South American rainfall impacts associated with inter-El Niño variations

The impacts of inter‐El Niño events on South American circulation during austral summer are investigated using observations and an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). The AGCM was forced with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Pacific for the two El Niño events of 1997...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2009-10, Vol.36 (19), p.np-n/a
Main Authors: Hill, K. J., Taschetto, A. S., England, M. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Americas
Anomalies
Atmospheric circulation
Circulation
Climate change
climate variability
Displacement
Earth
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
El Nino
ENSO
Exact sciences and technology
Hydrology
Moisture
Pacific Ocean
Physical oceanography
Position (location)
Precipitation
Sea surface temperature
South America
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Summary:The impacts of inter‐El Niño events on South American circulation during austral summer are investigated using observations and an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). The AGCM was forced with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Pacific for the two El Niño events of 1997/1998 (EN97) and 2002/2003 (EN02). The strong eastern Pacific SST anomaly of EN97 resulted in a typical displacement of the Walker circulation, causing a decrease in precipitation across the north of South America. A strengthened low‐level jet (LLJ) east of the Andes during EN97 enhanced the moisture transport from low latitudes to the subtropics, leading to intensified precipitation over southeastern South America. The simulated circulation in EN02 reveals a weakened LLJ and anomalous convergence of moisture over eastern South America, which can be attributed to a displacement of the Pacific‐South American (PSA) mode in response to the different location of the heat sources along the tropical Pacific Ocean.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2009GL040164