Article Type:
Research Article

Characterizing Warm-ENSO Variability in the Equatorial Pacific: An OLR Perspective

A. M. Chiodi Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

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D. E. Harrison Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, and NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington

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Print Publication:
01 May 2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JCLI3030.1
Page(s):
2428–2439
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Abstract

It is shown that space–time smoothed outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) indices of equatorial Pacific seasonal variability can give an interestingly different perspective on El Niño than is obtained from sea surface temperature (SST) indices or the Southern Oscillation index (SOI). In particular, the index defined by averaging over an eastern-central region exhibits strong event like character—more so than in any other El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm-phase index known to the authors. Although the historical record for OLR is much shorter than for SST or SOI, OLR offers a direct connection to anomalous atmospheric heating. It is suggested that the years identified as events by this OLR index deserve particular recognition; and it is noteworthy that they all meet the criteria for “El Niño” years. Other years, whose warm-ENSO status differs depending upon the index favored, are not particularly distinctive from an OLR perspective, and a case could be made that either the other years do not deserve special classification or that they should be identified as different from the OLR-distinguished El Niño years.

Corresponding author address: A. M. Chiodi, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Box 357941, Seattle, WA 98115. Email: andy.chiodi@noaa.gov

Abstract

It is shown that space–time smoothed outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) indices of equatorial Pacific seasonal variability can give an interestingly different perspective on El Niño than is obtained from sea surface temperature (SST) indices or the Southern Oscillation index (SOI). In particular, the index defined by averaging over an eastern-central region exhibits strong event like character—more so than in any other El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm-phase index known to the authors. Although the historical record for OLR is much shorter than for SST or SOI, OLR offers a direct connection to anomalous atmospheric heating. It is suggested that the years identified as events by this OLR index deserve particular recognition; and it is noteworthy that they all meet the criteria for “El Niño” years. Other years, whose warm-ENSO status differs depending upon the index favored, are not particularly distinctive from an OLR perspective, and a case could be made that either the other years do not deserve special classification or that they should be identified as different from the OLR-distinguished El Niño years.

Corresponding author address: A. M. Chiodi, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Box 357941, Seattle, WA 98115. Email: andy.chiodi@noaa.gov

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