ENSO variability and the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) encompasses variability in both the eastern and western tropical Pacific. During the warm phase of ENSO, the eastern tropical Pacific is characterized by equatorial positive sea surface temperature (SST) and negative sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies, while the western tropical Pacific is marked by off-equatorial negative SST and positive SLP anomalies. Corresponding to this distribution are equatorial westerly wind anomalies in the central Pacific and equatorial easterly wind anomalies in the far western Pacific. Occurrence of ENSO has been explained as either a self-sustained, naturally oscillatory mode of the coupled ocean–atmosphere system or a stable mode triggered by stochastic forcing. Whatever the case, ENSO involves the positive ocean–atmosphere feedback hypothesized by Bjerknes. After an El Niño reaches its mature phase, negative feedbacks are required to terminate growth of the mature El Niño anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific. Four requisite negative feedbacks have been proposed: reflected Kelvin waves at the ocean western boundary, a discharge process due to Sverdrup transport, western Pacific wind-forced Kelvin waves, and anomalous zonal advections. These negative feedbacks may work together for terminating El Niño, with their relative importance being time-dependent.ENSO variability is most pronounced along the equator and the coast of Ecuador and Peru. However, the eastern tropical Pacific also includes a warm pool north of the equator where important variability occurs. Seasonally, ocean advection seems to play an important role for SST variations of the eastern Pacific warm pool. Interannual variability in the eastern Pacific warm pool may be largely due to a direct oceanic connection with the ENSO variability at the equator. Variations in temperature, stratification, insolation, and productivity associated with ENSO have implications for phytoplankton productivity and for fish, birds, and other organisms in the region. Long-term changes in ENSO variability may be occurring and are briefly discussed. This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific.     

Synoptic climatology of Northern Hemisphere available potential energy collapses

Three recurring regional patterns of extratropical baroclinic development associated with synoptic‐scale collapses of Northern Hemisphere available potential energy (APE) are identified using a 1979–95 time series derived from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis. A time series of the intraseasonal signal (from 1.6 to 180 days) of APE is used to discern an average cycle of approximately 3 days in the APE generation rate d A /d t (referred to as APE depletion rate if negative). An APE depletion event is defined as a fall and subsequent rise in the time series of d A /d t associated with this cycle. We define synoptic‐scale APE collapses as APE depletion events with maximum depletion rates (d A /d t _min) and maximum APE falls (Δ A _min) of less than −0.145× 10⁶ J m⁻² day⁻¹ and −0.280×10⁶ J m⁻², respectively. All are cold season (15 October–15 April) events. APE collapses were classified based on the evolution of regional synoptic patterns during the 2 days centered at the time of d A /d t _min . All are accompanied by deep tropospheric warming. The west Pacific warm surge (Type A) is driven by cyclogenesis over Japan and anticyclogenesis over the west‐central North Pacific. The Bering warm surge (Type B) is associated with an intense southerly flow across the Bering Strait brought on by cyclogenesis near the Kamchatka Peninsula and an intense anticyclone over Alaska. The Atlantic Canada warm surge (Type C) is characterized by an onshore flow of warm air ahead of a continental storm track over eastern North America.     

SST年循环对El Niño事件局地海气过程的影响

利用Hadley中心逐月海表温度、欧洲中心ERA-40的10 m风场及CMAP降水资料探讨了年循环对热带太平洋El Niño海气相互作用过程的影响。尽管El Niño对应的海表温度异常主要出现在赤道东太平洋,经向上呈南北对称分布,然而其对应的大气响应在El Niño年衰减阶段却有着强的向南移动特征。在El Niño发展年的11月之前,强的西风和降水异常主要出现在赤道中太平洋;在12月份之后,赤道上的西风和降水异常迅速南移至5°S,随后西风一直维持在该位置直至衰亡。同时,西太平洋负降水和反气旋异常向北移动。这种SST异常与其大气响应的经向移动不一致,主要是由热带中太平洋气候态SST的季节性南移导致的。由于对流与海温之间存在非线性关系,即当总SST超过一定的阈值,对流降水才会迅速增强;因此相应的对流响应也随着总海温的南移而南移,风场响应也同时南移。此外,南半球增强的对流会通过经向环流进一步抑制北半球的降水,从而使西太平洋负降水和反气旋异常增强并北移。通过分析有/无年循环的两组数值试验结果验证了上述结论,即有年循环的试验较真实地模拟出了观测中异常西风南移和西北太平洋反气旋异常的出现;无年循环试验尽管能模拟出El Niño年赤道中太平洋的西风异常,但其却没有南北向的移动,西北太平洋的反气旋也没有出现。因此,热带中太平洋气候态暖海温的季节循环对El Niño事件大气响应有着至关重要的作用。     

