The changing relationship between ENSO and its extratropical response patterns

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Abstract
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can influence Northern Hemisphere seasonal conditions through its interaction with the Pacific-North American pattern (PNA) and the Tropical Northern Hemisphere pattern (TNH). Possibly due to Earth’s changing climate, the variability of ENSO, as well as the zonal location of its sea-surface temperature (SST) anomaly, is changing. Along with this, the strength and location of the jet, in which these atmospheric patterns are embedded, are changing. Using a simple tracking algorithm we create a continuous time series for the zonal location of ENSO’s SST anomaly, and show that the relationship between ENSO and the PNA is linearly sensitive to this location, while its relationship with the TNH is not. ENSO’s relationship with both the TNH and PNA is shown to be strongly influenced by the position of the Pacific jet stream. The ENSO-TNH relationship is found to be linked to phase changes of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and the resulting changes in SST and jet speed.
Funding Information
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants

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