On the connection between Benguela and equatorial Atlantic Ninos and the role of the South Atlantic Anticyclone.
Open accessAbstract
For the eastern tropical Atlantic two recurring El Niño‐like phenomena with high interannual SST anomalies have been described, one centered in the equatorial region as part of the Atlantic zonal mode and one off Angola referred to as Benguela Niño. Both events are supposed to be generated not locally but by a relaxation of the trade winds in the western equatorial Atlantic. Here the connection between SST variations in the two regions is investigated with observational data sets as well as ocean model simulations. They are correlated to such an extent that joint events should rather be viewed as one Atlantic Niño. An intriguing feature, counterintuitive in view of the remote forcing mechanism, is that SST anomalies off Angola precede those in the equatorial Atlantic. We show this behavior to be related to the difference in thermocline depths and a different seasonality of interannual SST variability in the two regions. While Benguela Niños peak in austral fall due to the Angola Benguela Front being located furthest to the south and high interannual variability in coastal Kelvin wave activity, warm events at the equator are phase‐locked to austral winter when the thermocline is shallow. Perturbation experiments confirm the importance of remote forcing from the equator for SST variability off Angola and demonstrate the leading role of wind stress in the generation of SST anomalies in the eastern tropical Atlantic. These wind stress variations are shown to be linked to fluctuations in the strength of the South Atlantic Anticyclone, a connection that might be important with respect to the predictability of Atlantic Niños.
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Interannual variability in the equatorial and eastern boundary circulation due to equatorial and coastally trapped waves defines the propagation characteristics of warm and cold anomalies of the AZM and Benguela Niño.
“Interannual variability in the equatorial and eastern boundary circulation due to equatorial and coastally trapped waves define the propagation characteristics of warm and cold anomalies of the AZM and Benguela Niño (Lübbecke et al., 2010).”
From The tropical atlantic observing system (2019) · cites this paper as Lübbecke et al., 2010
Section 3.3.2 (paragraphs 27 and 30) links interannual SST variability and the timing of warm and cold events to equatorial and coastal Kelvin-wave signals. But the Summary and Discussion (paragraphs 41 and 43) also attributes the different timing of Benguela and equatorial anomalies to thermocline depth and seasonal phase-locking; it does not establish that wave-driven circulation variability alone defines their propagation characteristics. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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References 45 · Cited by 190
Research works printed but not linked: 9
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- Authors
- Lübbecke, J. F., Böning, C. W., Keenlyside, N. S., & Xie, S.
- Affiliations
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (DE)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lübbecke, Joke F.
- Venue
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2010-09
- Volume
- 115
- Issue
- C9
- ISSN
- 0148-0227 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2135615571
- Cited by
- 190
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 6.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (publishedVersion)
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
- Keywords
- Benguela Niño, Atlantic Niño, South Atlantic Anticyclone, eastern tropical Atlantic, sea surface temperature anomalies, thermocline depth, Angola-Benguela Front, Kelvin waves, wind stress forcing, remote forcing, interannual variability
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