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Journal article : Letter

Multi-decadal skill variability in predicting the spatial patterns of ENSO events

Abstract:
Seasonal hindcasts have previously been demonstrated to show multi-decadal variability in skill across the twentieth century in indices describing El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which drives global seasonal predictability. Here, we analyze the skill of predicting ENSO events' magnitude and spatial pattern, in the CSF-20C coupled seasonal hindcasts in 1901–2010. We find minima in the skill of predicting the first (in 1930–1950) and second (in 1940–1960) principal components of sea-surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific. This minimum is also present in the spatial correlation of SSTs, in 1930–1960. The skill reduction is explained by lower ENSO magnitude and variance in 1930–1960, as well as decreased SST persistence. The SST skill minima project onto surface winds, leading to worse predictions in coupled hindcasts compared to hindcasts using prescribed SSTs. Questions remain about the offset between the first and second principal components' skill minima, and how the skill minima impact the extra-tropics.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1029/2023GL107971

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Atmos Ocean & Planet Physics
Oxford college:
Brasenose College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-0463-8434
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Atmos Ocean & Planet Physics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-7231-6974
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Atmos Ocean & Planet Physics
Role:
Author


Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Journal:
Geophysical Research Letters More from this journal
Volume:
51
Issue:
12
Article number:
e2023GL107971
Publication date:
2024-06-14
Acceptance date:
2024-05-28
DOI:
EISSN:
1944-8007
ISSN:
0094-8276


Language:
English
Subtype:
Letter
Pubs id:
2003024
Local pid:
pubs:2003024
Deposit date:
2024-06-03

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