Modulation of the relationship between spring AO and the subsequent winter ENSO by the preceding November AO

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Shangfeng Chen, Wen Chen, Bin Yu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Portfolio 2018
• Subjects: Medicine; R; Science; Q; Arctic; Pacific
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25303-0; https://doaj.org/article/2b1ad8fd3f9e4f539af26f9fff6fe835

Abstract Previous studies indicated that the spring Arctic Oscillation (AO) exerts significant influences on the subsequent winter El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This analysis suggests that the spring AO-ENSO linkage is highly modulated by its preceding November AO. When November and the subsequent spring AO indices are in phase, the spring AO has a pronounced influence on ENSO. However, when the November and spring AO indices are out of phase, the spring AO-ENSO connection disappears. Modulation of the November AO on the spring AO-ENSO connection is mainly through the constructive and destructive superposition of the November and spring AO associated sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical central-eastern Pacific in spring and summer, as well as the SST anomalies developed further in the tropical Pacific via the positive air-sea feedback.