Contrasting Eastern-Pacific and Central-Pacific Types of ENSO

Abstract Surface observations and subsurface ocean assimilation datasets are examined to contrast two distinct types of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific: an eastern-Pacific (EP) type and a central-Pacific (CP) type. An analysis method combining empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis and linear regression is used to separate these two types. Correlation and composite analyses based on the principal components of the EOF were performed to examine the structure, evolution, and teleconnection of these two ENSO types. The EP type of ENSO is found to have its SST anomaly center located in the eastern equatorial Pacific attached to the coast of South America. This type of ENSO is…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: ATM-0638432
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Award: NNX06AF49H
• UO
  University of California, Irvine