A Review of Paleo El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Lu, Zhengyao; Liu, Zhengyu; Zhu, Jiang; Cobb, Kim M.

doi:10.3390/atmos9040130

Cited by 60 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 149 publications

(312 reference statements)

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“…Reconstructions based on single foraminifera analyses show either reduced (Ford et al, 2015;Leduc et al, 2009) or enhanced (Koutavas & Joanides, 2012;Sadekov et al, 2013) ENSO during the LGM. Additional ENSO variability reconstructions are needed to reconcile these records (Lu et al, 2018). Much of the disagreement may depend on site location and choice of foraminifera species (Ford et al, 2015;Thirumalai et al, 2013).…”

Section: A Deep Thermocline Throughout the Eepmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Deep Eastern Equatorial Pacific Thermocline During the Last Glacial Maximum

Ford

McChesney

Hertzberg

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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The mean state and variability of the tropical Pacific is influenced by the depth of the thermocline. During the Last Glacial Maximum (~21,000 years ago), the zonal sea surface temperature gradient across the equatorial Pacific was reduced and productivity was generally lower than modern. To understand the thermocline depth's role in determining the Last Glacial Maximum tropical mean state, we reconstruct the upper ocean δ18O profile from multiple species of planktic foraminifera. We synthesize existing records of surface and subsurface dwelling foraminifera to reconstruct the vertical δ18O gradient throughout the eastern equatorial Pacific. We find the thermocline was deeper during the Last Glacial Maximum than the Holocene throughout the eastern equatorial Pacific region. The thermocline depth's role in the dynamic forcing of the cold tongue contributed to the reduced zonal SST gradient across the equatorial Pacific, decreased productivity, and presumably impacted El Niño‐Southern Oscillation variability relative to the Holocene.

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Section: A Deep Thermocline Throughout the Eepmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Deep Eastern Equatorial Pacific Thermocline During the Last Glacial Maximum

Ford

McChesney

Hertzberg

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…Both the seasonal forecast of ENSO events (Levine & McPhaden, ) and the prediction of future projections of ENSO variability (e.g., Christensen et al, ; Meehl et al, ) are far from satisfactory. To improve our understanding of ENSO dynamics and to constrain the model uncertainties, we study the past evolution of ENSO in response to various external forcings (Lu et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prominent Precession Band Variance in ENSO Intensity Over the Last 300,000 Years

Liu

Chen

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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Three transient National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model, version 3 model simulations were analyzed to study the responses of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the equatorial Pacific annual cycle (AC) to external forcings over the last 300,000 years. The time‐varying boundary conditions of insolation, greenhouse gases, and continental ice sheets, accelerated by a factor of 100, were sequentially added in these simulations. The simulated ENSO and AC amplitudes change in phase, and both have pronounced precession band variance (~21,000 years). The precession‐modulated slow (orbital time scales) ENSO evolution is dominated linearly by the change of the coupled ocean‐atmosphere instability, notably the Ekman upwelling feedback and thermocline feedback. In contrast, the greenhouse gases and ice sheet forcings (~100,000‐year cycles) are opposed to each other as they influence ENSO variability through changes in AC amplitude via a common nonlinear frequency entrainment mechanism. The acceleration technique could dampen and delay the precession signals below the surface ocean associated with ENSO intensity.

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“…2). Predicting ENSO behavior under future climate states is a modeling exercise, but as Lu et al (3) note, paleorecords are both essential and iterative for testing models. As they point out, "South America coastal regions and nearby islands in the tropical eastern Pacific, located in the ENSO center of action, are ideal regions to search for information on past ENSO variability" (ref.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As they point out, "South America coastal regions and nearby islands in the tropical eastern Pacific, located in the ENSO center of action, are ideal regions to search for information on past ENSO variability" (ref. 3…”

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confidence: 99%

Archaeological climate proxies and the complexities of reconstructing Holocene El Niño in coastal Peru

Sandweiss

Andrus

Kelley

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Archaeological evidence plays a key role in longitudinal studies of humans and climate. Climate proxy data from Peruvian archaeological sites provide a case study through insight into the history of the “flavors” or varieties of El Niño (EN) events after ∼11 ka: eastern Pacific EN, La Niña, coastal EN (COA), and central Pacific or Modoki EN (CP). Archaeological proxies are important to the coastal Peruvian case because more commonly used paleoclimate proxies are unavailable or equivocal. Previously, multiproxy evidence from the Peruvian coast and elsewhere suggested that EN frequency varied over the Holocene: 1) present in the Early Holocene; 2) absent or very low frequency during the Middle Holocene (∼9 to 6 ka); 3) low after ∼6 ka; and 4) rapidly increasing frequency after 3 ka. Despite skepticism about the reliability of archaeological proxies, nonarchaeological proxies seemed to confirm this archaeological EN reconstruction. Although there is consensus that EN frequency varied over this period, some nonarchaeological and archaeological proxies call parts of this reconstruction into question. Here we review Holocene EN frequency reconstructions for the Peruvian coast, point to complexities introduced by apparent contradictions in a range of proxy records, consider the impact of CP and COA phenomena, and assess the merits of archaeological proxies in EN reconstructions. Reconciling Peruvian coastal paleoclimate data is critical for testing models of future EN behavior under climate variability.

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A Review of Paleo El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Cited by 60 publications

References 149 publications

A Deep Eastern Equatorial Pacific Thermocline During the Last Glacial Maximum

A Deep Eastern Equatorial Pacific Thermocline During the Last Glacial Maximum

Prominent Precession Band Variance in ENSO Intensity Over the Last 300,000 Years

Archaeological climate proxies and the complexities of reconstructing Holocene El Niño in coastal Peru

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