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Dynamics of monsoon‐induced biennial variability in ENSO
Author(s) -
Kim K.M.,
Lau K.M.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1029/2000gl012465
Subject(s) - climatology , forcing (mathematics) , kelvin wave , monsoon , anomaly (physics) , geology , el niño southern oscillation , walker circulation , pacific decadal oscillation , boreal , oceanography , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , physics , paleontology , condensed matter physics
The mechanism of the quasi‐biennial tendency in ENSO‐monsoon coupled system is investigated using an intermediate coupled model. The monsoon wind forcing is prescribed as a function of SST anomalies based on the relationship between zonal wind anomalies over the western Pacific to sea level change in the equatorial eastern Pacific. The key mechanism of quasi‐biennial tendency in El Niño evolution is found to be in the strong coupling of ENSO to monsoon wind forcing over the western Pacific. Strong boreal summer monsoon wind forcing, which lags the maximum SST anomaly in the equatorial eastern Pacific approximately 6 months, tends to generate Kelvin waves of the opposite sign to anomalies in the eastern Pacific and initiates the turnabout in the eastern Pacific. Boreal winter monsoon forcing, which has zero lag with maximum SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific, tends to damp the ENSO oscillations.