El Nino-southern oscillation displacements of the western equatorial Pacific warm pool

Journal Article · Fri Dec 07 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.250.4986.1385· OSTI ID:5914103

McPhaden, M J ^[1]; Picaut, J ^[2]

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1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle (United States)
2. Inst. Francais de Recherche Scientifique pour le Developpement en Co-operation, Noumea (France)

The western equatorial Pacific warm pool (sea-surface temperatures >29C) was observed to migrate eastward across the date line during the 1986-1987 El Nino-Southern Oscillation event. Direct velocity measurements made in the upper ocean from 1986 to 1988 indicate that this migration was associated with a prolonged reversal in the South Equatorial Current forced by a large-scale relaxation of the trade winds. The data suggest that wind-forced zonal advection plays an important role in the thermodynamics of the western Pacific warm pool on interannual time scales.

• OSTI ID: 5914103
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 250:4986; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
THERMODYNAMICS
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
OCEANIC CIRCULATION
PACIFIC OCEAN
WATER CURRENTS
WIND
CURRENTS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
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