Weakening of the Walker Circulation and apparent dominance of El Nino both reach record levels, but has ENSO really changed?
Article
Article Title | Weakening of the Walker Circulation and apparent dominance of El Nino both reach record levels, but has ENSO really changed? |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 1874 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Power, Scott B. (Author) and Smith, Ian N. (Author) |
Journal Title | Geophysical Research Letters |
Journal Citation | 34 (18), pp. 1-4 |
Article Number | L18702 |
Number of Pages | 4 |
Year | 2007 |
Publisher | John Wiley & Sons |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 0094-8276 |
1944-8007 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030854 |
Web Address (URL) | https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2007GL030854 |
Abstract | Changes in El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Walker Circulation can be routinely monitored using the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Here we show that the lowest 30-year average value of the June-December SOI just occurred (i.e. in 1977-2006), and that this coincided with the highest recorded value in mean sea-level pressure at Darwin, the weakest equatorial surface wind-stresses and the highest tropical sea-surface temperatures on record. We also document what appears to be a concurrent period of unprecedented El Nino dominance. However, our results, together with results from climate models forced with increasing greenhouse gas levels, suggest that the recent apparent dominance might instead reflect a shift to a lower mean SOI value. It seems that global warming now needs to be taken into account in both the formulation of ENSO indices and in the evaluation and exploitation of statistical links between ENSO and climate variability over the globe. This could very well lead to the development of more accurate seasonal-to-interannual climate forecasts. |
Keywords | El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO); Sea surface temperature; Surface wind stresses |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 370201. Climate change processes |
Byline Affiliations | Australian Bureau of Meteorology |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q6700/weakening-of-the-walker-circulation-and-apparent-dominance-of-el-nino-both-reach-record-levels-but-has-enso-really-changed
51
total views2
total downloads2
views this month0
downloads this month