TY - JOUR
T1 - Interdecadal interactions between the tropics and midlatitudes in the Pacific basin
AU - Barnett, Tim P.
AU - Pierce, David W.
AU - Latif, Mojib
AU - Dommenget, Dietmar
AU - Saravanan, R.
PY - 1999/3/1
Y1 - 1999/3/1
N2 - Analysis of global climate model simulations and observations suggest decadal, midlatitude changes in and over the North Pacific cause decadal modulation of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. This coupling between the two geographic regions is via atmospheric, not oceanographic, teleconnections. In essence, large scale changes in the circulation of the atmosphere over the Pacific Basin, while largest in midlatitudes, have a significant projection onto the wind field overlying the equatorial regions. These low frequency wind changes precondition the mean state of the thermocline in the equatorial ocean to produce prolonged periods of enhanced or reduced ENSO activity. The midlatitude variability that drives equatorial impacts is of stochastic origin and, although the magnitude of the signal is enhanced by ocean processes, likely unpredictable.
AB - Analysis of global climate model simulations and observations suggest decadal, midlatitude changes in and over the North Pacific cause decadal modulation of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. This coupling between the two geographic regions is via atmospheric, not oceanographic, teleconnections. In essence, large scale changes in the circulation of the atmosphere over the Pacific Basin, while largest in midlatitudes, have a significant projection onto the wind field overlying the equatorial regions. These low frequency wind changes precondition the mean state of the thermocline in the equatorial ocean to produce prolonged periods of enhanced or reduced ENSO activity. The midlatitude variability that drives equatorial impacts is of stochastic origin and, although the magnitude of the signal is enhanced by ocean processes, likely unpredictable.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033105005&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/1999GL900042
DO - 10.1029/1999GL900042
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033105005
SN - 0094-8276
VL - 26
SP - 615
EP - 618
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
IS - 5
ER -