Anomalous eastward displacement of the tropical western Pacific warm pool and warming of the tropical eastern Pacific

Based on the data from the Climate Diagnostics Bulletin, Oceanographic Monthly Summary, UH Sea Level Center and TOGA─COARE IOP, the response of warm pool in the tropical western Pacific and the tropical eastern Pacific SST to the anomalous wind field during 1992/1993 EI Nino has been analyzed. The results show that the eastward transport of warm water of the tropical western Pacific due to the westerly wind burst leads not only to a drop of sea level but also to a raise of thermocline in the tropical western Pacific. Consequently the heat content in upper layer water decreases especially in the thermocline. Contrary to this, the positive anomalies Of heat content and thermocline depth appear in the tropical eastern Pacific. The positive anomalies in the eastern Pacific lag the negative ones in the western Pacific by two months; The anomalous eastward shift of warm pei (28℃isotherm) is a direct response of ocean current to westerly wind anomalies in low-level atmosphere; quantitative calculations show that the thermal advection caused by anomalous ocean current is the main force of anomalous eastward displacement of the warm pool (28℃isotherm) and the one of main causes for anomalous warming of the tropical eastern Pacific.

Investigation of the Heat Budget of the Tropical Indian Ocean During Indian Ocean Dipole Events Occurring After ENSO

The Indian Ocean Dipole(IOD) is an important natural mode of the tropical Indian Ocean(TIO). Sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) variations in the TIO are an essential focus of the study of the IOD. Monthly variations of air-sea heat flux, rate of change of heat content and oceanic thermal advection in positive/negative IOD events(pIODs/nIODs) occurring after El Nino/La Nina were investigated, using long-series authoritative data, including sea surface wind, sea surface flux, ocean current, etc. It was found that the zonal wind anomaly induced by the initial SSTA gradient is the main trigger of IODs occurring after ENSOs. In pIODs, SSTA evolution in the TIO is primarily determined by the local surface heat flux anomaly, while in nIODs, it is controlled by anomalous oceanic thermal advection. The anomalous southwestern anticyclonic circulation in pIODs enhances regional differences in evaporative capacity and latent heat, and in nIODs, it augments the east-west difference in the advective thermal budget. Further, the meridional anomaly mechanism is also non-negligible during the development of nIODs. As the SWA moves eastward, the meridional SWA prevails near 60°E and the corresponding meridional anomalous current appears. The corresponding maximum meridional thermal advection anomaly reaches 200 Wm^-2 in September.