Authors: Andrew Hoell Chris Funk Jens Zinke Laura Harrison
Publish Date: 2016/06/11
Volume: 48, Issue: 7-8, Pages: 2529-2540
Abstract
The climate of Southern Africa defined as the land area bound by the region 15°S–35°S 125°E–425°E during the December–March rainy season is driven by IndoPacific sea surface temperature SST anomalies associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation ENSO and the Subtropical Indian Ocean Dipole SIOD The observed December–March 1979–2014 Southern Africa precipitation during the four ENSO and SIOD phase combinations suggests that the phase of the SIOD can disrupt or enhance the Southern Africa precipitation response to ENSO Here we use a large ensemble of model simulations driven by global SST and ENSOonly SST to test whether the SIOD modifies the relationship between Southern Africa precipitation and ENSO Since ENSObased precipitation forecasts are used extensively over Southern Africa an improved understanding of how other modes of SST variability modulate the regional response to ENSO is important ENSO in the absence of the SIOD forces an equivalent barotropic Rossby wave over Southern Africa that modifies the regional midtropospheric vertical motions and precipitation anomalies El Niño La Niña is related with high low pressure over Southern Africa that produces anomalous midtropospheric descent ascent and decreases increases in precipitation relative to average When the SIOD and ENSO are in opposite phases the SIOD compliments the ENSOrelated atmospheric response over Southern Africa by strengthening the regional equivalent barotropic Rossby wave anomalous midtropospheric vertical motions and anomalous precipitation By contrast when the SIOD and ENSO are in the same phase the SIOD disrupts the ENSOrelated atmospheric response over Southern Africa by weakening the regional equivalent barotropic Rossby wave anomalous midtropospheric vertical motions and anomalous precipitation
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