerly and easterly winds is coupled to a simple ocean–atmosphere model that is otherwise deterministic, linear, and stable. Second, a simple nonlinear zonal advection with no ad hoc parameterization of the background sea-surface temperature (SST) gradient and a mean easterly trade wind anomaly representing the multidecadal acceleration of the trade wind are both incorporated into the coupled model that enables anomalous warm SST in the central Pacific. Then a three-state stochastic Markov jump process is used to drive the wind burst activity that depends on the strength of the western Pacific warm pool in a simple and effective fashion. It allows the coupled model to simulate the quasi-regular moderate traditional El Niño, the super El Niño, and the central Pacific (CP) El Niño as well as the La Niña with realistic features. In addition to the anomalous SST, the Walker circulation anomalies at different ENSO phases all resemble those in nature. In particular, the coupled model succeeds in reproducing the observed episode during the 1990s, where a series of 5-y CP El Niños is followed by a super El Niño and then a La Niña. Importantly, both the variance and the non-Gaussian statistical features in different Niño regions spanning from the western to the eastern Pacific are captured by the coupled model.

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