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Evolution of ENSO-related rainfall anomalies in Southeast Asia region and its relationship with atmosphere–ocean variations in Indo-Pacific sector

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Abstract

The Southeast Asia rainfall (SEAR) anomalies depend strongly on phases of El Niño (La Niña). Using an extended empirical orthogonal function (EEOF) analysis, it is shown that the dominant EEOF mode of SEAR anomalies evolves northeastward throughout a period from the summer when El Niño develops to spring the following year when the event weakens. This evolution is consistent with northeastward migration of the ENSO-related anomalous out going radiation field. During boreal summer (winter), the strong ENSO-related anomaly tends to reside in regions south (north) of the equator. The evolution of dominant mode of SEAR anomalies is in tandem with the evolution of ENSO-related sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. The strengthening and weakening of “boomerang-shaped” SST in western Pacific, the changing sign of anomalous SST in Java Sea and the warming in Indian Ocean and South China Sea are all part of ENSO-related changes and all are linked to SEAR anomaly. The anomalous low-level circulation associated with ENSO-related SEAR anomaly indicates the strengthening and weakening of two off-equatorial anticyclones, one over the Southern Indian Ocean and the other over the western North Pacific. Together with patterns of El Niño minus La Niña composites of various fields, it is proposed that the northeastward evolution of SEAR anomaly is basically part of the large-scale eastward evolution of ENSO-related signal in the Indo-Pacific sector. The atmosphere–ocean interaction plays an important role in this evolution.

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Abbreviations

SEA:

Southeast Asia

ENSO:

El Niño–Southern Oscillation

SIO:

South Indian Ocean

MC:

Maritime Continent

DJF:

December–January–February

JJA:

June–July–August

SON:

September–October–November

MAM:

March–April–May

OLR:

Outgoing long radiation

WNP:

Western North Pacific

GHCN:

Global Historical Climatology Network

HADiSST1:

Version 1.1 of Hadley Cntre Global Ice and Sea Surface Temperature

UKMO:

United Kingdom Meteorological Office

NCEP:

National Center Environmental Prediction

SST:

Sea surface temperature

SEAR:

Southeast Asia rainfall

EEOF:

Extended emprirical orthogonal function

ESVD:

Extended singular value decomposition

BOB:

Bay of Bengal

SCS:

South China Sea

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the two anonymous reviewers—their critical comments and views lead to improvement of this paper. The authors are grateful to Dr. Steven Bograd for his comments on earlier manuscript. Dr. Lee Yook Heng of FST, UKM helps proofread the revised manuscript. We thank the UKMO and CDC-NCEP for providing various data. The precipitation data were provided by the University of Delaware. This research was funded by the Malaysian Ministry of Science and Technology IRPA grant 08-02-02-0012-EA215.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Science Program, School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology National University of Malaysia, 43600, Bangi Selangor, Malaysia

    Liew Juneng & Fredolin T. Tangang

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  1. Liew Juneng
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  2. Fredolin T. Tangang
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Correspondence to Fredolin T. Tangang.

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Juneng, L., Tangang, F.T. Evolution of ENSO-related rainfall anomalies in Southeast Asia region and its relationship with atmosphere–ocean variations in Indo-Pacific sector. Climate Dynamics 25, 337–350 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-005-0031-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-005-0031-6

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