Understanding the SAM influence on the South Pacific ENSO Teleconnection Ryan L. Fogt Department of Geography Ohio University, Athens, OH David H. Bromwich & Keith M. Hines Polar Meteorology Group, Byrd Polar Research Center The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) SAM positive phase Increased meridional pressure gradient Stronger circumpolar westerly winds
Compositing ENSO / SAM Events Marshall (2003) SAM index and inverted Niño 3.4 SST Anomalies Data from 1957-February 2009 Detrended data Standardized by month, 1971-2000 base period Used a 0.5 standard deviation threshold to define ENSO and SAM events
Compositing ENSO / SAM Events Individual Months # 1. SAM + 88 2. SAM - 69 3. La Niña 59 4. El Niño 75 In-Phase Events 5. La Niña / SAM + 65 6. El Niño / SAM - 67 Out-of-Phase Events 7. La Niña / SAM - 53 8. El Niño / SAM + 47 Climatology 103
NCEP MSLP Composites SAM + SAM - La Niña El Niño
Combined NCEP MSLP Composites La Niña & SAM + El Niño & SAM - La Niña & SAM - El Niño & SAM +
Rossby Wavetrains: 500 hPa Streamfunction zonal anomalies SAM + SAM - Shading denotes zonal anomalies outside 2 stdev of zonal mean La Niña El Niño
Rossby Wavetrains: 500 hPa Streamfunction zonal anomalies La Niña & SAM + El Niño & SAM - La Niña & SAM - El Niño & SAM +
Detailing the SAM Impact
500 hPa Height Anomalies La Niña El Niño
Determining the Causality for the Differences We examined the transient eddy - mean flow interactions for each case Only show the La Nina composites, since the interaction is more clearly observed Based on data from NCEP-NCAR reanalysis 1979-2009
Zonal Mean Zonal Wind Composites: La Niña Case Shading: zonal mean zonal wind anomalies Thin contours: meridional transient eddy momentum flux Thick contours: meridional transient eddy momentum flux convergence
Zonal Mean Zonal Wind Composites: La Niña Case
Spatial Perspective of Forcing The ENSO forcing is most marked in the Pacific Sector Use the Eu vectors to see local forcing Similar to E-P fluxes, but for transient wave propagation Divergence of Eu strengthens local zonal wind, and vice-versa
Eu Vectors: La Niña Case
Conclusions ENSO response in South Pacific dependent on SAM phase / strength Transient eddy interactions in the Pacific play a key mechanistic role in modifying the circulation during each case In Phase cases: reinforce each other, maintaining or amplifying the teleconnection Out of Phase cases: oppose each other, drastically reducing the teleconnection magnitude Supported by NSF ATM-0751291