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Title: Interactions between Kuroshio Extension and Central Tropical Pacific lead to preferred decadal-timescale oscillations in Pacific climate

Abstract

Abstract The Kuroshio Extension (KE) exhibits prominent decadal fluctuations that enhance the low-frequency variability of North Pacific climate. Using available observations, we show evidence that a preferred decadal timescale in the KE emerges from the interaction between KE and the central tropical Pacific via Meridional Modes. Specifically, we show that changes in the KE states apply a persistent downstream atmospheric response (e.g. wind stress curl, 0–12 months timescales) that projects on the atmospheric forcing of the Pacific Meridional Modes (PMM) over 9 months timescales. Subsequently, the PMM energizes the central tropical Pacific El Niño Southern Oscillation (CP-ENSO) and its atmospheric teleconnections back to the Northern Hemisphere (1–3 months timescale), which in turn excites oceanic Rossby waves in the central/eastern North Pacific that propagate westward changing the KE (~3 years timescales). Consistent with this hypothesis, the cross-correlation function between the KE and the PMM/CP-ENSO indices exhibits a significant sinusoidal shape corresponding to a preferred spectral power at decadal timescales (~10 years). This dynamics pathway (KE→PMM/CP-ENSO→KE) may provide a new mechanistic basis to explain the preferred decadal-timescale of the North Pacific and enhance decadal predictability of Pacific climate.

Authors:
; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1619587
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1624490
Grant/Contract Number:  
DOE-RGMA; FG02-00ER41132
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Scientific Reports
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Volume: 9 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Science & Technology - Other Topics

Citation Formats

Joh, Youngji, and Di Lorenzo, Emanuele. Interactions between Kuroshio Extension and Central Tropical Pacific lead to preferred decadal-timescale oscillations in Pacific climate. United Kingdom: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-49927-y.
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Joh, Youngji, & Di Lorenzo, Emanuele. Interactions between Kuroshio Extension and Central Tropical Pacific lead to preferred decadal-timescale oscillations in Pacific climate. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49927-y
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Joh, Youngji, and Di Lorenzo, Emanuele. Thu . "Interactions between Kuroshio Extension and Central Tropical Pacific lead to preferred decadal-timescale oscillations in Pacific climate". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49927-y.
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@article{osti_1619587,
title = {Interactions between Kuroshio Extension and Central Tropical Pacific lead to preferred decadal-timescale oscillations in Pacific climate},
author = {Joh, Youngji and Di Lorenzo, Emanuele},
abstractNote = {Abstract The Kuroshio Extension (KE) exhibits prominent decadal fluctuations that enhance the low-frequency variability of North Pacific climate. Using available observations, we show evidence that a preferred decadal timescale in the KE emerges from the interaction between KE and the central tropical Pacific via Meridional Modes. Specifically, we show that changes in the KE states apply a persistent downstream atmospheric response (e.g. wind stress curl, 0–12 months timescales) that projects on the atmospheric forcing of the Pacific Meridional Modes (PMM) over 9 months timescales. Subsequently, the PMM energizes the central tropical Pacific El Niño Southern Oscillation (CP-ENSO) and its atmospheric teleconnections back to the Northern Hemisphere (1–3 months timescale), which in turn excites oceanic Rossby waves in the central/eastern North Pacific that propagate westward changing the KE (~3 years timescales). Consistent with this hypothesis, the cross-correlation function between the KE and the PMM/CP-ENSO indices exhibits a significant sinusoidal shape corresponding to a preferred spectral power at decadal timescales (~10 years). This dynamics pathway (KE→PMM/CP-ENSO→KE) may provide a new mechanistic basis to explain the preferred decadal-timescale of the North Pacific and enhance decadal predictability of Pacific climate.},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-49927-y},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = 1,
volume = 9,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {2019},
month = {9}
}
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49927-y
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Cited by: 23 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Spatial and temporal structures of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) and Pacific Meridional Modes (PMM) over the historical period. The spatial patterns of the KE and PMM computed by correlating (a) SSHa and KE index and (d) SSTa/winds and PMM index (see text for definitions). Normalized observational time variationsmore » of the (b) KE and (e) PMM indices between 1959–2017. The green line of (e) is the curl downstream index (black line in Fig. 4b) computed by using a downstream curl pattern of black box (Fig. 4a). Autocorrelation functions of (c) KE and (f) PMM indices with different time periods.« less
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