El Niño-Southern Oscillation Complexity

Authors

Axel Timmermann, Pusan National University
Soon-Il An, Yonsei University
Jong-Seong Kug, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Fei-Fei Jin, University of Hawaii
Wenju Cai, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
Antonietta Capotondi, University of Colorado
Kim Cobb, Georgia Tech
Matthieu Lengaigne, Sorbonne Universités
Michal J. McPhaden, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory/NOAA
Malte F. Stuecker, University of Washington
Karl Stein, Pusan National University
Andrew T. Wittenberg, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory/NOAA
Kyung-Sook Yun, Pusan National University
Tobias Bayr, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Duesternbrooker Weg 20
Han-Ching Chen, National Taiwan University
Yoshimitsu Chikamoto, Utah State UniversityFollow
et al.

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Nature

Volume

559

Publisher

natureresearch

Publication Date

7-25-2018

First Page

1

Last Page

35

Abstract

El Niño events are characterized by surface warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean and weakening of equatorial trade winds that occur every few years. Such conditions are accompanied by changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation, affecting global climate, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, fisheries and human activities. The alternation of warm El Niño and cold La Niña conditions, referred to as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), represents the strongest year-to-year fluctuation of the global climate system. Here we provide a synopsis of our current understanding of the spatio-temporal complexity of this important climate mode and its influence on the Earth system.

Recommended Citation

Timmermann, Axel, et al. "El Niño–Southern Oscillation complexity." Nature, 559, 2018, pp. 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0252-6