Theories on formation of an anomalous anticyclone in western North Pacific during El Niño: A review

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Authors
Li, Tim
Wang, Bin
Wu, Bo
Zhou, Tianjun
Chang, Chih-Pei
Zhang, Renhe
Subjects
western North Pacific
anomalous anticyclone
El Niño
atmosphere–ocean interaction
ENSO
sea surface temperature
Indian Ocean capacitor
Advisors
Date of Issue
2017-12
Date
December 2017
Publisher
SpringerLink
Language
Abstract
The western North Pacific anomalous anticyclone (WNPAC) is an important atmospheric circulation system that conveys El Niño impact on East Asian climate. In this review paper, various theories on the formation and maintenance of the WNPAC, including warm pool atmosphere–ocean interaction, Indian Ocean capacitor, a combination mode that emphasizes nonlinear interaction between ENSO and annual cycle, moist enthalpy advection/Rossby wave modulation, and central Pacific SST forcing, are discussed. It is concluded that local atmosphere–ocean interaction and moist enthalpy advection/Rossby wave modulation mechanisms are essential for the initial development and maintenance of the WNPAC during El Niño mature winter and subsequent spring. The Indian Ocean capacitor mechanism does not contribute to the earlier development but helps maintain the WNPAC in El Niño decaying summer. The cold SST anomaly in the western North Pacific, although damped in the summer, also plays a role. An interbasin atmosphere–ocean interaction across the Indo-Pacific warm pool emerges as a new mechanism in summer. In addition, the central Pacific cold SST anomaly may induce the WNPAC during rapid El Niño decaying/La Niña developing or La Niña persisting summer. The near-annual periods predicted by the combination mode theory are hardly detected from observations and thus do not contribute to the formation of the WNPAC. The tropical Atlantic may have a capacitor effect similar to the tropical Indian Ocean.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13351-017-7147-6
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
National Key Research and Development Program
National Natural Science Foundation of China
United States National Science Foundation
Jiangsu Province Natural Science Foundation Key Project
Jiangsu Shuang-Chuang Team Fund
Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD)
Funder
41630423, 41475084, 41575043, and 41375095
AGS-1565653
BK20150062
R2014SCT001
SOEST contribution number 10280
IPRC contribution number 1297
ESMC contribution number 196
2017YFA0603802 and 2015CB453200
Format
20 p.
Citation
Li, Tim, et al. "Theories on formation of an anomalous anticyclone in western North Pacific during El Niño: A review." Journal of Meteorological Research 31.6 (2017): 987-1006.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
Collections