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A simple model of the 1982‐83 Californian "El Nino"
Author(s) -
Simpson James J.
Publication year - 1984
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/gl011i003p00237
Subject(s) - thermocline , anomaly (physics) , geology , climatology , forcing (mathematics) , current (fluid) , oceanography , subarctic climate , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , physics , condensed matter physics
Steric height, steric height anomaly, sea level and sea level anomaly show that the 1940‐41 and the 1982‐83 Californian "El Niño" events were resonant responses of the California Current to the expansion and intensification of the Aleutian low and decrease in strength of the North Pacific high. In both cases, the subsurface anomalies were dynamically produced by onshore transport of Subarctic water and a downward tilt of the inshore thermocline. Sea surface temperature anomalies, however, resulted from thermodynamic as well as dynamic processes. Most previous Californian "El Niño" or "anti‐El Niño" events probably were resonant or anti‐resonant responses of the seasonal cycle of the California Current to anomalous large‐scale atmospheric forcing.