The different relationship of Pacific interior subtropical cells and two types of ENSO

The Pacific interior subtropical?tropical cells (STCs) and their relation to the two types of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are investigated by using GODAS reanalysis ocean data for the period of 1980–2017. The results show that the interior STC transport into the equatorial region across 9°S and 9°N has a close relationship with the eastern Pacific (EP) ENSO, while it is much weaker with the central Pacific (CP) ENSO. It is suggested that the effect of interior STCs on the tropical Pacific climate is reflected in its relation with the western Pacific thermocline depth or SSHA. During the EP El Niño, the anomalous interior STCs at 9°S and 9°N converge to the equatorial region from the lag months of ? 25 to ? 8, leading to an accumulation of heat content in the equatorial Pacific; from the lag months of ? 8 to 10, they diverge poleward, inducing a discharge of equatorial heat content. The peak poleward interior STC anomaly first appears at 9°N at a zero-lag time, while that at 9°S is observed 4–5 months later. But there is also no appearance of a time lag between the interior STCs at 9°N and 9°S in recharging the period during the EP La Niña mature phase. However, during CP El Niño, only the conspicuous anomalous interior STC divergence appears during the mature and decay phases for the lag months of ? 2 to 10, with being symmetric at 9°N and 9°S.     

The influence of ENSO on sea surface temperature variations in the China seas

Positive SST anomalies usually appear in remote ocean such as the China seas during an ENSO event.By analyzing the monthly data of HadISST from 1950 to 2007,it shows that the interannual component of SST anomalies peak approximately 10 months after SST anomalies peak in the eastern equatorial Pacific.As the ENSO event progresses,the positive SST anomalies spread throughout the China seas and eastward along the Kuroshio extension.Atmospheric reanalysis data demonstrate that changes in the net surface heat flux entering into the China seas are responsible for the SST variability.During El Ni o,the western north Pacific anticyclone is generated,with anomalous southwester lies prevailing along the East Asian coast.This anticyclone reduces the mean surface wind speed which decreases the surface heat flux and then increases the SST.The delays between the developing of this anticyclone and the south Indian Ocean anticyclone with approximately 3–6 months cause the 2–3 months lag of the surface heat flux between the China seas and the Indian Ocean.The northwestern Pacific anticyclone is the key process bridging the warming in the eastern equatorial Pacific and that in the China seas.     

ENSO indices from sea surface salinity observed by Aquarius and Argo

Analysis of the first 26 months of data from the Aquarius satellite confirms the existence of a sharp sea surface salinity (SSS) front along the equator in the western equatorial Pacific. Following several earlier studies, we use the longitudinal location of the 34.8-psu isohaline as an index, termed Niño-S34.8, to measure the zonal displacement of the SSS front and consequently the eastern edge of the western Pacific warm pool. The on-going collection of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (ARGO) program data shows high correlations between Niño-S34.8 and the existing indices of El Niño, suggesting its potential important role in ENSO evolution. Further analysis of the ARGO data reveals that SSS variability in the southeastern tropical Pacific is crucial to identify the type of El Niño. A new SSS index, termed the southeastern Pacific SSS index (SEPSI), is defined based on the SSS variability in the region (0°–10°S, 150°–90°W). The SEPSI is highly correlated with the El Niño Modoki index, as well as the Trans-Niño index, introduced by previous studies. It has large positive anomalies during central Pacific El Niño or El Niño Modoki events, as a result of enhanced zonal sea surface temperature gradients between the central and eastern tropical Pacific, and can be used to characterize the type of El Niño. The processes that possibly control these SSS indices are also discussed.     

A thermal centroid or a mass centroid?

This study reveals the physical backgrounds of the geometric centroid and the thermal centroid of the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) and points out their differences. The geometric centroid (actually a very close approximation to the mass centroid) anomaly of the surface WPWP correlates more closely with the Niño-3 region sea surface temperature anomaly (Niño-3 SSTA, an important indicator of El Niño/La Niña events) than the surface thermal centroid. Taking the WPWP depth (or heat storage) into account, the “real” mass or thermal centroid of the WPWP might correlate better with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signals.     

