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Decadal to bi‐decadal rainfall variation in the western Pacific: A footprint of South Pacific decadal variability?
Author(s) -
Hsu HuangHsiung,
Chen YunLan
Publication year - 2011
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 - 10.1029/2010gl046278
Subject(s) - pacific decadal oscillation , climatology , anomaly (physics) , pacific ocean , oceanography , el niño southern oscillation , sea surface temperature , geology , western hemisphere warm pool , environmental science , physics , condensed matter physics
Decadal to bi‐decadal rainfall variation in the Western Pacific during July–October in the second half of the 20th century was identified in this study. This 10–20‐year quasi‐periodic oscillation was found associated with the leading sea surface temperature (SST) pattern in the South Pacific, which is called the 10–20‐year South Pacific (inter) Decadal Oscillation (SPDO). It is suggested that the 10–20‐year fluctuation of the SPDO resulted in significant decadal to bi‐decadal rainfall variation along the western Pacific coast. The anomalous divergent circulations were likely driven by the SSTA (SST anomaly) and resulted in the anomalous rainfall in Eastern Australia and the Maritime Continent. It is conjectured that the SSTA in the Western South Pacific led to an anomalous Hadley‐like circulation in the Western Pacific and indirectly affected the convection activity in the Philippine Sea, which in turn impacted the rainfall in the Philippines, Taiwan and Korea.