Articles | Volume 17, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1585-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-1585-2021
Research article
 | 
08 Nov 2021
Research article |  | 08 Nov 2021

On the low western Pacific sea levels observed prior to strong East Pacific El Niños

David J. Webb

Viewed

Total article views: 2,794 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
1,941 769 84 2,794 48 47
  • HTML: 1,941
  • PDF: 769
  • XML: 84
  • Total: 2,794
  • BibTeX: 48
  • EndNote: 47
Views and downloads (calculated since 05 Feb 2021)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 05 Feb 2021)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 2,794 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 2,719 with geography defined and 75 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 23 Nov 2024
Download
Short summary
Research on strong El Niños has shown that they may be a result of a stronger-than-normal North Equatorial Counter Current, itself triggered by lower-than-normal sea levels that develop early in the year. A numerical model study of the 1981–1982 El Niño shows that the low sea levels are due to local winds in the west Pacific, and this is shown also to be true for the 1997–1998 and 2015–2016 El Niños. As a result, we now have a much better understanding of the mechanism causing strong El Niños.