RT Journal Article
T1 Tropical North Atlantic Response to ENSO: Sensitivity to Model Spatial Resolution
A1 López Parages, Jorge
A1 Terray, Laurent
K1 Circulación oceánica
AB In this study, the ENSO teleconnection with the tropical North Atlantic (TNA) sea surface temperatures(SSTs) in boreal spring is analyzed in ocean–atmosphere coupled global circulation models. To assess the role played byhorizontal resolution of models on this teleconnection, we used a multimodel dataset that is the first to combine models withboth low and high resolution. The TNA response to ENSO projects onto the most significant SST mode of the tropicalAtlantic at interannual time scales, the Atlantic meridional mode (AMM). Its evolution is primarily driven by the wind–evaporation–SST (WES) feedback, which in turn is based on the development of an initial SST gradient. This studyexamines and quantifies the relative contribution of a dynamic-related (upwelling) and a thermodynamic-related(evaporation) process in triggering this gradient in the case of the ENSO–TNA teleconnection. While no majorcontribution is found with the evaporation, a consistent contribution from the coastal upwelling off northwest Africa isidentified. This contribution is enhanced in high-resolution models and highlights the close link between the upwelling inwinter and the development of the AMM in spring. It is further shown that high-resolution models present a thinner andmore realistic ocean mixed layer within the upwelling area, which enhances the effect of surface winds on upwelling andSSTs. As a consequence, high-resolution models are more sensitive than low-resolution models to surface wind errors,thereby they do not ensure improved reliability or predictability of the TNA SST response to ENSO.
PB American Meteorological Society
YR 2022
FD 2022-01-01
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/33348
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/33348
LA eng
NO López-Parages, J., and L. Terray, 2022: Tropical North Atlantic Response to ENSO: Sensitivity to Model Spatial Resolution. J. Climate, 35, 3–16, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0240.1.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 21 ene 2026