Analysis of the cause and effect relationships between El Niño in the Pacific and its analog in the equatorial Atlantic

The relations between the processes occurring in the equatorial latitudes of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans were studied on the basis of the Granger causality analysis and a simulation of phase dynamics using the indices of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the equatorial Atlantic mode (EAM). Data on the monthly means of the sea-surface temperature over the period 1870–2006 for the Niño 3 (5° S-5° N, 150° W-90° W) and Niño 3.4 (5° S-5° N, 170° W-120° W) regions in the Pacific and the Atlantic 3 region (20° W-0, 3° S-3° N) in the Atlantic Ocean were used as the ENSO and EAM indices. The statistically significant influence of the EAM on the ENSO is noted. The lag time of this influence is estimated at two months. No significant reverse effect is revealed. An increase in the EAM’s influence on the ENSO was observed in the second half of the 20th century.     

ENSO related variations in biogeochemistry of AA and HA in settling particles along the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Four year-long time-series sediment trap experiments were conducted along the equatorial Pacific Ocean in order to understand the biogeochemistry of particulate organic matter (POM) on the basis of amino acid (AA) and hexosamine (HA) compositions of the settling particles. Total mass flux in the study area varied over 4 orders of magnitude without a common seasonality among all trap sites. Planktonic blooms were apparent in terms of total mass and AA fluxes at the easternmost end of the Niño-4 region. AA fluxes closely followed the total mass flux profiles, suggesting that increased particle flux delivered a greater amount of labile OM to the deep ocean. A labile OM index (LI)-based classification showed that during the El Niño conditions in 2002, the eastern side of the equatorial Pacific transported relatively more labile OM than the western equatorial Pacific. An overall change in AA and HA composition of settling particles could be revealed with the help of discriminant analysis, suggesting that settling particles during El Niño were compositionally different from those settling during La Niña condition in the equatorial Pacific.     

Spatial classification of La Niña events

Thirty La Niña events have been selected from monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) data of the Hadley Centre Global Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature (HadISST) and Centennial Observation-Based Estimates (COBE SST2) datasets from 1870 to 2013 based on a criterion of –0.5°С for a cold anomaly in the Niño 3.4 region (5° N–5° S, 170°–120° W) and its minimum duration of 5 months. The selected events are classified by hierarchical clustering analysis according to two characteristics: geographic coordinates and SST anomalies during the mature phase of La Niña. The objective classification method identifies two types of La Niña differing by the evolution of negative SST anomalies in the equatorial Pacific and by the Southern Oscillation Index.     

赤道太平洋次表层海温异常年际和年代际变率特征与ENSO循环

用美国马里兰大学提供的海洋同化(SODA)月平均资料,分析了赤道太平洋次表层海温异常年际和年代际变率的演化特征,讨论了它们对ENSO循环的影响.结果指出,赤道太平洋次表层海温异常年际和年代际变率具相似的ENSO模分布和演变过程,二者均以赤道西太平洋暖池次表层海温显著的异常中心与赤道东太平洋表层海温异常中心显著反号为主要分布特征,其演变过程通过赤道西太平洋暖池次表层海温异常中心沿海洋气候温跃层向东向上传播来完成.赤道西太平洋暖池次表层海温异常年际变率决定了ENSO循环,年代际变率对ENSO循环也有重要影响,其影响主要在中太平洋, 造成ENSO模的年代际变化.当年代际变率处于正常状态时,ENSO循环基本上是东部型冷暖事件之间的转换;当年际和年代际变率位相相同时,ENSO事件强度将会加强和持续,并出现中部型ENSO事件;当二者位相相反时, ENSO事件强度将会减弱.     

ENSO-induced interannual variability in the southeastern South China Sea

In this study, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-induced interannual variability in the South China Sea (SCS) is documented using outputs from an eddy-resolving data-assimilating model. It is suggested that during an El Niño (La Niña) event, off-equatorial upwelling (downwelling) Rossby waves induced by Pacific equatorial wind anomalies impinge on the Philippine Islands and excite upwelling (downwelling) coastal Kelvin waves that propagate northward along the west coast of the Philippines after entering the SCS through the Mindoro Strait. The coastal Kelvin waves may then induce negative (positive) sea level anomalies in the southeastern SCS and larger (smaller) volume transport through the Mindoro and Luzon Straits during an El Niño (La Niña) event.     

