Anomalous atmospheric hydrologic processes associated with ENSO

Conference · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:535519

Lau, K M; Ho, C H ^[1]

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1. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)

In this paper, we study the structure of anomalous atmospheric hydrologic processes associated with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) using re-analysis data obtained from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation Office (DAO) and outputs from GEOS climate model simulations. Our results show a very pronounced tropospheric warming over the equatorial central Pacific, with a double maxima located in 15{degrees}N and 15{degrees}/S, symmetric about the equator. This anomaly is in agreement with those found in earlier studies based on satellite estimates and is consistent with the predictions of Rossby wave dynamics. Most interestingly, we find a strong stratospheric temperature signal, which is tightly coupled to, but of opposite sign to the tropospheric anomaly. This temperature anomaly pattern is validated by the GCM simulations with respect to anomalous ENSO sea surface temperature (SST) forcing. The role of interaction between radiation and hydrologic cycle in producing and maintaining the ENSO anomalies is also investigated. 8 refs., 4 figs.

• OSTI ID: 535519
• Report Number(s): CONF-970207--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR-WATER INTERACTIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CLOUDS
SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
STRATOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
WATER VAPOR