Teleconnections of the tropical sea surface temperatures to the surface air temperature over Saudi Arabia in summer season

Abstract

Sea surface temperature (SST) is an important oceanic variable that impacts regional and global climate. This paper examines the relation of summer (June to August) surface air temperature (SAT) variability over Saudi Arabia (1948–2013) with SST over the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The SAT over Saudi Arabia shows an abrupt increase around the 1980s (i.e. 1986). Partial correlations between SAT and different SST indices indicate that the Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) has a more significant effect on SAT than does the tropical North Atlantic (TNA), tropical South Atlantic (TSA) or Western Hemisphere warm pool (WHWP). Hence, the change in IPWP SST can be considered as one of the factors linked to increase SAT over Saudi Arabia. The only significant relationship between El Niño and SAT is found in the Niño 4 region. Moreover, interactions between the tropical Atlantic meridional gradient mode and SAT are undetectable in the summer season, indicating that the TNA and TSA may have effectively independent roles on SAT over Saudi Arabia. The tropical Atlantic, through TNA and TSA, may influence the IPWP SST which modifies the strength of the Indian monsoon low, and in turn, has a strong influence on Saudi Arabia SAT variability.