Articles | Volume 14, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-633-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-633-2018
Research article
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11 Jul 2018
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 11 Jul 2018

On the role of the North Equatorial Counter Current during a strong El Niño

David John Webb

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Cited articles

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Results from a high-resolution ocean model show that during the strong El Niños of 1983 and 1998, transport of warm water in the equatorial Pacific was dominated by the North Equatorial Counter Current and not by equatorial Kelvin waves. The results show why the NECC fails to do this in most years and how stronger than normal annual Rossby waves near the Equator can both trigger the El Niño in the western Pacific and help to ensure that the warm water arrives off South America around Christmas.