Fig. 7: Schematic representation of mechanisms behind the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) modulation of Ningaloo Niño/Niña strength. | Nature Communications

Fig. 7: Schematic representation of mechanisms behind the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) modulation of Ningaloo Niño/Niña strength.

From: Interdecadal modulation of Ningaloo Niño/Niña strength in the Southeast Indian Ocean by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation

Fig. 7

a The tropical Atlantic warming associated with the positive AMO leads to mean sea surface temperature (SST) cooling over the equatorial central Pacific and mean SST warming in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean through atmospheric Walker circulation. b Those mean state changes lead to the westward shift of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) pattern and modify the climate sensitivity to ENSO forcing, which enhance ENSO atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections to the southeast Indian Ocean, thereby promoting the Ningaloo Niño/Niña amplitude. c The mean SST warming over the tropical eastern Indian Ocean makes the atmosphere more unstable and enhances background convection. For this unstable and convection-active state, the atmospheric convection will be more sensitive to underlying SST anomalies, thus leading to enhanced coastal Bjerknes feedback and Ningaloo Niño/Niña strength.

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