ENSO-Modulated Cyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

he role of the El Niño?Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the modulation of tropical cyclone activity over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) for the 1979?2011 period is examined. It is shown that Niño-3.4 sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are negatively correlated with the BoB tropical cyclone activity to a statistically significant percentage by a lead time of 5 months. Composites of 10-m zonal winds exhibit greater variance during La Niña events, favoring the development of low-level cyclonic vorticity. Low vertical wind shear over the central and northern BoB also aids in the development of tropical cyclones during La Niña events. Increased relative humidity is the result of enhanced moisture transport and higher precipitable water under La Niña conditions. Furthermore, storm-relative composites of relative humidity show stronger moisture pulses over the BoB during La Niña. The enhanced moisture associated with tropical cyclogenesis likely aids in the development and strengthening of the systems. ENSO forces modulations in oceanic conditions as well. The observed negative (positive) SST anomalies during La Niña (El Niño) could be seen as the result of increased (decreased) net heat flux across the sea surface. Tropical cyclone activity varies between El Niño and La Niña as a result of anomalous wind and moisture patterns during each ENSO phase.