Setting the timing of El Niño termination

Gabriel Andres Vecchi, Anthony Rosati, D. E. Harrison

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The GFDL-CM2 coupled general circulation model showed that the timing of the end of El Nino events is set by the seasonal cycle of insolation, through nonlinear interactions with the anomalous El Nino conditions. The shoaling preconditions the return of cold-tongue sea surface temperatures (SST) to near-normal values. Reflected equatorial waves and local wind anomaly changes are much less important in setting the timing. The structure and timing of the meridional changes suggest that interactions between the seasonal cycle or solar heating and anomalous El Nino conditions lead to the termination.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1065-1066
Number of pages2
JournalBulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Volume85
Issue number8
StatePublished - Aug 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Atmospheric Science

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