Upper ocean heat content and atmospheric anomaly fields in the off-equatorial North Pacific related to ENSO

We have investigated interannual-scale variations of oceanic and atmospheric anomaly fields, such as upper ocean heat content (OHC), sea surface temperature (SST), latent heat flux (LHF) through the sea surface, sea level pressure (SLP) and wind stress curl (WSC) in the tropical Pacific and their relationships to El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The results reported here show that the OHC and SST anomalies are almost in phase and lead LHF anomalies in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) region, which are preferable to the generation of subsequent atmospheric anomalies in the WTP. We also describe linear relationships between the amplitudes of these variables in the WTP. In addition, the results show that the both WSC and LHF anomalies are in phase with the temporal trend of OHC anomalies in the WTP, and suggest a combined effect of the local WSC and LHF anomaly in the WTP and ENSO-related, off-equatorial, westward propagating OHC anomaly to generate a large OHC anomaly in the WTP. In contrast to the WTP, OHC and SST anomalies are not in phase to the east of the WTP. The results also indicate that OHC anomalies in the WTP have a potential effect on the generation of an equatorial OHC anomaly via both a reflection of waves at the western boundary and atmospheric variations, which force the enhancement of western equatorial OHC anomaly. Therefore, the WTP is a key region where ENSO events are significantly modulated, and OHC anomalies in the WTP play an important role in the subsequent ENSO event.     

赤道太平洋海域上层海洋热含量及其变化机制的诊断分析*

基于1992—2015年国际共享的ECCO v4 (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean Version 4)同化产品, 利用热含量控制方程定量地诊断赤道太平洋(118°E—75°W, 5°S—5°N, 0~300m)和Niño 3.4区(170°W—120°W, 5°S—5°N, 0~80m)这两块区域热含量变化机制。对于去掉季节平均后的年际变化, 在赤道太平洋地区, 时间趋势项主要由经向输送和海表热通量项共同驱动。通过5°N断面的输送决定了时间趋势项的幅值和正负符号。在Niño 3.4区, 时间趋势项主要由海表热通量项和热量输送项共同驱动, 其中垂向输送对总输送贡献最大。赤道太平洋地区经向热量输送异常领先于Niño 3.4区垂向热量输送异常, 这解释了在年际尺度上赤道太平洋热含量异常领先Niño 3.4指数变化的原因。尽管EP(Eastern Pattern)型El Niño和CP(Central Pattern)型El Niño有许多不同之处, 合成分析表明, 两类El Niño的共同点为: 在赤道太平洋地区, 两类El Niño事件的热量输送异常在发展期和衰退期由经向输送主导; 在Niño 3.4区, EP型El Niño和CP型El Niño的热量输送在发展期和衰退期由垂向输送主导。     

西风爆发、次表层暖水东移与厄尔尼诺现象

利用最近20 a的大气海洋资料,分析了厄尔尼诺事件与赤道太平洋西风异常以及赤道太平洋次表层海温之间的关系.结果表明,赤道西太平洋(5°S～5°N,120°～160°E)和赤道中东太平洋(5°S～5°N,160°E～160°W)西风异常都存在着与厄尔尼诺周期一致的年际变化,但前者还包含有显著的2～3个月季节内振荡.赤道西太平洋次表层冷暖水东移也呈现年和年际时间尺度的振荡周期.在厄尔尼诺发生前,赤道西太平洋次表层海水出现持续性增暖,赤道西太平洋西风异常频率加快,强度增强.随后赤道中太平洋(160°E～160°W)出现持续性(3个月以上)强西风异常(即西风爆发),并进一步向东扩展,同时次表层暖水沿着赤道波导东移到赤道东太平洋混合层,导致赤道东太平洋海表大面积异常增暖,形成一次厄尔尼诺现象.最后,模式模拟了1980～1984年赤道太平洋海温的变化,进一步证实了赤道纬向西风异常对暖水东移起着重要的作用.     

