Section 2.3 Interannual Variability  2.3.1 El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)   (i) Observations (ii) Theory for ENSO (iii) Impacts 2.3.2 Interannual variability in Atlantic SSTs 2.3.3 The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)

Section 2.3.1 (ii) Theory of ENSO The “Bjerknes Feedback”: A mechanism for growth of El Nino or La Nina  

Fig.1 Schematic of Ekman Spiral in the Ocean

Fig.2 SSTs in Pacific in Dec

Fig.3 From S.-P. Xie (U Hawaii)

ENSO mechanism: the Bjerknes feedback Fig.4

Bjerknes feedback - equatorial sections El Niño La Niña atmos ocean longitude longitude Fig.5