El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects substantial redistributions of ocean temperature, both horizontal and vertical, on interannual time scales, especially in the Pacific Ocean. Analyses of monthly Argo-based ocean temperature maps illustrate large-scale ocean heat content redistributions with ENSO. They quantify a globally averaged sea surface temperature warming of similar to 0.1 degrees C with a 1 degrees C increase of the Nino3.4 index (a moderate El Nino), a substantial perturbation to the 0.13 degrees Cdecade(-1) trend in sea surface temperature. Monthly satellite-based estimates of Earth's energy imbalance suggest that a 1 degrees C increase of the Nino3.4 index corresponds to an increase of similar to 3.4ZJ in Earth's energy storage, more gently modulating the longer-term similar to 114ZJdecade(-1) trend. Yearly global ocean heat content estimates based on ocean temperature data, with their reduced uncertainties compared to monthly maps, reveal interannual variations in Earth's energy storage that correspond well with satellite-based estimates.

Journal Article

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)