南北半球副热带高压对赤道东太平洋海温变化的响应

本文利用1974年1月到1996年12月重分析(NOAANCEP-NCARCDAS-1)全球500hPa位势高度场资料,及同期赤道太平洋各海区SST资料,研究了南北半球副热带高压的变化特征及其对赤道东太平洋SST变化的响应。结果表明,全球副热带高压的变化及对SST的响应,在南北两个半球有很好的一致性。全球副热带高压强度的变化与超前3个月SST的正相关最为显着。对SST响应最强烈的区域主要在南北纬30°之间的低纬,低纬地区局地SST对副热带高压也有强烈的影响。从10°到30°纬度,对SST的响应分别落后于赤道2～9个月。在中、高纬大气环流的响应表现为波列特征,对暖SST及冷SST的响应波列基本相反,但对暖SST的响应更为显着。海温和副热带高压的月际持续性有明显的季节变化,副热带高压9-10月的相关障碍可能与NinoC区SST8-9月的相关障碍低点有关。     

Response of global subtropical highs to the equatorial eastern Pacific SST anomaly

INTRODUCTIONDuring the 1960s, Bjerknes (1966, 1969) first noted that there had been strong relationshipbetween the tropical Pacific SST and atmospheric circulation. SST anomaly could affect tropicalatmospheric circulation by the Walker Circulation, and affect extratropical atmospheric circulationby the Hadley Circulation. When there was a "warm" event in the eastern tropical Pacific, ascending and sinking branch of the Hadley Circulation would strengthen, subtropical highs (SHs)and …     

全球气候模式中赤道东太平洋海表温度的季节循环：从CMIP5到CMIP6

The sea surface temperature(SST) seasonal cycle in the eastern equatorial Pacific(EEP) plays an important role in the El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation(ENSO) phenomenon. However, the reasonable simulation of SST seasonal cycle in the EEP is still a challenge for climate models. In this paper, we evaluated the performance of 17 CMIP6 climate models in simulating the seasonal cycle in the EEP and compared them with 43 CMIP5 climate models. In general, only CESM2 and SAM0-UNICON are able to successfully capture the annual mean SST characteristics,and the results showed that CMIP6 models have no fundamental improvement in the model annual mean bias.For the seasonal cycle, 14 out of 17 climate models are able to represent the major characteristics of the observed SST annual evolution. In spring, 12 models capture the 1–2 months leading the eastern equatorial Pacific region 1(EP1; 5°S–5°N, 110°–85°W) against the eastern equatorial Pacific region 2(EP2; 5°S–5°N, 140°–110°W). In autumn,only two models, GISS-E2-G and SAM0-UNICON, correctly show that the EP1 and EP2 SSTs vary in phase. For the CMIP6 MME SST simulation in EP1, both the cold bias along the equator in the warm phase and the warm bias in the cold phase lead to a weaker annual SST cycle in the CGCMs, which is similar to the CMIP5 results. However,both the seasonal cold bias and warm bias are considerably decreased for CMIP6, which leads the annual SST cycle to more closely reflect the observation. For the CMIP6 MME SST simulation in EP2, the amplitude is similar to the observed value due to the quasi-constant cold bias throughout the year, although the cold bias is clearly improved after August compared with CMIP5 models. Overall, although SAM0-UNICON successfully captured the seasonal cycle characteristics in the EEP and the improvement from CMIP5 to CMIP6 in simulating EEP SST is clear, the fundamental climate models simulated biases still exist.     

