Different controls of tropical cyclone activity in the Eastern Pacific for two types of El Niño

Boucharel, Julien; Jin, Fei‐Fei; Lin, I. I.; Huang, Hsiao‐Ching; England, Matthew H.

doi:10.1002/2016GL067728

Different controls of tropical cyclone activity in the Eastern Pacific for two types of El Niño

Journal Article · Thu Feb 18 23:00:00 EST 2016 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL067728· OSTI ID:1402232

Boucharel, Julien ^[1]; Jin, Fei‐Fei ^[2]; Lin, I. I. ^[3]; Huang, Hsiao‐Ching ^[3]; England, Matthew H. ^[1]

ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science University of New South Wales Kensington New South Wales Australia
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, SOEST University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu Hawaii USA, Laboratory for Climate Studies, Beijing Climate Center Chinese Meteorological Agency Beijing China
Department of Atmospheric Sciences National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan

Abstract

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is known to have different modes of expression, characterized by different dynamics and spatial anomalies patterns: the Eastern Pacific (EP) and Central Pacific (CP) El Niño. The main region of influence of the former is located in the Eastern Pacific, while CP events have a stronger signature of ocean/climate anomalies in the Central West Pacific. This leads to distinctive oceanic and atmospheric signatures that likely have different influences on tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the Eastern Pacific, the second most active region in the world. In this study we investigate the respective role of oceanic and atmospheric conditions on TC formation and intensification in the Eastern Pacific associated with these two flavors of ENSO. We find that the oceanic control, through meridional redistribution of subsurface heat, is the main driver of TC activity during the hurricane season following EP events. In contrast, atmospheric conditions tend to be destructive to TC intensification after those events. The altered atmospheric circulation, in particular the reduction of vertical wind shear and the increase in relative humidity, tends to be more influential in controlling TC activity post CP events. However, unlike for subsurface heat, these changes in atmospheric conditions are not statistically distinct between these two ENSO flavors—although they are consistent across all atmospheric data sets tested. Overall, unlike after EP El Niño events, the hurricane season activity following a CP event is not significantly different from neutral or even La Niña years.

View Accepted Manuscript (Publisher)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 1402232

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 43; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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