Modes of Climate Variability

Natural modes of climate variability strongly influence how climate varies from year to year in various parts of the world. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a phenomenon centred in the equatorial Pacific, is the most well-known, and it influences the climate over many parts of the world. Another key mode of tropical ocean variability, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), has a strong impact on the climate around the Indian Ocean basin. In the atmosphere, the related phenomena of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) strongly influence the climate of the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, while the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) - also known as the Southern Annual Mode (SAM) - does likewise in the southern hemisphere.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Climate Action