有界赤道大洋波包解及其年际年代际变率

Linearized shallow water perturbation equations with approximation in an equatorial β plane are used to obtain the analytical solution of wave packet anomalies in the upper bounded equatorial ocean. The main results are as follows. The wave packet is a superposition of eastward travelling Kelvin waves and westward travelling Rossby waves with the slowest speed, and satisfies the boundary conditions of eastern and western coasts, respectively.The decay coefficient of this solution to the north and south sides of the equator is inversely proportional only to the phase velocity of Kelvin waves in the upper water. The oscillation frequency of the wave packet, which is also the natural frequency of the ocean, is proportional to its mode number and the phase velocity of Kelvin waves and is inversely proportional to the length of the equatorial ocean in the east-west direction. The flow anomalies of the wave packet of Mode 1 most of the time appear as zonal flows with the same direction. They reach the maximum at the center of the equatorial ocean and decay rapidly away from the equator, manifested as equatorially trapped waves. The flow anomalies of the wave packet of Mode 2 appear as the zonal flows with the same direction most of the time in half of the ocean, and are always 0 at the center of the entire ocean which indicates stagnation, while decaying away from the equator with the same speed as that of Mode 1. The spatial structure and oscillation period of the wave packet solution of Mode 1 and Mode 2 are consistent with the changing periods of the surface spatial field and time coefficient of the first and second modes of complex empirical orthogonal function(EOF)analysis of flow anomalies in the actual equatorial ocean. This indicates that the solution does exist in the real ocean, and that El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) and Indian Ocean dipole(IOD) are both related to Mode 2.After considering the Indonesian throughflow, we can obtain the length of bounded equatorial ocean by taking the sum of that of the tropical Indian Ocean and the tropical Pacific Ocean, thus this wave packet can also explain the decadal variability(about 20 a) of the equatorial Pacific and Indian Oceans.     

海洋再分析资料中IOD-ENSO遥相关的海洋通道机制分析

本文利用滞后相关分析,研究了海洋再分析资料（SODA、ORAS4和GODAS）中的IOD-ENSO滞后遥相关关系,并与观测资料进行对比。结果显示,3套再分析资料中热带东南印度洋秋季海表温度/海表高度异常和赤道太平洋冷舌次年秋季海表温度/海表高度异常之间显著相关,与观测结果一致。在次表层,观测和再分析资料均显示,热带东南印度洋秋季海表温度异常与赤道太平洋次表层海温异常之间的显著相关关系在冬季至次年秋季沿赤道太平洋垂向剖面向东移动,并于次年夏季和秋季在冷舌区上升至海表。热带东南印度洋和赤道太平洋冷舌滞后1年的相关关系是由海洋通道机制引起的,即IOD事件引起印尼贯穿流流量异常,导致赤道太平洋温跃层异常,激发赤道Kelvin波向东传播,从而影响赤道中-东太平洋冷舌海表温度异常。观测及SODA与ORAS4资料中,热带东南印度洋和赤道太平洋冷舌滞后1年的相关关系在去除ENSO信号后仍然显著,表明海洋通道机制是独立于ENSO事件的;而在GODAS资料中,这些显著相关关系在去除ENSO信号后消失。印尼贯穿流流量异常和Niño3.4及DMI（Dipole Mode Index）指数之间超前-滞后12个月的相关关系显示,在SODA和ORAS4资料中,印尼贯穿流流量同时受到ENSO和IOD的影响,与观测结果一致;而在GODAS中,印尼贯穿流流量异常仅与Niño3.4指数显著相关,极少受到IOD事件的影响,这部分解释了GODAS资料中去除ENSO信号后,IOD-ENSO滞后遥相关关系消失的原因。     

