The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Nonlinear feedbacks from Tropical instability waves on Pacific climate crucial for simulating response to Greenhouse Warming
ID:426 Oral Presentation

2027-01-13 16:35 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 50 - Indo-Pacific Ocean Dynamics and Tropical Climate

Abstract
Tropical instability Waves (TIWs) dominate intraseasonal variability in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and strongly impact tropical ocean dynamics and marine ecosystems as well as modulating tropical climate variability. However, TIWs' response to future greenhouse warming remains relatively unexplored because most current climate models cannot resolve TIWs well. Here we use a suite of TIW-resolving climate model simulations to reveal that there is a consistent decrease in TIW-driven temperature variability under CO2 increases, mainly due to the weakening of the meridional sea surface temperature gradient. Two distinct mechanisms affect TIW changes: north of the equator, there is an intensification of the Rossby mode, possibly as a result of increasing instability of the major equatorial current. This creates a stronger ocean momentum flux feedback on zonal flow. Along the equator, the combination of increased current shear and decreased temperature gradient creates a net decrease in the Yanai mode and a correspondingly weaker equatorial ocean heat flux feedback on mean temperature. On seasonal timescales, the result in all models examined is a weakening of variability in both cold tongue temperature and zonal flow. Our results point to improvement in TIW simulations as a key pathway for reducing uncertainty in tropical Pacific climate projections.
Speaker
Aoyun Xue Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology

Author
Aoyun Xue Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027