Research on the Propagation Acting of the Equatorial Planetary Waves on the Western Equatorial Pacific Warm Pool Heat

Based on the long-term buoy data from the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean ( TAO ) —array during the TOGA ( Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere ) Program (19801996), the propagation acting of the Equatorial planetary waves on the Western Equatorial Pacific warm pool heat is analyzed. Results show that the zonal heat transmission in the Western Equatorial Pacific takes palace mainly in the subsurface water and spreads eastwards along the thermocline; while the seasonal westward-spreading heat change structure occurs in the mixed layers in the middle and western Pacific. The standing-form transmission in the western Pacific appears in the thermocline layer, while in the eastern pacific, it exists in the mixed layer as well as in the thermocline layer. The standing-form and eastward-spreading sign of zonal heat transmitting in the upper water is predominant and strong, and the westward sign is weak.The component force of Kelvin Equatorial wave pressure runs through the western and eastern Equatorial pacific, and transmits heat energy eastwards. And the heat transmitted by zonal current component occurs mostly in the western Pacific; The heat transmitted by the component force of Rossby wave pressure mainly appears in the eastern and middle areas of the Pacific, while the zonal current component transmitting occurs mainly in the western Pacific; Mixed-Rossby gravity wave’s action on the zonal current is stronger than that of the thermocline layer. In the mean state, the standing wave model of Equatorial Pacific up layer ocean temperature confines the transport of western Pacific warm pool heat to the eastern Pacific. Under abnormal conditions, the standing wave model of Equatorial Pacific up layer ocean temperature weakens, the eastwardly transmitting model enhances, and subsequently n^the El Ni o event occurs.

Dynamical effect of the zonal wind anomalies over the tropical western Pacific on ENSO cycles

The circulation and zonal wind anomalies in the lower troposphere over the equatorial western Pacific and their roles in the developing and decaying processes of the 1982–1983, 1986 –1987, 1991–1992 and 1997–1998 El Ni?o events and the occurrence of La Ni?a events are analyzed by using the observed data in this paper. The results show that before the developing stage of these El Ni?o events, there were cyclonic circulation anomalies in the lower troposphere over the tropical western Pacific, and the anomalies brought the westerly anomalies over the Indonesia and the tropical western Pacific. However, when the El Ni?o events developed to their mature phase, there were anticyclonic circulation anomalies in the lower troposphere over the tropical western Pacific, and the anomalies made the easterly anomalies appear over the tropical western Pacific. A simple, dynamical model of tropical ocean is used to calculate the response of the equatorial oceanic waves to the observed anomalies of wind stress near the sea surface of the equatorial Pacific during the 1997/98 ENSO cycle, which was the strongest one in the 20th century. It is shown that the zonal wind stress anomalies have an important dynamical effect on the devel-opment and decay of this El Ni?o event and the occurrence of the following La Ni?a event.