As a dominant source of tropical variability, the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) influences the ocean in many ways. One approach to observe the atmosphere‐ocean relationship is by examining sea surface salinity (SSS) due to direct freshening by MJO precipitation. The convectively enhanced (suppressed) phase of the MJO is associated with negative (positive) SSS anomalies that propagate eastward along the equatorial Indian and Pacific oceans. In this study, primary MJO events are identified, and their SSS signatures are compared for the first time across multiple satellite salinity products (the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Aquarius and Soil Moisture Active Passive) from 2010 to 2017. While all satellite missions are capable of detecting MJO signals and primary events on an unprecedented observational scale, we find that the use of the combined active passive algorithm increases signal robustness, with the strongest signal response in Soil Moisture Active Passive and Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (±0.2 psu) and the lowest in Aquarius (±0.1 psu).
The Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is the dominant mode of air‐sea interaction over intraseasonal timescales. The effects of the MJO are well understood, but the initiation of the MJO remains less conclusive, particularly under El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions. Primary MJO events are those not immediately preceded by existing MJO activity of sufficient strength. As they are rare by definition, primary MJOs remain difficult to study, especially so when observations of events are scarce and of low spatiotemporal resolution. The advent of satellites allows for more expansive observations to be made more frequently than in situ methods, thus improving the observational capabilities of pre‐primary MJO conditions in the ocean and atmosphere. We examined oceanic and atmospheric intraseasonal signals preceding two primary MJO events during contrasting ENSO events in an attempt to bridge the connection between oceanic and atmospheric observations as potentially coupled trigger mechanisms. Satellite observations and model simulations of the central and western Indian Ocean show that intraseasonal peaks in absolute dynamic topography (ADT) and sea surface temperature (SST) upward of 1 to 2 weeks prior to the observed outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) minimum. Surface ocean warming moistens the near surface through anomalous surface fluxes, which destabilizes the lower atmosphere to deep convection. Low‐level moisture flux convergence (MFC) moistens the lower atmosphere prior to convective initiation, thus forcing an increase of total column moist static energy (MSE). Coupled midtropospheric cooling is observed that further destabilizes the atmosphere. Zonal shifts in contributing initiating parameters are observed during ENSO phases.
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