El Niño / Southern Oscillation

Sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific drive global climate teleconnections through changes in Walker circulation

Phase

El Niño

Warm anomaly in central/eastern Pacific. Trade winds weaken or reverse.

Walker Circulation

Weakened

Normally: rising air over Indonesia, sinking over Peru

Teleconnections

• Western US: wetter
• SE Asia: drought
• Australia: drought
• Equatorial E. Pacific: warmer