El Nino and La Nina sea surface temperature anomalies: Asymmetry characteristics associated with their wind stress anomalies

[1] The asymmetric nature of El Nino and La Nina sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies is investigated by the use of National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis data and various ocean and atmosphere models. It is demonstrated that the relatively weak SST anomalies during La Nina compared with those of El Nino are related to the westward shift of wind stress anomalies by 10degrees-15degrees. The asymmetric characteristics of atmospheric responses are confirmed by the general circulation model experiments with the two different SST anomalies, which have equal amplitude but are of opposite sign from each other. The experiments with an intermediate ocean model and a hybrid coupled model clearly show that the SST anomalies over the equatorial Pacific become weaker as the zonal wind stress shifts to the west. Not only the amplitude but also the oscillation timescale of the SST anomaly is shown to be sensitive to the location of wind stress anomalies. The duration of La Nina, which is rather shorter than that of El Nino, is also related to the longitudinal displacement of the wind stress anomaly.