Optimal Precursors for Central Pacific El Niño Events in GFDL CM2p1

Abstract

Abstract Compared to the canonical eastern Pacific El Niño, the understanding and ability to predict the central Pacific (CP)-type event still need further improvement. In this study, the principal component analysis–based particle swarm optimization algorithm (PPSO) is applied in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Climate Model version 2p1 (GFDL CM2p1) to obtain the optimal precursors (OPRs) for CP El Niño events, based on the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP) method. For this, three normal years with neither El Niño nor La Niña events, i.e., three cases, are chosen as the reference states. The obtained OPRs for these cases exhibit a consistent positive sea surface temperature (SST) perturbation distribution in the subtropical North Pacific (20°–40°N, 175°E–140°W), which is further proven to be crucial for the evolution of CP El Niño based on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere significance test results. Mechanically, these positive SST perturbations are enhanced and reach the equatorial Pacific via wind–evaporation–SST (WES) feedback to evolve into a CP El Niño at the end of the year. The nonlinear approach is adopted to investigate the predictability of CP El Niño events and can shed some light on future studies.