The Footprint of ENSO on an Oceanic Eddy Dipole

Xiaoqing Chu, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China, Changming (Charles) Dong, University of California and Yiquan Qi, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Acaademy of Sciences, China
Abstract:
Regional response to large-scale climate change is of scientific interest and societal importance to the regional community. Here we show that El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a large-scale phenomenon, strongly affects an eddy dipole in the South China Sea, the largest marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. The eddy dipole develops offshore of Vietnam from summer to fall with a cyclonic eddy in the north and an anticyclonic eddy in the south. The dipole disappears in years when, and only when, a strong El Niño decays into a strong La Niña. The dynamic analysis demonstrates that the El Niño-induced variation of the local wind pattern is the primary mechanism that causes the dipole to disappear. The study suggests that the impact of the large-scale climate change on regional oceanic mesoscale processes are of significance and deserves more attentions.

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