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The unique effect of Atlantic forcing on Central Pacific El Niño

delete2026-08-11
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PRE
AI
Q
Qi Tian
J
Jiawei Tang
丁瑞强 (Ruiqiang Ding) *
J
Jianping Li
L
Liang Shi
DOI:10.1007/s00382-026-08335-5delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Understanding the surge in Central Pacific (CP) El Niño events after the 1990s is a pivotal concern in climate science. However, the relationship between the Atlantic air-sea signals and the CP El Niño remains poorly explained systematically. Here, we show that the Atlantic air-sea signals exhibit a strong correlation with CP El Niño variability after the 1990s. During the initial preconditioning phase, the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the preceding winter drives the emergence of the spring negative North Tropical Atlantic (NTA) SST anomalies, which trigger the initial warming in the central Pacific. During the development phase, the persistent easterly anomalies in the equatorial eastern Pacific associated with the NTA SST anomalies disrupt the functioning of zonal advection feedback in the equatorial eastern Pacific. As a consequence, this contributes to the formation of a CP El Niño event. Therefore, the increased prevalence of CP El Niño events after the 1990s can be attributed to the unique role of easterly anomalies over the equatorial eastern Pacific, a key process influenced by Atlantic air-sea signals. This finding advances our understanding of CP El Niño dynamics and contributes to more precise climate predictions and meteorological risk assessments.
Keywords:
Central Pacific El Niño
Atlantic air-sea signals
North Atlantic oscillation
North Tropical Atlantic

Journal

Climate Dynamics cover
Climate Dynamics
IF:
3.7
Papers:
8.8K
Citations:
2.9W

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