Introduction to

Climate Science
Lecture 19
 Equatorial Pacific mean state

Upwelling along the equator and the eastern

part of the ocean basins.

Sea level approximately half a meter higher

over West Pacific than over East Pacific.
 Equatorial Pacific mean state

Warmer sea surface temperature

over western equatorial Pacific
and cooler SST over eastern
equatorial Pacific. This creates an
east-west atmospheric pressure
gradient.

Deeper mixed layer

extending upto 200m over
western equatorial Pacific
and shallow mixed layer
over Eastern Pacific
 Mean state during 1983

Climatological Mean state

1983 Anomaly – Departure from mean

 El Nino
Mean climate El Niño

El Nino refers to condition of warmer than normal SST anomalies

over the eastern Pacific
 Southern Oscillation

Sir Gilbert Walker 1920

Climatological mean state shows higher sea

level pressure over Tahiti compared to
Darwin Darwin.

Southern oscillation refers to the surface

pressure oscillation between eastern and
Tahiti western Pacific.
Zonal overturning circulation with ascending air motion over equatorial West
Pacific and subsidence occurs over cooler East Pacific. The circulation is closed
by eastward winds in the upper troposphere and easterly winds at the surface.

Walker circulation
Bjerkenes 1960

The Walker circulation,

reinforces the surface
easterlies in this latitude
band.
Bjerkenes Feedback

Surface easterlies gives rise to

Easterly surface currents

 Warm SST and low surface pressure

over W. Pacific and cooler SST and
higher surface pressure over E. Pacific

 Atmospheric convection over W.

Pacific
 latent heat release: more heating of
atmospheric column
 decrease in surface pressure

 Further Strengthens the surface

easterlies positive feedback.
 Equatorial Pacific coupled Ocean-Atmosphere System

Western Pacific Eastern Pacific

Warm SST, Low pressure, convection, Cooler SST, High pressure, subsidence, no
clouds and rain. clouds or rain.

Surface water converges, sea surface Surface water diverges, upwelling,

height increases, Deep mixed layer, shallow mixed layer, thermocline is found
downwelling, thermocline is found at a at shallow depth.
larger depth.

Along the south

American coast,
upwelling provides
nutrient-rich cold
waters and are
known for its
fisheries.
El Niño events are departures from the
mean state in the Pacific which results
from weakening of easterly trade winds
El Nino
Western Pacific Eastern Pacific

Cooler SST anomalies (cooler than Warmer SST anomalies

normal), High pressure anomalies, (warmer than normal), Low
subsidence, no clouds or rain. pressure anomalies, more
convection, clouds and rain.
The east-west gradients in SST
and Sea surface height and
thermocline depth across the
Pacific reduces.
Shift in Walker Circulation during El Nino
Bjerkenes Feedback

Weakening of Surface easterlies gives

Eastern
rise to
Eastern
Pacific sea Pacific
surface Atmospheric weakening of Easterly surface
temperature convection
currents

 More warmer SST over E. Pacific

 More Atmospheric convection over

E. Pacific
 latent heat release: more heating of
atmospheric column
 decrease in surface pressure

 Further weakens the surface

easterlies positive feedback.
 El Nino Index

• SST anomalies area averaged in the

eastern equatorial Pacific box.

Darwin
• Nino index captures the variation in
SOI Tahiti
the SST over the eastern Pacific.
Cooler than normal SST over eastern Pacific. When the trade winds are stronger
than normal.
 Southern Oscillation Index

•The Southern Oscillation Index measures

the sea level pressure difference between
Darwin Tahiti and Darwin.

•It gives the strength of the Pacific Walker

Tahiti circulation
El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) refers to the natural
interannual variability over the Pacific that results from unstable
interactions between the ocean and atmosphere
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) describes
the natural year-to-year (interannual)
variations in the ocean and atmosphere in the
equatorial Pacific.

It is one of the most important and longest-

studied climate phenomena.

It can lead to large-scale changes in pressure,

SST, precipitation and winds–not only in the
tropics but across many other regions of the
world.
The 1997-1998 El-Nino Event

January 1997 – December 1998

[Animation]
The 1995-1996 La-Nina Event

January 1995 – December 1996

[Animation]
Global Impacts- teleconnections
3-D animation of the tropical Pacific as it cycles through El
Nino then La Nina.
ENSO Observing system
 ENSO Outlook Oct 2023

The ENSO Outlook has shifted to El Niño.

Climate model outlooks suggest this El Niño is likely to continue until
at least the end of February 2024.

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/outlook/#tabs=ENSO-Forecast
https://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/product/5km/