Imprint of the El Nino Modoki on decadal sea level changes

Decadal variation in sea level is shown to manifest as higher than normal sea level in the central Pacific flanked by lower than normal sea level on either side of the basin during the early 21st century. This abnormal condition is evidently aided by frequent occurrences of El Nino Modoki events and associated wind convergence to the dateline during 2000-2004. The sea level rise in central Pacific succeeded a phase of lower than normal sea level associated with La Nina Modoki events toward the end of 20th century. A correlation analysis confirms the dominant influence of El Nino/La Nina Modoki on the sea level rise in the central Pacific as compared to that of the El Nino/La Nina. This influence can even be seen in remote regions such as the coasts of California and Mauritius through atmospheric teleconnections. Citation: Behera, S., and T. Yamagata (2010), Imprint of the El Nino Modoki on decadal sea level changes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L23702, doi:10.1029/2010GL045936.