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PDO and ENSO modulations intensified decadal sea level variability in the tropical Pacific
Author(s) -
Moon JaeHong,
Song Y. Tony,
Lee HuiKyo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9291
pISSN - 2169-9275
DOI - 10.1002/2015jc011139
Subject(s) - pacific decadal oscillation , climatology , el niño southern oscillation , environmental science , oceanography , sea level , sea surface temperature , oscillation (cell signaling) , la niña , geology , biology , genetics
According to long‐term sea level reconstruction and steric sea level data, regional sea levels in the tropical Pacific have oscillated between east and west on a decadal time scale over the past 60 years, but the oscillation has been intensified significantly in the last three decades. Using conditional composite analysis, we show that the recent intensification in sea level variability is caused by modulation between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO), i.e., an El Niño in a positive PDO or a La Niña in a negative PDO phase. Our analysis of meteorological fields indicates that atmospheric circulation associated with the changes in ENSO‐PDO phase relationship plays a positive role in enhancing the decadal sea level oscillation. The intensified sea level oscillation, when superimposed on the global trend of sea level rise, will have profound implications for coastal communities, therefore, the combined effect of PDO and ENSO should be taken into account in the decadal sea level prediction in the tropical Pacific.