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Title: The footprint of the inter-decadal Pacific oscillation in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures

Abstract

Superimposed on a pronounced warming trend, the Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperatures (SSTs) also show considerable decadal variations that can cause regional climate oscillations around the IO. However, the mechanisms of the IO decadal variability remain unclear. Here we perform numerical experiments using a state-of-the-art, fully coupled climate model in which the external forcings with or without the observed SSTs in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (TEP) are applied for 1871–2012. Both the observed timing and magnitude of the IO decadal variations are well reproduced in those experiments with the TEP SSTs prescribed to observations. Although the external forcings account for most of the warming trend, the decadal variability in IO SSTs is dominated by internal variability that is induced by the TEP SSTs, especially the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). The IPO weakens (enhances) the warming of the external forcings by about 50% over the IO during IPO’s cold (warm) phase, which contributes about 10% to the recent global warming hiatus since 1999. As a result, the decadal variability in IO SSTs is modulated by the IPO-induced atmospheric adjustment through changing surface heat fluxes, sea surface height and thermocline depth.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [4];  [1]
  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Joint Center for Global Change Studies (JCGCS), Beijing (China)
  3. Univ. at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY (United States); National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
State Univ. of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1253370
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0012602
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Scientific Reports
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; atmospheric dynamics; climate and Earth system modelling; physical oceanography

Citation Formats

Dong, Lu, Zhou, Tianjun, Dai, Aiguo, Song, Fengfei, Wu, Bo, and Chen, Xiaolong. The footprint of the inter-decadal Pacific oscillation in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1038/srep21251.
Dong, Lu, Zhou, Tianjun, Dai, Aiguo, Song, Fengfei, Wu, Bo, & Chen, Xiaolong. The footprint of the inter-decadal Pacific oscillation in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep21251
Dong, Lu, Zhou, Tianjun, Dai, Aiguo, Song, Fengfei, Wu, Bo, and Chen, Xiaolong. Wed . "The footprint of the inter-decadal Pacific oscillation in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep21251. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1253370.
@article{osti_1253370,
title = {The footprint of the inter-decadal Pacific oscillation in Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures},
author = {Dong, Lu and Zhou, Tianjun and Dai, Aiguo and Song, Fengfei and Wu, Bo and Chen, Xiaolong},
abstractNote = {Superimposed on a pronounced warming trend, the Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperatures (SSTs) also show considerable decadal variations that can cause regional climate oscillations around the IO. However, the mechanisms of the IO decadal variability remain unclear. Here we perform numerical experiments using a state-of-the-art, fully coupled climate model in which the external forcings with or without the observed SSTs in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (TEP) are applied for 1871–2012. Both the observed timing and magnitude of the IO decadal variations are well reproduced in those experiments with the TEP SSTs prescribed to observations. Although the external forcings account for most of the warming trend, the decadal variability in IO SSTs is dominated by internal variability that is induced by the TEP SSTs, especially the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). The IPO weakens (enhances) the warming of the external forcings by about 50% over the IO during IPO’s cold (warm) phase, which contributes about 10% to the recent global warming hiatus since 1999. As a result, the decadal variability in IO SSTs is modulated by the IPO-induced atmospheric adjustment through changing surface heat fluxes, sea surface height and thermocline depth.},
doi = {10.1038/srep21251},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = ,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Feb 17 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Wed Feb 17 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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