Understanding ENSO Diversity

• DOI: 10.1175/bams-d-13-00117.1
• Publication Date: 2014-09-22T21:37:39Z
• Authors: Antonietta Capotondi; Andrew T. Wittenberg; Matthew Newman; Emanuele Di Lorenzo; Jin-Yi Yu; Pascale Braconnot; Julia Cole; Boris Dewitte; Benjamin Giese; Eric Guilyardi; Fei-Fei Jin; Kristopher Karnau...; Benjamin Kirtman; Tong Lee; Niklas Schneider; Yan Xue; Sang-Wook Yeh
• Keywords: Realization (probability)

Abstract El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a naturally occurring mode of tropical Pacific variability, with global impacts on society and natural ecosystems. While it has long been known that Niño events display diverse range amplitudes, triggers, spatial patterns, life cycles, the realization ENSO’s can be highly sensitive to this event-to-event diversity driving renewed interest in subject. This paper surveys our current state knowledge ENSO diversity, identifies key gaps understanding, outlines some promising future research directions.