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Teleconnected influence of North Atlantic sea surface temperature on the El Niño onset

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Abstract

Influence of North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on tropical Pacific SST anomalies is examined. Both summer and winter North Atlantic SST anomalies are negatively related to central-eastern tropical Pacific SST anomalies in the subsequent months varying from 5 to 13 months. In particular, when the North Atlantic is colder than normal in the summer, an El Niño event is likely to be initiated in the subsequent spring in the tropical Pacific. Associated with summer cold North Atlantic SST anomalies is an anomalous cyclonic circulation at low-level over the North Atlantic from subsequent October to April. Corresponded to this local response, an SST-induced heating over the North Atlantic produces a teleconnected pattern, similar to the East Atlantic/West Russia teleconnection. The pattern features two anticyclonic circulations near England and Lake Baikal, and two cyclonic circulations over the North Atlantic and near the Caspian Sea. The anticyclonic circulation near Lake Baikal enhances the continent northerlies, and strengthens the East-Asian winter monsoon. These are also associated with an off-equatorial cyclonic circulation in the western Pacific during the subsequent winter and spring, which produces equatorial westerly wind anomalies in the western Pacific. The equatorial westerly wind anomalies in the winter and spring can help initiate a Pacific El Niño event following a cold North Atlantic in the summer.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant KZCX2-YW-214), the Natural Science Foundation of China (grants U0733002 and 40906010), and the MOST of China (grant 2006CB403604). The work of Xin Wang is supported by City University of Hong Kong Research Scholarship Enhancement Scheme and the City University of Hong Kong Strategic Research Grants 7002329.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Xin Wang & Dongxiao Wang

  2. NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Miami, FL, USA

    Chunzai Wang

  3. Guy Carpenter Asia-Pacific Climate Impact Centre, School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Xin Wang & Wen Zhou

  4. LASG, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Jie Song

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  1. Xin Wang
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  4. Dongxiao Wang
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Correspondence to Dongxiao Wang.

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Wang, X., Wang, C., Zhou, W. et al. Teleconnected influence of North Atlantic sea surface temperature on the El Niño onset. Clim Dyn 37, 663–676 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-010-0833-z

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