Different Evolutions of the Philippine Sea Anticyclone between the Eastern and Central Pacific El Niño: Possible Effects of Indian Ocean SST

Abstract

he authors examine different evolution features of the low-level anticyclone over the tropical northwestern Pacific between eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño events and central Pacific (CP) El Niño events. During EP El Niño, the low-level anticyclone shows an eastward movement from the northern Indian Ocean to the east of the Philippines. During CP El Niño, however, the anticyclone is mostly confined to the west of the Philippines. It is weaker, exhibits a shorter lifetime, and lacks eastward movement compared to the Philippine Sea anticyclone (PSAC) during EP El Niño. Investigation into the possible impact of Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperature (SST) on the evolution of the low-level anticyclone during EP and CP El Niño indicates that both SST and low-level atmospheric circulation over the IO are related more strongly with EP El Niño than with CP El Niño. The IO SST tends to exert a more prominent influence on PSAC during EP El Niño than during CP El Niño. During the developing summer and autumn of EP El Niño, the anomalous anticyclone over the northern Indian Ocean excited by positive IO dipole may contribute to an early development of the PSAC. During the winter and decaying spring, the anomalous anticyclone to the east of the Philippines instigated by the IO basin-wide warming mode also favors a larger persistence of the PSAC. During CP El Niño, however, IO SST shows a negligible impact on the evolution of the anticyclone.