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Evolution of Indian Ocean dipole and its forcing mechanisms in the absence of ENSO

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Abstract

The evolution of Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and its forcing mechanisms are examined based on the analysis of coupled model simulations that allow or suppress the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) mode of variability. The model can reproduce the most salient observed features of IOD even without ENSO, including the relationships between the eastern and western poles at both the surface and subsurface, as well as their seasonality. This suggests that ENSO is not fundamental for the existence of IOD. It is demonstrated that cold (warm) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the eastern Indian Ocean associated with IOD can be initiated by springtime Indonesian rainfall deficit (surplus) through local surface wind response. The growth of the SST anomalies depends on the initial local subsurface condition. Both the air–sea interaction and surface–subsurface interaction contribute to the development of IOD. The evolution of IOD can be represented by two leading extended empirical orthogonal function (EEOF) modes of tropical surface–subsurface Indian Ocean temperatures; one stationary and the other non-stationary. The onset, growth, and termination of IOD, as well as the transition to an opposite phase, can be interpreted as alternations between the non-propagating mode (EEOF1) and the eastward-propagating Kelvin wave (EEOF2). The evolution of IOD is also accompanied by a westward-propagating Rossby wave which is captured in the EEOF1 of the subtropical surface–subsurface Indian Ocean temperatures. Therefore, both Bjerknes feedback and a delayed oscillator operate during the evolution of IOD in the absence of ENSO also.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their insightful and constructive comments and suggestions. Partial support from the National Monsoon Mission is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NOAA/NWS/NCEP/Climate Prediction Center, 5830 University Research Court, NCWCP, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

    Hui Wang & Arun Kumar

  2. ESSIC, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA

    Raghu Murtugudde

  3. Innovim, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, USA

    Hui Wang

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  1. Hui Wang
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Correspondence to Hui Wang.

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Wang, H., Murtugudde, R. & Kumar, A. Evolution of Indian Ocean dipole and its forcing mechanisms in the absence of ENSO. Clim Dyn 47, 2481–2500 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-016-2977-y

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