Combined Role of the MJO and ENSO in Shaping Extreme Warming Patterns and Coral Bleaching Risk in the Great Barrier Reef

• Published in: Geophysical research letters 2024-07, Vol.51 (13), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Gregory, Catherine H., Holbrook, Neil J., Spillman, Claire M., Marshall, Andrew G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Barrier reefs; Climate; Climate and weather; Cloud cover; Cooling; Cooling effects; Coral bleaching; Coral reefs; Corals; El Nino; El Nino phenomena; El Nino-Southern Oscillation event; ENSO; Great Barrier Reef; La Nina; Madden-Julian oscillation; Marine ecosystems; marine heatwave; Meteorology; MJO; Ocean temperature; ocean warming; Oceans; Rainfall; Seasonal variability; Solar oscillations; Solar radiation; Southern Oscillation; Storms; Strong winds; Summer; Summer weather; Tropical climate; Tropical climates; Tropical depressions; Tropical storms; Tropical weather; Variability; Weather; Winds
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2024GL108810

Local meteorology over the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) can significantly influence ocean temperatures, which in turn impacts coral ecosystems. While El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) provides insight into the expected synoptic states, it lacks details of anticipated sub‐seasonal weather variability at local scales. This study explores the influence of the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) on Australian tropical climate, both independently and in combination with ENSO, focusing on GBR impacts. We find that during El Niño periods, including the summer of 2009/10, faster propagating MJO patterns can disrupt background warm, dry conditions, and potentially provide cooling relief via increased cloud cover and stronger winds. In La Niña periods, such as the summer of 2021/22, the MJO tends to be prevented from passing the Maritime continent, forcing it to remain in a standing pattern in the Indian Ocean. This leads to decreased cloud cover and weaker winds over the GBR, generating warm ocean anomalies. Plain Language Summary Bleaching is likely when tropical corals are exposed to ocean temperatures above a threshold for a prolonged period. In austral summer, tropical weather over the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) can vary from hot and sunny to stormy with rain and strong winds. During El Niño, summer weather over the GBR is typically warm, still, and dry, increasing the likelihood of coral bleaching due to increased exposure to solar radiation and decreased mixing. During La Niña, tropical storms, with cooling effects through increased rainfall and cloud cover, are more typical. The Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) is an eastward moving storm pattern near the equator that can also influence the background climate over the GBR. We find that the MJO can significantly influence the weather variability over the GBR, altering the expected states of El Niño and La Niña periods. Key Points Composite maps show how the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) can change meteorological patterns on the Great Barrier Reef Cluster analysis is used to show the types of MJO propagation patterns likely to occur during El Niño and La Niña periods Ocean temperature variability is discussed with El Niño/La Niña phases as the background states and the MJO as a sub‐seasonal modulator