Interaction between the ENSO and the Asian monsoon in a coral record of tropical climate

Journal Article · Fri Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5328.925· OSTI ID:569258

Charles, C D; Hunter, D E ^[1]; Fairbanks, R G ^[2]

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1. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA (United States)
2. Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY (United States)

The oxygen isotopic composition of a banded coral from the western equatorial Indian Ocean provides a 150-year-long history of the relation between the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and the Asian monsoon. Interannual cycles in the coral time series were found to correlate with Pacific coral and instrumental climate records, suggesting a consistent linkage across ocean basins, despite the changing frequency and amplitude of the ENSO. However, decadal variability that is characteristic of the monsoon system also dominates the coral record, which implies important interactions between tropical and midlatitude climate variability. One prominent manifestation of this interaction is the strong amplitude modulation of the quasi-biennial cycle. 26 refs., 4 figs.

• OSTI ID: 569258
• Journal Information: Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 5328 Vol. 277; ISSN SCIEAS; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ASIA
CLIMATES
CORALS
MONSOONS
SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
TROPICAL REGIONS