English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

An excessive westward extension of the simulated ENSO-related sea surface temperature (ENSO SST) variability in the CMIP5 and CMIP6 models is the most apparent ENSO SST pattern bias and dominates the intermodel spread in ENSO SST variability among the models. The ENSO SST bias lowers the models’ skill in ENSO-related simulations and induces large intermodel uncertainty in ENSO-related projections. The present study investigates the origins of the excessive westward extension of ENSO SST in 25 CMIP5 and 25 CMIP6 models. Based on the intermodel spread of ENSO SST variability simulated in the 50 models, we reveal that this ENSO SST bias among the models largely depends on the simulated cold tongue strength in the equatorial western Pacific (EWP). Models simulating a stronger cold tongue tend to simulate a larger mean zonal SST gradient in the EWP and then a larger zonal advection feedback in the EWP, favoring a more westward extension of the ENSO SST pattern. In addition, with the overall improvement in the EWP cold tongue from CMIP5 to CMIP6, the excessive westward extension bias of ENSO SST in CMIP6 models is also reduced relative to those in CMIP5 models. The results suggest that the bias and intermodel disagreement in the mean-state SST have been improved, which improves ENSO simulation.

Origins of the Excessive Westward Extension of ENSO SST Simulated in CMIP5 and CMIP6 Models