Northward expansion of the western Pacific Warm Pool in late 1990s and early 2000s

Based on 48-year (1958–2006) ocean reanalysis data of Simple Ocean Data Assimilation and 23-year (1984–2006) global ocean-surface heat flux products developed by the Objectively Analyzed Air-Sea Heat Flux Project, meridional variation of the western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) is addressed. The results show that there is a significant expansion of the northern edge of the WPWP in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This variation is mainly within 120°E–160°E by 8°N–20°N, we define this region (120°E–160°E by 8°N–20°N) as the core region. Furthermore, analyses on upper ocean heat budget show that the short wave radiation plays a key role in the northward expansion of the northern edge of the WPWP in the core region. It is proved that the northward expansion may be caused by the change of the mixed layer which became shallower in 1994–2006 compared with 1984–1993 in the study region. The short wave radiation flux distribution within the shallower mixed layer leads to a positive anomaly in seawater temperature, promoting the northward expansion of the WPWP.