Mechanism of the zonal displacements of the Pacific warm pool: Implications for ENSO

Journal Article · Fri Nov 29 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.274.5292.1486· OSTI ID:458879

Picaut, J; Ioualalen, M; Delcroix, T ^[1]

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1. Institut Francais de Recherche Scientifique pour le Development en Cooperation , Orstom, Noumea (New Caledonia); and others

The western equatorial Pacific warm pool is subject to strong east-west migrations on interannual time scales in phase with the Southern Oscillation Index. The dominance of surface zonal advection in this migration is demonstrated with four different current data sets and three oceans models. The eastward advection of warm and less saline water form the western Pacific together with the westward advection of cold and more saline water from the central-eastern Pacific induces a convergence of water masses at the eastern edge of the warm pool and a well-defined salinity front. The location of this convergence is zonally displaced in association with El Nino-La Nina wind-driven surface current variations. These advective processes and water-mass convergences have significant implications for understanding and simulating coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions associated with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

• OSTI ID: 458879
• Journal Information: Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 5292 Vol. 274; ISSN SCIEAS; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
CONVERGENCE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PACIFIC OCEAN
SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
SURFACE WATERS