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Volcanic aerosols, El Niñmo and the Southern Oscillation
Author(s) -
Handler Paul,
Andsager Karen
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
international journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0899-8418
DOI - 10.1002/joc.3370100409
Subject(s) - volcano , climatology , latitude , vulcanian eruption , geology , sea surface temperature , atmospheric sciences , low latitude , oscillation (cell signaling) , seismology , geodesy , biology , genetics
In this paper some of the questions raised by Nicholls (1988) concerning the relationship of volcanic aerosols to the El NiñMo/Southern Oscillation are examined and answered. Using Monte Carlo techniques, the statistical significance of the composite sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) are reexamined both before and after the eruption of a set of low‐latitude volcanic eruptions. Significantly warmer SST and negative SOI anomalies are found in the composites immediately following the eruption period. These significant anomalies after the composite eruption season are found not to depend on the appearance of cooler SST and positive SOI before the key season, a possibility suggested by Nicholls (1989). This result is in agreement with Parker (1988). The volcanic hypothesis states that low‐latitude volcanic aerosols are the immediate and only cause of warmer than normal SST or El NiñMo. This implies that when no low‐latitude aerosol is present the SST should be cooler than normal. Both of these aspects of the volcanic hypothesis are found to be satisfied to a very high level of statistical significance by the observed SST and SOI data.