Large‐Scale Signals in the South Pacific Wave Fields Related to ENSO

Abstract

Abstract Surface waves play an important role in oceans. By using 40 years of reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts, CERA‐20C, we get the signal of the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW) in the Southern Ocean wave filed. In addition, this signal with a 5‐year period, can be transmitted to low latitudes by northward swells. The swells from the Southern Ocean, which link the high and low latitudes, have been proved to affect the tropical ocean by analyzing swell height with the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. This paper also shows the relation between El Niño and northward wave transport from the Southern Ocean. After El Niño outbreaks, the northward wave transport increases abnormally. The highest correlation coefficient is located around 12°S, with values around 0.79 and northward wave transport lags the Niño3 index by 1–2 months. With the decrease in latitudes, the lag time is longer and correlation coefficient increases. The cold water transport induced by waves from higher latitudes has a cooling effect on the decline of El Niño. There is an inextricable link between wave transport and El Niño.