Multidecadal Changes in Zonal Displacement of Tropical Pacific MJO Variability Modulated by North Atlantic SST

The Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) exhibits the most vigorous activity over the Indo-Pacific warm pool during the boreal winter. In this study, we find the interbasin connection between the tropical Pacific MJO activity and North Atlantic sea surface temperature at the interdecadal time scale. Accompanied with the negative phase of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), the enhanced MJO variability (i.e., larger amplitude of 20-90-day convection) tends to extend eastward into the central tropical Pacific (20S-0, 170E-150 & DEG;W), while the vigorous MJO variability is confined to the Indo-Pacific warm pool during the positive phase of AMO. The eastward displacement of MJO convection into the central tropical Pacific during the negative AMO phase is supported by the increased moist static energy and low-level moisture tendencies there when the low-frequency background (> 90 days) westerly transports the moisture perturbation [-(V over bar . backward difference q')'] and the MJO-associated easterly perturbation transports the background moisture [-(V'. backward difference q over bar )'] toward the central tropical Pacific. This suggests that the interdecadal changes in zonal displacement of MJO activity over the tropical Pacific are closely linked with the impacts of AMO on the background flow and moisture condition over the central tropical Pacific. The results of coupled model sensitivity experiments and preindustrial simulations of phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) support the observational findings.

Automated summary

This study has found the interdecadal connection between tropical Pacific MJO activity and North Atlantic sea surface temperature. The MJO activity tends to extend eastward to the central tropical Pacific during the negative phase of AMO, while being confined to the Indo-Pacific warm pool during the positive phase of AMO.