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Title: The footprint of the inter-decadal Pacific oscillation in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep21251· OSTI ID:1253370
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [4];  [1]
  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Joint Center for Global Change Studies (JCGCS), Beijing (China)
  3. Univ. at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY (United States); National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)
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Superimposed on a pronounced warming trend, the Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperatures (SSTs) also show considerable decadal variations that can cause regional climate oscillations around the IO. However, the mechanisms of the IO decadal variability remain unclear. Here we perform numerical experiments using a state-of-the-art, fully coupled climate model in which the external forcings with or without the observed SSTs in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (TEP) are applied for 1871–2012. Both the observed timing and magnitude of the IO decadal variations are well reproduced in those experiments with the TEP SSTs prescribed to observations. Although the external forcings account for most of the warming trend, the decadal variability in IO SSTs is dominated by internal variability that is induced by the TEP SSTs, especially the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). The IPO weakens (enhances) the warming of the external forcings by about 50% over the IO during IPO’s cold (warm) phase, which contributes about 10% to the recent global warming hiatus since 1999. As a result, the decadal variability in IO SSTs is modulated by the IPO-induced atmospheric adjustment through changing surface heat fluxes, sea surface height and thermocline depth.

Research Organization:
State Univ. of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012602
OSTI ID:
1253370
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Vol. 6; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 52 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (9)

Natural decadal sea-level variability in the Indian Ocean: lessons from CMIP models journal July 2019
Low-Frequency Variability and the Unusual Indian Ocean Dipole Events in 2015 and 2016: Low-Frequency Variability and the Unusual Indian Ocean Dipole Events in 2015 and 2016 journal January 2018
Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation reconstructed from trans-Pacific tree rings: 1350–2004 CE text January 2019
On the relationship between Indian Ocean sea surface temperature variability and tropical cyclogenesis in the southwest Pacific: INDIAN OCEAN SST VARIABILITY AND TC GENESIS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC journal January 2018
South Atlantic Forced Multidecadal Teleconnection to the Midlatitude South Indian Ocean journal August 2018
Global warming hiatus contributed to the increased occurrence of intense tropical cyclones in the coastal regions along East Asia journal April 2018
Unusually warm Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures help to arrest development of El Niño in 2014 journal February 2018
Decadal Indian Ocean dipolar variability and its relationship with the tropical Pacific journal September 2017
Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation reconstructed from trans-Pacific tree rings: 1350–2004 CE journal February 2019

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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