A POSSIBLE IMPACT OF ELNi?o MODOKI ON SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF CHINA’S OFFSHORE AND ITS ADJACENT REGIONS

E1 Nino Modoki, similar to but different from canonical E1 Nino, has been observed since the late 1970s. In this paper, using HadlSST and NCEP/NCAR wind data, we analyze the relationship between E1 Nifio Modoki and Sea Surface Temperature （SST） in the offshore area of China and its adjacent waters for different seasons. Our results show a significant negative correlation between E1 Nifio Modoki in summer and SST in autumn in the offshore area of China and its adjacent waters, particularly for regions located in the east of the Kuroshio. It is also found that during E1 Nifio Modoki period, anomalous northerlies prevail over the regions from the northern part of the Philippines to the offshore area of China, indicating that the northerlies are unfavorable for the transport of warm water from the western tropical Pacific to the mid-latitude area. Consequently, E1 Nifio Modoki in summer may play a substantial role in cold SST anomalies in the offshore area of China and its adjacent waters in autumn through the influence of the Kuroshio, with a lagged response of the ocean to the atmospheric wind field.