ENSO循环相联系的北太平洋低纬度异常西边界流

用SODA海洋同化和NCEP大气再分析资料,分析了热带太平洋次表层海温异常主要模态与北太平洋低纬度西边界流海域上层海洋环流和亚洲-北太平洋地区大气垂直和水平流场变化之间的关系,得到以下结果:（1） 在热带太平洋海洋次表层ENSO事件具有两种模态,二者组合构成ENSO循环。第一模态为ENSO成熟期,主要出现在冬季,第二模态为ENSO过渡期,主要出现夏季。（2） ENSO循环对北太平洋低纬度西边界流区上层海洋环流有重要影响。在El Niño发展期或La Niña 衰退期,该区出现气旋性异常环流,北赤道流（NEC）加强,NEC分叉位置北移,棉兰老海流（MC）加大,菲律宾以东黑潮（KC）减小,北赤道逆流（NECC）最强。在El Niño（La Niña）成熟期,该区气旋性（反气旋性）异常环流达最强,NEC最强（最弱）,NEC分叉位置最北（最南）,MC最大（最小）,KC最小（最大）,NECC减弱（加强）。在El Niño衰退期或La Niña发展期与El Niño发展期相反,该区出现反气旋性异常环流,由此导致相应流系异常发生反位相变化。（3） ENSO循环对北太平洋低纬度西边界流海域上层海洋环流的影响是通过ENSO事件期间热带太平洋热力状况异常改变上空大气环流来实现的。ENSO事件首先造成热带太平洋海洋热力状况异常,导致其上空对流活动异常,后者直接或间接通过“大气桥”能量传输引起相关地区大气环流场的变化,致使海面风应力场异常,进而强迫上层海洋环流场的相应变化。文章最后还分析了ENSO事件期间菲律宾附近异常反气旋或异常气旋性风场的产生和持续原因,讨论了北太平洋低纬度西边界流海域海气相互作用在ENSO循环中的贡献。     

ENSO相联系的热带太平洋上层海洋异常环流

本文使用SODA(simple ocean data assimilation)海洋同化资料,系统分析了厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)循环中冷暖位相期间热带太平洋上层海洋环流的演变规律,探讨了形成海洋环流异常的新机制。结果表明,在厄尔尼诺成熟期,热带中东太平洋赤道潜流最弱,赤道两侧出现反气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域出现气旋性环流异常,该区南、北赤道流、棉兰老流、黑潮、新几内亚沿岸潜流及南赤道逆流增强;北赤道逆流区出现异常气旋性环流串,北赤道逆流接近正常。在厄尔尼诺衰退期和拉尼娜发展期,热带中西太平洋赤道潜流达到极强,赤道两侧出现气旋性环流异常;西太平洋赤道外热带海域异常环流减弱,该处主要流场的强度减弱或处于正常状态;北赤道逆流区反转为异常西向流。结果表明, ENSO循环期间的上层海洋环流异常受到热带太平洋温跃层深度异常产生的压强梯度力异常调控,在赤道外热带海洋温跃层深度异常和科里奥利力共同作用产生大尺度海洋环流异常,而在赤道海域,海洋温跃层深度异常和Gill效应造成赤道潜流异常以及关于赤道对称的气旋或反气旋性环流异常。     

Spatial and temporal variability of heat content above the thermocline in the tropical Pacific Ocean

Abstract-Heat content of the upper layer above the 20℃ isotherm in the tropical Pacific Ocean isestimated by using the sea temperature data set with a resolution 2°latitude×5°longitude (1980～1993)for the water depths (every 10 m) from 0 m to 400 m, and its temporal and spatial variabilities are an-alyzed. (1) The temporal variability indicates that the total heat in the upper layer of the equatorial Pa-cific Ocean is charcterized by the interannual variability. The time series of the equatorial heat anomaly5 months lead that of the El Nino index at the best positive lag correlation between the two, and theformer 13 months lag behind the latter at their best negative lag correlation. Therefore the equatorialheat content can be used as a better predictor than the El Nino index for a warm or cold event. In addi-tion, it is also found that less heat anomaly in the equator corresponds to the stronger warm events inthe period (1980～1993) and much more heat was accumulated in the 4 years including 1992/1     

西沙周边海域海平面异常变化特征及成因分析

Based on the analysis of wind,ocean currents,sea surface temperature(SST) and remote sensing satellite altimeter data,the characteristics and possible causes of sea level anomalies in the Xisha sea area are investigated.The main results are shown as follows:(1) Since 1993,the sea level in the Xisha sea area was obviously higher than normal in 1998,2001,2008,2010 and 2013.Especially,the sea level in 1998 and 2010 was abnormally high,and the sea level in 2010 was 13.2 cm higher than the muti-year mean,which was the highest in the history.In 2010,the sea level in the Xisha sea area had risen 43 cm from June to August,with the strength twice the annual variation range.(2) The sea level in the Xisha sea area was not only affected by the tidal force of the celestial bodies,but also closely related to the quasi 2 a periodic oscillation of tropical western Pacific monsoon and ENSO events.(3)There was a significant negative correlation between sea level in the Xisha sea area and ENSO events.The high sea level anomaly all happened during the developing phase of La Ni?a.They also show significant negative correlations with Ni?o 4 and Ni?o 3.4 indices,and the lag correlation coefficients for 2 months and 3 months are–0.46 and –0.45,respectively.(4) During the early La Ni?a event form June to November in 2010,the anomalous wind field was cyclonic.A strong clockwise vortex was formed for the current in 25 m layer in the Xisha sea area,and the velocity of the current is close to the speed of the Kuroshio near the Luzon Strait.In normal years,there is a "cool eddy".While in 2010,from July to August,the SST in the area was 2–3°C higher than that of the same period in the history.     

