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ENSO modulates rainfall in the Mediterranean Californias
Author(s) -
Pavía Edgar G.,
Badan Antoine
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1998gl900029
Subject(s) - el niño southern oscillation , climatology , mediterranean climate , environmental science , southern oscillation , teleconnection , latitude , atmospheric sciences , geography , geology , archaeology , geodesy
A remarkable correlation is found between the total annual rainfall at Ensenada and the annual signal of the Southern Oscillation Index by suitably averaging their corresponding monthly series and dephasing the indices by four months. The result confirms the suspected dominant influence of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the interannual weather fluctuations of mid‐latitude mediterranean climates and shows that their strongest relationship lies close to the annual signal. Since a particularly strong El Niño developed in the Pacific, rainfall in the Ensenada to San Diego area has exceeded twice its long term average during the 1997–98 season. Similarly, as this event fades out, the 1998–99 rain season should be sligthly below normal, i.e. rainfall should be somewhat below half that of the previous year.