太平洋表层海温的年代际变化

众所周知，ENSO(El Nino/ Southern Oscillation)是发生在热带太平洋的年际时间尺度上最强的气候信号，与 El Nino (La Nina)相应的正(负)海温距平(SSTA)主要分布于赤道中东太平洋地区(Rasmusson et al.，1982)。相对于热带太平洋的年际ENSO现象，人们注意到北太平洋海平面气压(SLP)存在更长周期的年代际变化(Trenberth et al.，1994)，有人认为这与北太平洋的表层温度(SST)变化有关(Latif et al.，1994)，也有人认为与热带SST的异常关系更为密切(Jacobs et al.，1994)。20世纪80年代后的ENSO事件和20世纪60，70年代有明显的差别(Wang，1995)，20世纪90年后El Nino发生频数增加，并且在1997和1998年出现了20世纪最强的一次Nino事件(McPhaden，1999)。 因此，不论是作为大气年代际变化可能的一个驱动因子，还是作为年际ENSO的背景场，从整体上了解太平洋SST的年代际时间尺度上的时、空变化特征都是十分重要的。     

Pacific subtropical cell variability in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th century

Observational studies of the Pacific basin since the 1950s have demonstrated that a decrease (increase) in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is significantly correlated with a spin-up (slow-down) of the Pacific Subtropical Cells (STCs). STCs are shallow wind-driven overturning circulations that provide a pathway by which extratropical atmospheric variability can impact the equatorial Pacific thermocline and, through upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific, tropical Pacific SSTs. Recent studies have shown that this observed relationship between SSTs and STCs is absent in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries. In this paper we investigate what causes this relationship to breakdown and to what extent this limits the models’ ability to simulate observed climate change in the equatorial Pacific since the late 19th century. To provide insight into these questions we first show that the NCAR Community Climate System Model’s simulation of observed climate change since the 1970s has a robust signal in the equatorial Pacific that bears a close resemblance to observations. Strikingly, absent is a robust signal in the equatorial thermocline. Our results suggest that the coupled model may be reproducing the observed local ocean response to changes in forcing but inadequately reproducing the remote STC-forcing of the tropical Pacific due to the underestimate of extratropical winds that force these ocean circulations. These conclusions are found to be valid in five different coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries (CCSM3, GISS EH, GFDL CM2.1, CSIRO-Mk3, and HadCM3).     

A possible role of the South China Sea in ENSO cycle

A data-based hypothesis on the role of the South China Sea (SCS) in ENSO cycle is proposed: during El Nino, there are westerly wind anomaly over the western equatorial Pacific and positive SST anomaly in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Meanwhile anomalous convection moves to the central Pacific with anomalous sinking over Indonesian Archipelago. The latter can cause southerly wind anomaly over the north of South China Sea (NSCS) and makes the NSCS warmer. The warm NSCS can attract the anomalous convection to it in some degree. This attraction is in favor for producing easterly wind anomaly over the western equatorial Pacific, so it helps to form a cycle.     

西太平洋暖池表层暖水的纬向运移

基于1950～2000年太平洋月平均SST资料,运用Morlet小波分析等方法研究了西太平洋暖池表层暖水的纬向运移特征.结果表明:暖池表层暖水纬向运移的年际(2～8a)和年代际(10～16a)变化都非常明显;表层暖水的纬向运移于1982年前后经历了一次气候跃变,跃变后暖水东界的平均位置比跃变前东移了10个经度;表层暖水的纬向运移对ENSO暖(ElNiño)、冷(LaNiña)事件的形成和发展具有直接的作用.     

Pacific subtropical cell variability in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th century

Observational studies of the Pacific basin since the 1950s have demonstrated that a decrease (increase) in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is significantly correlated with a spin-up (slow-down) of the Pacific Subtropical Cells (STCs). STCs are shallow wind-driven overturning circulations that provide a pathway by which extratropical atmospheric variability can impact the equatorial Pacific thermocline and, through upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific, tropical Pacific SSTs. Recent studies have shown that this observed relationship between SSTs and STCs is absent in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries. In this paper we investigate what causes this relationship to breakdown and to what extent this limits the models’ ability to simulate observed climate change in the equatorial Pacific since the late 19th century. To provide insight into these questions we first show that the NCAR Community Climate System Model’s simulation of observed climate change since the 1970s has a robust signal in the equatorial Pacific that bears a close resemblance to observations. Strikingly, absent is a robust signal in the equatorial thermocline. Our results suggest that the coupled model may be reproducing the observed local ocean response to changes in forcing but inadequately reproducing the remote STC-forcing of the tropical Pacific due to the underestimate of extratropical winds that force these ocean circulations. These conclusions are found to be valid in five different coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries (CCSM3, GISS EH, GFDL CM2.1, CSIRO-Mk3, and HadCM3).     