Oceanic processes of upper ocean heat content associated with two types of ENSO

The spatiotemporal variability of equatorial Pacific upper ocean heat content (HC) and subsurface heat during two types of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), namely eastern and central Pacific (EP and CP) types, is investigated using subsurface ocean heat budget analysis. Results show that HC tendencies during both types of ENSO are mainly controlled by oceanic heat advection beneath the mixed layer to the thermocline, and the role of net surface heat flux can be neglected. The most important three terms are the zonal and vertical advections of anomalous heat by climatological currents (QU ₀ T′, QW ₀ T′) and zonal advection of climatological heat by anomalous current (QU′T ₀). The large contribution of QU ₀ T′ extends from west to east along the equatorial Pacific. The considerable contribution of QU′T ₀ is confined to the east of 160°W, and that of the QW ₀ T′ is observed in the central Pacific between 180°E and 120°W. In particular, a major contribution of QW ₀ T′ is also observed in the far eastern Pacific east of 100°W during EP ENSO. There is also a small contribution from meridional advection of climatological heat by anomalous current (QV′T ₀). In contrast, the meridional advection of anomalous heat by climatological currents (QV ₀ T′) and vertical advection of climatological heat by anomalous current (QW′T ₀) are two damping factors in the HC tendency, with the former dominating. Differences in spatial distribution of the heat advection associated with the two types of ENSO are also presented. We define a warm water heat index (WWH) as integrated heat content above 26 kg m^?3 potential density (26σ _? ) isopycnal depth within 130°E–80°W and 5°S–5°N. Further examination suggests that the recharge–discharge of WWH is involved in both types of El Niño, though with some differences. First, it takes about 42 (55) months for the evolution of a recharge–discharge cycle during an EP (CP) ENSO. Second, the EP El Niño event peaks during the discharge phase, 7–8 months after the recharge time. The CP El Niño peaks during the recharge phase, 4–5 months before the recharge time. The locations of HC anomalies in the El Niño mature phase relative to those at recharged time explain why the EP and CP El Niño peak in different stages of the recharge–discharge process.     

中国科学院气候系统模式模拟的ENSO循环

On the basis of more than 200-year control run, the performance of the climate system model of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS-ESM-C) in simulating the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation(ENSO) cycle is evaluated, including the onset, development and decay of the ENSO. It is shown that, the model can reasonably simulate the annual cycle and interannual variability of sea surface temperature(SST) in the tropical Pacific, as well as the seasonal phase-locking of the ENSO. The model also captures two prerequisites for the El Ni?o onset, i.e., a westerly anomaly and a warm SST anomaly in the equatorial western Pacific. Owing to too strong forcing from an extratropical meridional wind, however, the westerly anomaly in this region is largely overestimated. Moreover, the simulated thermocline is much shallower with a weaker slope. As a result, the warm SST anomaly from the western Pacific propagates eastward more quickly, leading to a faster development of an El Ni?o. During the decay stage, owing to a stronger El Ni?o in the model, the secondary Gill-type response of the tropical atmosphere to the eastern Pacific warming is much stronger, thereby resulting in a persistent easterly anomaly in the western Pacific. Meanwhile, a cold anomaly in the warm pool appears as a result of a lifted thermocline via Ekman pumping. Finally, an El Ni?o decays into a La Ni?a through their interactions. In addition, the shorter period and larger amplitude of the ENSO in the model can be attributed to a shallower thermocline in the equatorial Pacific, which speeds up the zonal redistribution of a heat content in the upper ocean.