ENSO-forced variability of the Pacific decadal oscillation

Abstract

Variability of the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), on both interannual and decadal timescales, is well modeled as the sum of direct forcing by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the "reemergence" of North Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies in subsequent winters, and while noise atmospheric forcing. This simple model may be taken as a null hypothesis for the PDO, and may also be relevant for other climate integrators that have been previously related to the PDO.