Abstract Through the diagnosis of 29 Atmospheric Model Inter-comparison Project (AMIP) experiments from the CMIP5 inter-comparison project, we investigate the impact of the mean state on simulated western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) during El Niño decaying summer. The result indicates that the inter-model difference of the JJA mean precipitation in the Indo-western Pacific warm pool is responsible for the difference of the WNPAC. During the decaying summer of an Eastern Pacific (EP) type El Niño, a model that simulates excessive mean rainfall over the western North Pacific (WNP) reproduces a stronger WNPAC response, through an enhanced local convection-circulation-moisture feedback. The intensity of the simulated WNPAC during the decay summer of a Central Pacific (CP) type El Niño, on the other hand, depends on the mean precipitation over the tropical Indian Ocean. The distinctive WNPAC-mean precipitation relationships between the EP and CP El Niño result from different anomalous SST patterns in the WNP. While the local SST anomaly plays an active role in maintaining the WNPAC during the EP El Niño, it plays a passive role during the CP El Niño. As a result, only the mean-state precipitation/moisture field in the tropical Indian Ocean modulates the circulation anomaly in the WNP in the latter case.
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Modulation of the MJO intensity over the equatorial western Pacific by two types of El Niño
The modulation of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) intensity by eastern Pacific (EP) type and central Pacific (CP) type of El Niño was investigated using observed data during the period of 1979–2013. MJO intensity is weakened (strengthened) over the equatorial western Pacific from November to April during EP (CP) El Niño. The difference arises from distinctive tendencies of column-integrated moist static energy (MSE) anomaly in the region. A larger positive MSE tendency was found during the convection developing period in the CP MJO than the EP MJO. The tendency difference is mainly caused by three meridional moisture advection processes: the advection of the background moisture by the intraseasonal wind anomaly, the advection of intraseasonal moisture anomaly by the mean wind and the nonlinear eddy advection. The advections’ differences are primarily caused by different intraseasonal perturbations and high-frequency activity whereas the background flow and moisture gradient are similar. The amplitudes in the intraseasonal suppressed convection anomaly over the central Pacific is critical in modulating the three meridional moisture advection processes. The influences on the central Pacific convection anomaly from seasonal mean moisture in two types of El Niños are discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1643297
- PAR ID:
- 10056258
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Climate Dynamics
- ISSN:
- 0930-7575
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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