Zooplankton and the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

We review the spatial and temporal patterns of zooplankton in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and relationships with oceanographic factors that affect zooplankton distribution, abundance and trophic relationships. Large-scale spatial patterns of some zooplankton groups show broad coincidence with surface water masses, circulation, and upwelling regions, in agreement with an ecological and dynamic partitioning of the pelagic ecosystem. The papers reviewed and a new compilation of zooplankton volume data at large-scale show that abundance patterns of zooplankton biomass have their highest values in the upwelling regions, including the Gulf of Tehuantepec, the Costa Rica Dome, the equatorial cold tongue, and the coast of Peru.Some of the first studies of zooplankton vertical distribution were done in this region, and a general review of the topic is presented. The possible physiological implications of vertical migration in zooplankton and the main hypotheses are described, with remarks on the importance of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) as a barrier to both the vertical distribution and migration of zooplankton in the region. Recent results, using multiple-net gear, show that vertical distribution is more complex than previously thought. There are some well-adapted species that do live and migrate within the OMZ.Temporal patterns are reviewed and summarized with historical data. Seasonal variations in zooplankton biomass follow productivity cycles in upwelling areas. No zooplankton time series exist to resolve ENSO effects in oceanic regions, but some El Niño events have had effects in the Peru Current ecosystem. Multidecadal periods of up to 50 years show a shift from a warm sardine regime with a low zooplankton biomass to a cool anchovy regime in the eastern Pacific with higher zooplankton biomasses. However, zooplankton volume off Peru has remained at low values since the 1972 El Niño, a trend opposite to that of anchoveta biomass since 1984.Studies of trophic relations emphasize the difference in the productivity cycle in the eastern tropical Pacific compared to temperate or polar ecosystems, with no particular peaks in the stocks of either zooplankton or phytoplankton. Productivity is more dependent on local events like coastal upwelling or water circulation, especially in the equatorial countercurrent and around the equatorial cool-tongue. Micrograzers are very important in the tropics as are predatory mesozooplankton. Up to 70% of the daily primary productivity is consumed by microzooplankton, which thus regulates the phytoplankton stocks. Micrograzers are an important link between primary producers, including bacteria, and mesozooplankton, constituting up to 80% of mesozooplankton food. Oceanography affects zooplankton trophic relationships through spatial–temporal effects on primary productivity and on the distributions of metabolic factors, food organisms, and predators. This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific.     

Dry bulk density and CaCO3 relationships in upper Quaternary sediments of the eastern equatorial Pacific

Results from 1110 paired CaCO₃ and bulk density measurements from cores raised from the eastern equatorial Pacific permit formulation of well constrained CaCO₃-DBD relationships for that region. The cores lie along a N-S transect at 110°W from 10°N to 3°S underneath the different currents of the equatorial current system and along an E-W transect from 110° to 90°W, at approximately 3°S. Two distinct, crescent-shaped dry bulk density-CaCO₃ relationships are observed. For equal CaCO₃ percentages, sediments from those sites at 110°W, which are situated in the high productivity zone, have lower dry bulk density. Cores raised from closer to shore have relatively greater DBD.     

印度洋-太平洋暖池海域表层水温分析

利用1951~2003年HadISST资料集的表层海水温度（SST）资料,讨论了印度洋-西太平洋暖池（IPWP）海域,尤其是印度尼西亚贯穿流（ITF）及其周边海域SST的季节及年际变化的时空特征.研究结果表明,整个研究海域SST的年际变化均与ENSO相关,但印度洋与南海的响应特征与西太平洋的相反且不同步.前者海温变化滞后Nio3指数3~6个月,而热带太平洋西边界和ITF流经海域海温则超前1~3个月.沿ITF及其东印度洋出口,SST的年际变化规律不同于热带印度洋而与太平洋的相似,分析表明其在较大程度上受到ITF海洋桥的影响.在季节尺度上,印度洋和太平洋赤道海域SST的波动规律也有明显不同.以巽他岛弧（苏门答腊、爪哇和小巽他群岛）为界,从赤道西太平洋向西沿ITF流径,太平洋一侧SST的季节变化以0.5a周期的波动占主导,印度洋一侧则以1a周期占主导.     

