Forcing of the Indian Ocean Dipole on the Interannual Variations of the Tropical Pacific Ocean: Roles of the Indonesian Throughflow

• DOI: 10.1175/2011jcli3649.1
• Publication Date: 2011-03-02T15:42:55Z
• Authors: Dongliang Yuan; Jing Wang; Tengfei Xu; Peng Xu; Zhou Hui; Xia Zhao; Yihua Luan; Weipeng Zheng; Yongqiang Yu
• Keywords: Throughflow; Ocean dynamics; Ocean surface topography; Forcing (mathematics)

Abstract Controlled numerical experiments using ocean-only and ocean–atmosphere coupled general circulation models show that interannual sea level depression in the eastern Indian Ocean during dipole (IOD) events forces enhanced Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) to transport warm water from upper-equatorial Pacific Ocean. The produces elevation of thermocline cold subsurface temperature anomalies western equatorial Ocean, which propagate induce significant evolution tropical oceanic atmospheric circulation. Analyses suggest IOD-forced ITF are about same amplitudes as those induced by ENSO. Results model IOD persist until year following event, suggesting importance channel modulating climate variations at time lag beyond one year.