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Influence of Springtime Atlantic SST on ENSO: Role of the Madden–Julian Oscillation

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Abstract

Increased evidence has shown the important role of Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) in modulating the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Persistent anomalies of summer Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) act to link the Atlantic SST anomalies (SSTAs) to ENSO. The Atlantic SSTAs are strongly correlated with the persistent anomalies of summer MJO, and possibly affect MJO in two major ways. One is that an anomalous cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulation appears over the tropical Atlantic Ocean associated with positive (negative) SSTA in spring, and it intensifies (weakens) the Walker circulation. Equatorial updraft anomaly then appears over the Indian Ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean, intensifying MJO activity over these regions. The other involves a high pressure (low pressure) anomaly associated with the North Atlantic SSTA tripole pattern that is transmitted to the mid- and low-latitudes by a circumglobal teleconnection pattern, leading to strong (weak) convective activity of MJO over the Indian Ocean. The above results offer new viewpoints about the process from springtime Atlantic SSTA signals to summertime atmospheric oscillation, and then to the MJO of tropical atmosphere affecting wintertime Pacific ENSO events, which connects different oceans.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the constructive suggestions from the two anonymous reviewers, from Dr. Junmei Lyu of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, and from Professor V. Krishnamurthy of the Geroge Mason University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Xin Yan & Song Yang

  2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Xin Yan & Song Yang

  3. Yunnan Research Institute of Meteorology, Kunming, 650034, China

    Juzhang Ren

  4. Yunnan Provincial Meteorological Bureau, Kunming, 650034, China

    Jianhua Ju

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Correspondence to Jianhua Ju.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41375059, 41690123, 41690120, 41661144019, and 41375081), China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Special Public Welfare Research Fund (GYHY201306022), State Key Laboratory for Severe Weather Special Fund (2016LASW-B01), and Research Fund of CMA Guangzhou Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology/ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Numerical Weather Prediction.

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Yan, X., Ren, J., Ju, J. et al. Influence of Springtime Atlantic SST on ENSO: Role of the Madden–Julian Oscillation. J Meteorol Res 32, 380–393 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-018-7046-5

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