赤道西太平洋暖池形成原因探讨

通过大洋赤道海域SST场差异及其原因分析,提出赤道大西洋、西印度洋及东太平洋表层水温低的可能原因。较详细地讨论了西太平洋暖池形成原因,这是由于西太暖池决定了Walker环流的产生,而Walker环流的移动和演变同样会对暖池区变化产生重要影响。     

The circulation of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

During the 1950s and 1960s, an extensive field study and interpretive effort was made by researchers, primarily at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, to sample and understand the physical oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific. That work was inspired by the valuable fisheries of the region, the recent discovery of the equatorial undercurrent, and the growing realization of the importance of the El Niño phenomenon. Here we review what was learned in that effort, and integrate those findings with work published since then as well as additional diagnoses based on modern data sets.Unlike the central Pacific, where the winds are nearly zonal and the ocean properties and circulation are nearly independent of longitude, the eastern tropical Pacific is distinguished by wind forcing that is strongly influenced by the topography of the American continent. Its circulation is characterized by short zonal scales, permanent eddies and significant off-equatorial upwelling. Notably, the Costa Rica Dome and a thermocline bowl to its northwest are due to winds blowing through gaps in the Central American cordillera, which imprint their signatures on the ocean through linear Sverdrup dynamics. Strong annual modulation of the gap winds and the meridional oscillation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone generates a Rossby wave, superimposed on the direct forcing, that results in a southwestward-propagating annual thermocline signal accounting for major features of observed thermocline depth variations, including that of the Costa Rica Dome, the Tehuantepec bowl, and the ridge–trough system of the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC). Interannual variability of sea surface temperature (SST) and altimetric sea surface height signals suggests that the strengthening of the NECC observed in the central Pacific during El Niño events continues all the way to the coast, warming SST (by zonal advection) in a wider meridional band than the equatorially trapped thermocline anomalies, and pumping equatorial water poleward along the coast.The South Equatorial Current originates as a combination of equatorial upwelling, mixing and advection from the NECC, and Peru coastal upwelling, but its sources and their variability remain unresolved. Similarly, while much of the Equatorial Undercurrent flows southeast into the Peru Undercurrent and supplies the coastal upwelling, a quantitative assessment is lacking. We are still unable to put together the eastern interconnections among the long zonal currents of the central Pacific.     

北太平洋海温的遥相关型

本文研究了北太平洋海水表面温度的遥相关型,指出:北太平洋海温有3个遥相关区,分别在西风漂流区、亦道东太平洋区和阿拉斯加湾区。这3个相关区的结构十分类似于大气中的PNA结构。用赤道东太平洋和西风漂流区之间的海温差作为太平洋海温指数PTI,它能代表北太平洋65％海区的海温变化,可以作为太平洋海温场PNA结构的变化指数,用来监视剧Nino和反E1 Nino事件的发生和发展。     

沉积记录中脂类生物标志物对琼东上升流强度的指示及其影响因素初探

本文对海南岛东部上升流边缘区域(S5站位)和上升流中心区域(S10站位)两根沉积柱进行了正构烷烃和脂肪酸的分析,结合有机碳含量、粒径、碳稳定同位素(δ13C)等参数综合分析其有机质来源与降解特征,并利用脂肪酸硅藻丰度参数∑C₁₆∶∑C₁₈重建了研究区域上升流强度年际变化。研究结果表明:S10站位处于上升流中心附近,粒径较粗,以砂为主;S5站位处于上升流边缘区域,粒径较细,以粉砂为主;两站位柱样δ13C值和长短链脂肪酸比值(∑C_20?:0/∑C_20+:0)显示有机质均以海源输入为主,S10站位有机质降解程度大于S5站位。脂肪酸中硅藻丰度参数和浮游植物脂肪酸占比指示了S10站位初级生产力高于S5,并利用∑C₁₆∶∑C₁₈指征了研究区域上升流强度及年际变化趋势。上升流强度在1925?1950年,1950?1980年和1980?2008年间表现为弱、强、弱的趋势,与太平洋年代际振荡(Pacific Decadal oscillator,PDO)年际变化趋势一致;推测厄尔尼诺?南方涛动(El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation,ENSO)在短时间尺度上可能对上升流强度有一定调节作用,但长时间尺度上可能主要受PDO调节作用。     

2009/2010年El Ni(n)o事件变化特征及其机理

应用TAO (Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project)热带太平洋实测海温和风场资料,分析研究了发生在2009/2010年的El Ni(n)o事件的变化特征,讨论了此次El Ni(n)o事件发生过程中,赤道东、西太平洋次表层异常海温的变化特征及其传播过程,特别是对赤道太平洋次表层异常海温变化的...