• Atmosphere
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.365-379
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• 2007

Global warming may shift the properties and dynamics of ENSO. We study the changes in ENSO characteristics in a coupled general circulation model, ECHO-G/S. First, we analyse the mean state changes by comparing present day simulation and various high $CO_2$ climates. The model shows a little El Nino-like changes in the sea surface temperature and wind stress in the eastern tropical Pacific. As the mean temperature rises, the ENSO amplitude and the frequency of strong El Ninos and La Nina decrease. The analysis shows that the weakening of the oceanic sensitivities is related to the weakening of ENSO. In addition to the surface changes, the remote subsurface sea temperature response in the western Pacific to the wind stress in the eastern Pacific influences the subsequent ENSO amplitude. However, ENSO amplitude does not show linear response to the greenhouse gas concentrations.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.611-616
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• 2015

El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) presents a broad band (2-8 year) variability and slowly changing amplitude and period, which are respectively referred to as ENSO irregularity and ENSO modulation. In this study, we developed a nonlinear low-order climate model by combining the Lorenz-63 model of nonlinear atmospheric variability and a simple ENSO model with recharge oscillator characteristics. The model successfully reproduced the ENSO-like variations in the sea surface temperature of eastern Pacific, such as the peak period, wide periodicity, and decadal modulations. The results show that the chaotic atmospheric forcing can lead to ENSO irregularity and ENSO modulation. It is also suggested the high probability of La Nina development could be associated with strong convection of the western warm pool. Although it is simple, this model is expected to be used in research on long-term climate change because it well captures the nonlinear air-sea interactions in the equatorial Pacific.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.687-694
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• 2006

This paper investigated the effects of wind stress forcing in the western North Pacific on ENSO decadal change before and after the late 1970s. The SVD analysis of SODA data shows that a positive wind stress curl is dominant in the western North Pacific at the ENSO mature phase, which leads to the ENSO phase change by discharge/recharge heat contents in the equatorial Pacific. Before the late 1970s, the wind stress curl in the western North Pacific was strong. This strong wind forcing that is associated with the fast discharge of heat contents in the equator led to the short period and the weak intensity of ENSO occurred during the 1960-1970. On the other hand, after the late 1970s the relatively weak wind stress curl was accompanied with the long period and the strong intensity of ENSO. The simple coupled model experiments also confirm that the amplitude and dominant period of ENSO decrease when the wind stress curl in the western North Pacific projects more strongly into the ocean at the TNSO mature phase. Our results support that the changes in the behavior of ENSO after the late 1970s are associated with the wind stress variation in the western North Pacific.

• Proceedings of the Korean Quaternary Association Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.53-56
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• 2006

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.392-405
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• 2019

Biogeochemical processes play an important role in ocean environments and can affect the entire Earth's climate system. Using an ocean-biogeochemistry model (NEMO-TOPAZ), we investigated the effects of changes in albedo and wind stress caused by phytoplankton in the equatorial Pacific. The simulated ocean temperature showed a slight decrease when the solar reflectance of the regions where phytoplankton were present increased. Phytoplankton also decreased the El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude by decreasing the influence of trade winds due to their biological enhancement of upper-ocean turbulent viscosity. Consequently, the cold sea surface temperature bias in the equatorial Pacific and overestimation of the ENSO amplitude were slightly reduced in our model simulations. Further sensitivity tests suggested the necessity of improving the phytoplankton-related equation and optimal coefficients. Our results highlight the effects of altered albedo and wind stress due to phytoplankton on the climate system.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.469-480
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• 2017

Controversy has surrounded the potential impacts of phytoplankton on the tropical climate, since climate models produce diverse behaviors in terms of the equatorial mean state and El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude. We explored biophysical impacts on the tropical ocean temperature using an ocean general circulation model coupled to a biogeochemistry model in which chlorophyll can modify solar attenuation and in turn feed back to ocean physics. Compared with a control model run excluding biophysical processes, our model with biogeochemistry showed that subsurface chlorophyll concentrations led to an increase in sea surface temperature (particularly in the western Pacific) via horizontal accumulation of heat contents. In the central Pacific, however, a mild cold anomaly appeared, accompanying the strengthened westward currents. The magnitude and skewness of ENSO were also modulated by biophysical feedbacks resulting from the chlorophyll affecting El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ and La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ in an asymmetric way. That is, El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ conditions were intensified by the higher contribution of the second baroclinic mode to sea surface temperature anomalies, whereas La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$ conditions were slightly weakened by the absorption of shortwave radiation by phytoplankton. In our model experiments, the intensification of El $Ni{\tilde{n}}o$ was more dominant than the dampening of La $Ni{\tilde{n}}a$, resulting in the amplification of ENSO and higher skewness.