The Southern Oscillation: an ocean-atmosphere feedback system?

Abstract

The Southern Oscillation (SO) is characterized by a temporal signal that dominates the variation of sea surface temperature (SST), pressure, and other fields in 'core regions', which are mostly in or near the equatorial Pacific. It involves persistence, high interannual variability, and high correlations between fields. These phenomena are best explained in terms of a positive feedback relationship between the equatorial east Pacific SST and the Walker circulation, in which the feedback varies with season. -from Author